Playing Along

In recent weeks, we have had some cooler temperatures in our part of Texas.  Now, while Texas rarely gets snow and ice, we have a wind that is sharp and can cut through you.  As a result, the boys haven't been able to go outside as much as we might normally due to the wind and illness that have plagued us.  So, we have played more inside the house.  I had began to notice that when the older boys would begin to play a wii game that Kendall would "play" too.  For example, if they were playing a hunting game, he would go get a large orange Nerf gun and shoot the varmints right along with them.  If they were playing a musical wii game, he would go get his bright red guitar and play music with them.  Yesterday, Carson was playing another game as he had finished school and Kendall had an extra wii remote playing right along with him.  This has been amusing to me because if you ask him, he absolutely believes that he is playing the game with them.  The older boys love it because it keeps him happy and out of their hair!

Last night, as I caught a glimpse of this scene, God spoke to my heart.... how many times have I just "played" church?  Did I know the right words to say and hold my Bible faithfully- all the while looking appropriately "churchy"?  Sadly, true.  I think there have all been times when we just were in the motions of it all, but our heart and mind were not fully engaged and experiencing the sweet worship of our Savior.  Sometimes, we even long for that worship, but just can't seem to focus or let go of all that bothers or hinders..... some have pretended at church for a lifetime..... that tears at my heart and convicts....  How many times have know someone was struggling and said nothing because it would mean getting involved?  Our world has gotten so used to seeing "churchy" people who are good at pretending, but not in genuine faith and service.  Oh, Father, please help me to be genuine in my faith.... to truly worship you with my whole heart, and to show a real, honest love to this world. 

"What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all—life healed and whole. I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory." (1 Peter 1:3-7 MSG)

We, can be free- free to love, free to share our burdens, free to bless, free to worship our holy, living God.  That is His desire- that His precious redeemed would be free to reveal Him to a world still bound in the bondage of sin!  Then, it will be our faith that has grown and will be the evidence of HIS victory in this world.  Glory!  Let us stop pretending.  Let us come to know and live the genuine faith to which we have been called!