“Why not me?” That question has repeatedly rung in my head. It was a resounding question in my life before I became a Christian, and, if I’m not careful, even now. “Why not me?” is like a weed in the garden of my spirit, showing up in multiple areas. It tends to blend in at first, but when I catch it early, it is easily uprooted. However, if I don’t maintain my garden, that weed will try to come back and take over.

When you allow a spirit of, “Why not me?” to show up, it rears its ugly head in your finances, relationships, job, church, school–wherever it can. You’ll see God provide for someone financially in a major way and think, “Why hasn’t God sent me money like that?” If you’re single, from your front-row seat on social media it may seem like   everyone is getting engaged and married, and you think, “Why have I not found someone yet?” Maybe you compare yourself to people at work or school and wonder why your boss or teachers don’t favor you. Or at church you ask yourself, “Why didn’t I receive the gift of leading worship?”

There’s always an opportunity to compare yourself to others, and a reason to be ungrateful. But God does not desire that we dwell there. It only encourages pride, deepens our dissatisfaction, and causes distrust towards God. A spirit of, “Why not me?” says that God has not done enough. It says that others have received something that we should have received, as well. Children who have siblings are known for asking, “Why do THEY get [that], and not ME?” In that case, although the parent usually has an answer, children are not concerned about the parent’s reason; they just want their way.

I would venture to say that we sometimes ask that same question in our prayer time with God, and might not always be so interested in His reasons, as much as getting our way. That spirit is the same spirit that Eve had in the garden when she felt that God was withholding something from her that she should have, (Genesis 3). As a result of not trusting God, Eve took it upon herself to get what she wanted, and was cursed. Of the many trees in the garden, God had purposed that Adam and Eve could eat from all but one. His reasons were good and just. But, instead of being thankful for everything God had already provided, Eve saw only what she lacked. Thus, she allowed unthankfulness and distrust to sneak into her heart. Suddenly, the weed of, “Why not me?” took root in the Garden.

When you choose to look at what you don’t have, instead of what you do have, and compare yourself to others, an unthankful spirit begins to move in. When you are unthankful, you no longer trust God’s goodness and faithfulness in your life. This can lead you down a path of pride, negativity, and bitterness that will eventually destroy any joy you once had. God’s will for you is one of joy and satisfaction that can be found only in Him. His desire is that no matter where you are, or what you have, your fulfillment will come from Him, and Him alone. He has given you everything that you’ll ever need, and then some.

No, you will not have everything that everyone else has, nor get what you want when you want it, but trust God despite that. Trust that He is providing for you in such a way as to cause growth and maturity in you, and bring Him glory. You have not been forgotten. You have not been placed out of sight. God sees you and knows your situation. He loves you, and has you in the palm of His hand. Trust Him, thank Him, and watch how uprooting the, “Why not me?” in your life, helps to create a healthier, humbler, more positive mindset.

The post Why Not Me? first appeared on John Silkauskas.

Something that is important for every Christian to do periodically, if not daily, should be to evaluate the lines they’ve drawn in their life. They need to look at where these lines are drawn, why they are drawn there, and should they be drawn elsewhere? We draw lines in our relationships, in our budgets, what we physically put in our bodies, how much we work, etc. We also draw lines in terms of what we listen to, and what we watch.

As far as music goes, some Christians draw their line at lustful content. Some draw their line at cuss words, or maybe at anything that is not exclusively, “Christian.” When it comes to T.V. or movies, you’ll have some Christians who draw the line at nudity, others at sex scenes- even if there is no nudity, some draw the line at excessive cussing, magic, or extreme violence, and some seem to barely have a line at all.

When discussion over these lines occur, accusations of being, “too religious or strict,” and, “too liberal or loose,” often enter the conversation. How does one become, “too strict,” or, “too loose?” Let’s ask another question:

Why do we draw our lines where we do?

I think several factors play into where we draw our lines. These could include:

• Where our parents drew their lines, and to what extent we felt the need to obey or rebel against those lines.
• The culture in which we’ve grown up in. (You can examine this as general as what country you were raised in, or as specific as what town. I.e. San Francisco, California, versus Provo, Utah.)
• How mature, or immature you are in your walk with God.
• Where your spouse expects you to draw your line.
• The pros and cons of where lines could be drawn, and what you deem beneficial, or worth it.
  

This is not an all-encompassing list, but only what came first to my mind.

We’ve discussed the first question of where we’ve drawn our lines, then we addressed why we’ve drawn them there, and now thirdly…

Who really gets to decide where our lines should be drawn?

