AllAboutGOD.NET - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others

How much of our lives beolong to God and to ourselves?

Hi everyone! I grew up a liberal Episcapalean. And lived under the Russian Proverb," Pray to God but row for Shore." My picture of GOd was that he gave us life and that His son Jesus offered us salvation. That was it. So, one gets saved and lives there life ans usual without the sin stuff involved. Well, I am learning more. I am learning that once a person is saved that their entire life is in the balance. Meaning that God wants the entire person and not just the soul. It has been pointed out tome that God may even put a person through a moment of unemployment and different situations so that said person will totally give their will up to Him. I have even heard that just because one is hired at a job does not mean that it is God's will. Is this the case? Does He wish to be involved in that business? How much say-so does God want in our lives?

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jake on July 25, 2008 at 9:24am: You have asked some important questions and things that were in my mind too.
You are right, God wants the entire person. Im learning that we are to live off through His life that's within us, once we become saved, many times we don't know this or don't grasp it right away, but through His Grace we will learn this process. Remember what Jesus said:

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" John 15:4-5

Trials and tribulations comes to everyone(believers and non-believers), but God is with us to carry us through it, we just need to look towards Him and He will give us the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, strength and power through the Holy Spirit to guide us. I think we might put ourselfs or be in situations where God can teach us many things, sure. Our Heavenly Father does love us a lot, so He will discipline us if we are heading the wrong way, it's all for the good. We just need to trust Him with all our heart.

I believe He has plans for everyone. As we seek Him daily and live out our lives through His Spirit, we will be lead into the right decisions on all matters. And let's not judge ourselves by world standards, but by the Word of God.

May God bless you and keep you in all your ways!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Greg, TheNET Coordinator on July 25, 2008 at 10:09am: Hi Valerie! Great question. A short answer to your question... ALL and EVERY PART of our lives are interesting to and belong to God. He created us for a relationship with himself. God is interested in your thoughts, your dreams, your desires, your work, your spare time, your family... everything. He is the best friend you will ever have. In Jerimiah 31:3 God tells us, "I have loved you with an everlasting love."

In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve and put them in the garden and walked among them. But when they broke God's commandment, mankind started living life independently of God. Jesus came to restore that relationship we had with God in the garden so we can live dependently upon him and interdependently with one another.

Jesus is our model of how to depend on God. He said, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." (John 5:19-20). In other words, Jesus only did what His Father God wanted Him to do.

We learn about God's will for our lives by reading, studying, memorizing and meditating on the Bible. It will tell us what are major things God wants us to do and what to avoid. With God's Word in our hearts, the Holy Spirit can communicate with our spirit to give us specific direction in our daily life. This is called the "Spirit-filled" life; where the Spirit of Jesus is living in us and guiding us.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Marsten Chezlof (aka Aurumnius Finesmith) on August 8, 2008 at 11:54am: Greg hits the nail on the head: Jesus "did nothing that [He] did not see the father doing," and we are called to be like Jesus.

Quite simply, this means doing what Paul talked about in Rom. 12: offering ourselves as living sacrifices, not conformed to our culture but open to transformation by the renewing of our mind--through the spirit of God and his Word--that we might know and be able to walk in His perfect will.

This means there is no short path or easy way or one-time event. We only know we are living right by knowing God as a daughter knows her daddy or a wife knows her husband; The closer the relationship, the better the happiness and harmony.

That being said, with all the prophecy of the bible, especially around Jesus, it becomes clear that God is the master of history--and Hebrews, Proverbs, etc. show that God disciplines (that is, creates situations for learning and growth) those whom he loves. Every situation you encounter God allows...but not all are enjoyable; in fact, many are painful, like pruning a tree. However, all of them are there to heal you and make you grow more...like pruning a tree cuts off the sick, dead, and ineffective branches so the good ones will produce more fruit.

So, here it is, long story short...the two questions I ask myself in any new circumstance (usually daily, sometimes more): What opportunity does this give me to know more about God? What opportunity does it give me to be like Him? If you can answer these questions with action, you are indeed on the path of blessing and joy.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by childofgod1994 on September 1, 2008 at 9:25am: Hi! Ummm, i'd like to quote part of a song sung by Christian singer Steve Green.
"I am crucified with Christ therefore i no longer live. Jesus Christ now lives in me..."
Once you accept God and be a Christian, yhe old u dies and a "new you" is placed there by God. Jesus is inside you. He's driving your car. He's manning the controls. But he can't do that if you don't let go of the steering wheel...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ramona P. Jacobsz on September 5, 2008 at 12:46pm: My dearest childofgod1944
You are so wise. God has endowed you with wisdom and knowledge far beyond your years. It is a blessing for an old lady to see a young child develop at such a pace.

I often think of you and I am truly so fond of you. I spoke to my daughter and told her of the young lady who is so blessed with the spirit. Be blessed my darling child and know that I truly love you. You must also be the apple of God's eye!

Stay blessed in Jesus
Fond love
Granny Ramona P.; ▶ Reply to This