Action or Reaction?

Thursday, October 18, 2007 - Dave Roberts

I don't know if you ever think about such things, but this week it struck me that I'm passive when it comes to God. I tend to assume that God is responsible for the quality of our relationship. When He is gracious, I'm happy. When He is quiet, I must learn patience. When I need pruning, life gets difficult.

Yes - I know that God is in control, but I feel a growing sense that I'm in danger of becoming too passive in my spiritual journey. God's Word clearly calls me to be prepared, tenacious, committed, focused and (maybe hardest of all) trusting in this relationship I share with Him. Trust and faith in God's word are words of action and intuitiveness, not reaction and passivity. Am I doing my share as a partner with God in the covenant? Are my attitudes right? Have I come to believe that simply allowing life to pass without losing it is the same as exercising faith and trust?

How about you? Do share that tendency? How do you prepare your heart for God? for worship? How do you think God wants us to practice faith and trust?

1 comment (Add your own)

1. David wrote:
Sunday's message Oct. 28 spelled out the simple truth that we are to use every waking minute to "seek God's kingdom and His righteousness." This raises the questions, "How do we seek, what do we seek (what is God's kingdom), and what is 'righteousness?'" In other words, we need to define our terms before we can move forward with understanding. This task is sufficient for a series of sermons (which I would love to hear, hint, hint) but in a nut shell, I submit the following:
1.God's kingdom is His sovereign rule, on earth and in our lives. That means he sets the rules and the principles (laws) we will live by and use in our cultural battle against evil. Pastor Dave said it best when he admonished us to get up every morning with our first thoughts being how we will seek the kingdom in everything we do that day. Thinking God's thoughts after Him. All decisions, choices and relationships. What we allow ourselves to see, hear and do. "How does God view it?" should be our first question. That means we need to be people of the Word. Teachers rather than the need to be taught. Hebrews 5:12
2.Righteousness is the reflection of God's character which has been revealed to man through His law. Romans 8:4 "That the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us." Not as a means to salvation but as the Christian's standard of righteousness. Otherwise, how do you know when you are pursuing righteous behavior?
Thank you, Dave, for bringing this "hardball" message, for when we "seek" God says, "Try Me!" Try Him in worship, praise, giving, prayer, knowing His word, love of brethern and love of the work of His church. He responds with blessing beyond measure, above what we could ask or imagine.

October 29, 2007 @ 4:12 PM

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