For Christians, the obvious answer should be that God decides this. He can’t decide that we will in fact draw our lines in a particular spot, but He does decide where they should be drawn. We have the free will of whether or not we will obey His leading, and good or bad consequences will naturally follow. So, how do we know where God wants us to draw them?

The best course of action is to first and foremost prayerfully read His word. The Bible is quite clear on certain lines that need drawn, while others can seem more ambiguous to us. I believe that God does not reside in a realm of ambiguity when it comes to sin, but rather certainty, and there are times where we need to just pursue Him more. No one on this earth has all the answers, and has perfect revelation.

We all have lines in places they shouldn’t be, and need the help of the Holy Spirit to discern which lines need moved, and which ones still need drawn.

God’s desire is to transform us from glory to glory, and help us to become more like Jesus. There is a perfect place to draw our lines, but we need to be relying on God to show us where that is- not ourselves, and not our friends. Sure, it can be helpful to ask mature believers what they think, but ultimately our plumb line must be God, and God alone.

I believe that if we are going to continue to grow and mature in our faith, and become more effective in showing others Jesus, then we should always be open to the Lord examining us. We need to be humble and teachable, sincerely asking Him to evaluate our actions, thoughts, intents and motives. If we allow Him to do this, He can better mold us into His likeness.

Let’s commit ourselves to a lifetime of praying:

“Examine me, O God, and know my mind. Test me, and know my thoughts. See whether I am on an evil path. Then lead me on the everlasting path.” (Psalm 139:23-24, GW).

The post Where Do You Draw The Line? first appeared on John Silkauskas.

If someone were to ask you what roles God plays in your life, what would you tell them? Would it be Savior? Friend? Father? All of the above? What about all His other titles? God has His roles, but so do we. We are used to playing a handful of roles in people’s lives, as they also do for us. Your dad might hold the role of father, provider, protector, teacher, and friend. If you have a solid father figure in your life, the list might continue, but eventually that list would end. Each role your dad plays would not be perfectly executed, nor would the roles he plays be equal in strength. Your dad might excel as a provider, but fall short in the friend or encourager role. For some of you, perhaps your dad holds no role, and never did.

God’s Roles in Your Life

But God has exponentially more roles than any person in your life, and He fulfills each one perfectly. God is a perfect Father, Son, Spirit, Creator, Bridegroom, Friend, Teacher, Savior, King, Judge, High Priest, Counselor, Comforter, Encourager, Healer, Provider, Protector, and more (seriously, this list could go on forever).

The roles that God holds are not only available, but He delights in being there for us. He desires to be our everything. He desires to be our source of help, of hope, of life. God describes us, the Body of Christ, as His bride, and Him as our bridegroom because He wants to be one with us, and loves us more than any person or group of people can. He literally is perfect for us.

The Consequence of Limited Understanding

Because we are limited in our understanding of who God is, we often fail to rely on Him for the roles we don’t know He can fulfill. As an example, let’s say that you are a student in school. You’ve gotten to know your teacher over the past six months or so because of stories that he’s told you, and through his interactions with the class. You’ve learned that he has three kids, is trained in combat, and is great at being a mediator during conflicts.

Through this, you know of four roles that he holds:

1. Teacher
2. Father
3. Protector
4. Mediator

One day, you and your friend arrive early for class before any other student gets there. Your teacher is inside the classroom but has the door shut. While standing outside the classroom, your friend starts choking on a piece of food and begins to turn blue. You’re not sure how to do CPR and have never been put in this situation before. You try to recall what CPR has looked like on videos, but nothing you’re doing is working. Your friend passes out, and you’re now paralyzed with fear. Unless someone steps in, your friend is probably going to die.

If Only You Had Asked

What you didn’t know, is that your teacher, who is just inside the room you’ve been standing outside of, is medically trained. He knows precisely what to do, and has the capability of saving your friend. In fact, had you immediately gone to him and told him what was happening, your friend would have never passed out. Later, you’re going to wonder why you didn’t think to ask him to try to help, instead of trying to do it on your own.

Though this is an extreme example, it communicates two things:

1. When we are unaware of someone’s role or abilities, we won’t know that we can rely on them for that role.

2. Though sometimes we are not aware of another’s role, it usually doesn’t hurt to ask and find out for certain.

The Struggle is Real

There are many things that God will do, and roles He wants to hold in each of our lives. For some of them we learn to rely on Him, while others prove to be more of a struggle. And sometimes, we are simply unaware that He even offers to perform certain roles. If you have a need right now and are unsure if God can help, ask Him.

Unlike the teacher, God doesn’t need to be informed of a need before He fulfills it. He knows our needs before we ever think to ask, but knowing He can fulfill it is what drives us to draw closer to Him and depend on Him, instead of on ourselves or others.

