POWER

If I stick my finger in a power socket, chances are pretty high that I will be electrocuted and possibly killed. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to stick your finger into socket just to see what happens? I'm not saying that I have a death wish, I've just been thinking about power lately.

I look up at the lights in my house and just wonder in amazement at the power that is held within these lights. The same power that can kill me, lights my house; the same power that could kill me entertains me with my TV. That is amazing power!

I think that the same is true with God. We have all heard the old sayings about tapping into the "power of God," but have we truly contemplated what that power can actually do. God's power is strong enough to kill us, yet so many times we have no desire to stick our fingers in the sockets so to speak.

We will wake up everyday and flip a switch and tap into the power that is so strong it could fry our brains, yet we will not do the same thing with our relationship with God and if you think that it is not about a relationship, you are wrong. There really isn't a better way to say that.

A lot of us out there go to church every week and sometimes more than once per week, yet we have no idea how to flip the power switch with our relationship with God. So many times we turn it into a religion more than a relationship. There is an old hymn that says "there is power in the blood," but my fear is that we who are "Christians" either don't believe that anymore, or just never knew what power was to begin with.

God's power can light up our lives to be radiant and to light up the darkness and as cheesy as that might sound, it is so true. If we are believers and followers of Jesus, then we should be the light everywhere we go, just like the light bulbs do in our homes.

I don't know about you, but I want to stick my finger in the God socket!

Taking a Break

I have come to a realization in my life as of today December 18, 2008. I have decided that I just do not like college. I hate that all you out there that read this might be in college and I do not want you to be dismayed. You should complete your degree and stay in school. I haven't said that I'm quitting school, but I do feel like it. That's why after much thought I have decided to take a 6 week break from school. I mean, it's only a 6 week break, then I am right back into hard classes that will help me continue my education towards a degree.

Now for the real reason that I am feeling this way lately and why I believe that while I need to finish school for me, I need to stop worrying about finishing school for anyone else but me and God.

I realize that God just doesn't care about a piece of paper whether it be a degree that says I have completed a track on pastoral studies, or even a piece of paper that says I am licensed to preach the Gospel. Why do we put so much emphasis on the paper more than the calling?

This is pretty much the problem that I am faced with right now. I want to continue to learn the rest of my life, but is a piece of paper saying that I learned really the answer? To be honest I could probably learn more from reading books that I enjoy than getting books for class that I don't like and don't read anyway. I can only say for the three years that I've been in school, I have probably only finished 1/10th of the reading. Some of the books I truly enjoy and still refer to and read today, however some of the books I just can not bring myself to read.

Is there anyone out there that feels that as a "Christian" society we put way too much emphasis on the piece of paper that says we are a preacher more than the calling the God has placed on our lives?

These are just my thoughts . . .