Seasons

Summer is my favorite season of the year. A time full of relaxation, vacation, beaches, pools, suntans, and tasty barbecue. Summer can be an awesome time to spend with family and friends to recharge and prepare for the second half of the year. As a student summer has always been a glorious time of freedom from the restraint of studies. Spending time working, relaxing, and enjoying friends avoiding any kind of scholastic thinking that would cause my brain to work too hard. (Trying to save that brain power for the rest of the year.)
Something I have begun to notice is that this type of relaxed attitude during the summer season doesn't just apply to school or work. Many Christian's spiritual lives suffer during this season. The summer months can be a time where many Christians feel distant from God. Now I am not saying that this is the case for all Christians but it is something I have noticed as a pattern in my own life and after talking with others I know that I am not alone. Why is this? It seems odd. We usually have ample amounts of free time compared to other seasons. Time to read, pray, fellowship and learn. But lets be honest that's not what we spend most of our summers doing.
As I think back on past summers they sure have not been times of spiritual growth. I wish I could say they were times of great sanctification but instead they were times of great self indulgence. God wants us to relax enjoy family and His creation but lets not let this relaxed attitude lead us to let our guard down.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.

Commit to making this summer a season to grow ever closer to our Heavenly Father. Lets not grow tired of doing good. Use this beautiful season to thank God for who He is and use the extra time to glorify Him.

Seeking Your Face

So recently I burned a CD of some of my favorite "Jesus Jams" to play in my car. Why my car doesn't have an auxiliary port for my Ipod is beyond me. I mean you think a 2008 model would have some way to play an Ipod, but nope, I have to do it old school. Anyway on this CD I put one of my favorite "Jesus Jams" which is "Audience of One" by Big Daddy Weave. I've listened to this song nearly a hundred times but this time in particular a certain line hit me. 

"Seeking your face, and not only your hand"

This short concise statement crept into my head and the wheels started turning. Hmmm…..what the heck does that mean? Well lets break it down. We all know that seeking means to try to discover, obtain, or reach but what does the writer mean by "seeking your face"? The face is where a person is, their face is who they are, their love, character and even flaws. But God's face has no flaws, its who He is. It's not some painting of a handsome bearded jesus, it's His majesty, omnipotence, and omnipresence. 

The hand represents an action. With a hand we give and receive. We lend a hand to help others. The hand represents giving something to another. God has the biggest hand of all and He freely gives blessings to His children. Take a second to think about the many ways God's hand has blessed you. God's given me an amazing family, friends, and church. I have the opportunity to go to college, pursue a career, and be successful in the world's eyes. I am healthy, able to run, lift and enjoy sport. I could go on and on about the ways God has blessed me. I have done nothing to deserve any of these amazing gifts but God has extended His gracious hand to each and every one of us. 

The point that I am trying to get at here is do we love God for who He is or for what He gives? If all these blessings were stripped away tomorrow would I still thank Him for who He is and for sending His Son to die to pay for my sins? John Piper once posed a question to his audience,

"If you could have heaven with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?"

Yikes!!! Each day is a battle to worship Him and not only His gifts. Seek His face and you will find God's grace to be greater than any earthly blessings.