God desires that we learn who He is, and depend on Him for everything we need, because He’s the only one who can perfectly meet those needs. It can be so easy to walk through life and try to do it all on our own, or rely on other humans to do what God has already offered to do for us. Because of this, we can end up feeling confused, defeated, unfulfilled, and scrambling for solutions.

Learn Who God Is

My encouragement for you today is to learn who God says He is, and to pray that He would increase your faith to believe it. If you struggle seeing Him as a healer, study the scriptures of Him as a healer. If you have difficulty looking to God as a good, loving father, then meditate on the scriptures that describe Him as such, and pray that your heart will open to His love. Make it your goal every day to know God more; then watch as He meets your needs and fills the empty places in your life! “My God will richly fill your every need in a glorious way through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19, GW).

*Are you wanting to grow in God’s Word daily but struggle making it a habit? Learn three simple keys to help HERE

The post Who is God to You? first appeared on John Silkauskas.

A couple of days ago I had gone to a friend’s house and noticed as I was walking up her driveway that her car windows were down. Her purse was laying in the seat, and her keys on top of the purse. This was no surprise of course, because she has done this many times, and does it purposefully. I’ve reminded her on multiple occasions of the risk she is taking, but it’s been made clear that she’s okay with taking her chances. 

God is Always Speaking

God used this occurrence to speak to me, He highlighted Luke 12:35-40, in which Jesus talks about His return at the end of all days. In the first few scriptures He commands us to be awake, watchful and ready! And if we are, then we will be blessed. In the next couple of scriptures though, he says this:

“Of course, you realize that if the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let him break into his house. Be ready, because the Son of Man will return when you least expect him.” (Luke 12:39-40, GW).

My friend had left her car and other belongings in such a vulnerable state, because in her mind, they would be safe. It worked so many times before, why not now? And besides, the neighborhood she lives in is not generally known for crime. She was only going to be inside for a little while longer, and it was more convenient to set her things aside, and go about her business. She left her car, expecting things to remain as they were, without really knowing whether they would be there when she returned. 

Don’t Be Caught Off Guard!

How often do we live with this kind of mindset, spiritually speaking?

It can be easy to forget that Jesus will be coming back one day. It can be easy to go about our own business, and not God’s. “I will only be gone for a little bit, I’ll get to it later– I still have time.” It can be easy for us to open the windows and leave the doors unlocked, because we’ve done it time, and time, and time again. We assure ourselves and others, “It will all be okay!”

…But what if it’s not?

Jesus said to be alert and ready, but as time passes and nothing happens, a sense of urgency and watchfulness can fade. Living in the United States can especially lull you into the dreaminess of safety, long-life expectancies, and retirement plans, without keeping in mind that your mortality does not bend to your will, but to God’s, and that Jesus’ return is not a matter of, “if,” but of, “when.” “When,” can be in your lifetime, and it can be very soon.  

Jesus told us to, “Be ready for action, and have your lamps burning. Be like servants waiting to open the door at their master’s knock when he returns from a wedding. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I can guarantee this truth: He will change his clothes, make them sit down at the table, and serve them.” (Luke 12:35-37). 

In order to take advantage of the time we have here on earth, live a fulfilled life in God, and be prepared for His coming, we need to keep a few things in mind:

3 Ways to Live a Full Life Now and Always

1. Look for Jesus. It’s important that each day we find Jesus in it, and keep our eyes focused on Him. This causes us to conduct ourselves in such a way that glorifies God, helps us to draw closer to Him, and keeps us from being caught off guard when He returns.
2. Live to Serve. He has a specific plan for each one of us to use the gifts He’s given to us to serve Him! To share the gospel with the world, to partner with our churches equipping and discipling believers, and to mold us into who He created us to be. This can be uncomfortable and inconvenient at times, but it’s always worth it. A good master is loved and honored by his servants. I believe you will find that the closer you get to God, the more you look forward to serving Him!
3. Use Time Wisely. Too often we allow ourselves to procrastinate, get distracted, and we  overlook the reality that our time is short here on the earth. We need to redeem the time by having a vision for our life. One that would cause us to wake up with purpose having a clear vision before us every day. Don’t have a vision? Try praying and ask God for one. Ask Him how He wants you to spend your time. He’ll begin to give you ideas – run with them! More on Getting a Vision

When we do these things, we can be assured that Jesus’ return won’t be like someone breaking into our house. Rather it will be a welcomed return – one we have been waiting for expectantly. So don’t be caught off guard! Look for Jesus, live to serve and use your time wisely! For blessed and joyful are those who stay faithful and sober-minded, living as if Jesus was to come tonight.

The post Don’t Be Caught Off Guard! first appeared on John Silkauskas.