It's not about me... I think

So often in our evangelical sub-culture, we think that it is all about us. It is true that God loves us as individuals. It is also true that his love for us is extravagant and unconditional (He DID, after all, give his Son for us, didn't he?). Yet, I think that we often forget that the Lord is not only "Lord" of our lives personally, but also the "Lord of Creation".

This point was brought home to me the other day. I was (as I do during my regular scripture/prayer/meditaion time) seeking a "word" specifically for me for that particular day. My routine reading brought me to Psalm 47, "Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy... For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne." So I'm thinking, what does this stuff about nations, all the earth, etc. have to do with ME? How does this apply to MY life today? What is here for ME?

I then realized, that my life in Christ (as important as it is to God) is part of a grander scheme. It is a small, but significant part, of God's plan for all of his creation. How I live affects others. How I act upon my faith is a factor in what God is doing in the world right now.

So here's the question... or rather, questions: Will I walk in the will of God for my life? Or will I seek my own will? Will I allow my actions to be reflective of God's work? Or my own works? Will I live for HIS glory by fulfilling HIS purposes?

I know my answer! What's yours?

A Space for Margin

More great thoughts from Tim Stevens -- LeadingSmart.com

October 14, 2010 at 6:19 AM

I've been thinking a lot about margin. A margin is the portion of the page that you intentionally leave blank. You don't write all the way from the left side of the page to the right side—no, you typically leave space all the way around, and we call those margins. Yet in life, everything in our culture is telling us to ignore margins. Spend more money than you make and you will have no financial margin. Fill your schedule from early morning until late night—and you will have no time margin. Surround yourself with needy people and be constantly reactive to their expectations—and you will have no emotional margin. Mark Batterson wrote, "You need margin to think. You need margin to play. You need margin tolaugh. You need margin to dream. You need margin to have impromptu conversations. You need margin to seize unanticipated opportunities." I want to live a life with margins. ------------------------------------------------

Top 10 Reasons To Vote

Got this from Dave Ramsey...  Top 10 Reasons To Vote

We live in the greatest country in the world, and one of the reasons for that is because everyone has a say in who leads the nation. That's the best reason. Here are some others. Top 10 Reasons To Vote 10. Mark Twain said it best, "Politicians and diapers needs to be changed often, and for the same reason." 9. Too many people have fought and died for your right to vote. 8. If you're not willing to be part of the solution, you can't complain about the problem. 7. Help the world—vote out an incumbent.  6. We already experienced that whole "taxation without representation" thing. Didn't care for it. 5. The only other thing that's special about November 2 is that it's National Deviled Eggs Day.  4. If you don't put someone new into office, you'll have to listen to the same old rhetoric over and over. 3. Listening to the same old rhetoric over and over. 2. Once you finish selecting the person who claims they will fix the economy, you can get back to work and fix your own. 1. If you don't, then this list will be for naught.