Are we leading performance based lives? I think so. Whenever I go out and talk to some poor chap about how he missed church last week and feels sorry that he misappropriated his time or merely forgot, and that he was going to be eternally punished because he missed 1 sweaty guy on a stage spreading the good news to half of an audience listening intently, and the other half texting or on Facebook mobile. This is how I used to feel until a very wise man (Marty Martin, lead pastor of Northstar Church) revealed to me that performance isn't everything. You see dear readers, with our Lord, it doesn't matter if you miss a Sunday because God lives in YOU and ME. If you think that if you go to church every Sunday that God will "love you more", then you need to retreat to the safety of Starbucks and order a triple fudge crap-a-chino whilst I explain to you what RELATIONSHIP is. We lead performance-based lives everyday. "If I don't do good enough, people won't respect me"or "if I wear these name brand clothes, perhaps she'll like me more"or even "if I don't make enough money people won't view me as the self righteous, pretentious snob that I want everyone to perceive me as". My point? Stop trying to win God's love because guess what? You already have it! Read Psalm 136. "His faithful love endures forever". Put it to you this way, let's say you forget you and your significant other's anniversary, does this mean you don't love her? Of course not! The love is still there, even when you forget. Let's say you're a father and your son commits an unspeakable act that requires a good bruising on his backside, does this mean you stop loving him? Of course not. That's just like God the Father and us when we sin. He doesn't hate the sinner, he just hates the sin. And there's nothing you can do to make Him stop loving you, or love you more. "Peter began to speak: 'I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism" --Acts 10: 34. God loves us. Bottom line. And there's nothing you can do about it. Stop putting on a show for Him. He knows what your doing. He sees into the hearts of all men, you cannot hide from the Creator who made you. There's no amount of serving, volunteering, or putting on a fake smile and fake being sincere about people to their face, and the minute they're gone you and your friends talk about how much you can't stand that person, as soon as said person leaves the room to make God love you more, or make God "un-love" you. So put an end to your silly performance. Spend time with God through His word. Drink it in as if your very life depends on it because truthfully, it does. There is nothing more important in this world than a personal, intimate, practical and real relationship with our Lord. If you don't have that then here's what you should do ASAP:
1. Seek out a pastor
2.Ask him about having a relationship with God, and what you should do
3. Invite Christ to be the Lord and Savior of your life
4. Commit and surrender to Him.
Friends, I have a relationship with the Lord. Let me tell you something, there is nothing in this world that I would trade it for. I would give everything that I own, and everything that I have to Him because everything that I have, and everything that I am is FROM Him. I wouldn't be here without Him. And I've heard God speak in my life. The feeling I cannot put into words. God is a God of love, forgiveness, kindness, mercy and soo much more. Stop living a lie, and come back to Him, He knows your struggles, your pains and your problems, and He was crucified on a cross for you and I so that we may live through Him. Don't listen to what the world tells you, performing won't get you anything but stress. God loves you. When you were born, when you turned away from Him, and He'll love you way after your dead. Question is, do you love Him back?
15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs."
16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep."
17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep.
--John 21:15-17
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