The Missing Piece

I've really noticed lately that Christians seem to be missing something. Something that, when it is used to it's fullest potential, acts like a magnet and draws people in. This missing piece seems to get lost over time. Through many hardships, trials, tests, and disappointments the missing piece eventually detaches itself from the whole and gets lost, sometimes forever.

The missing piece I'm talking about is our JOY.

You see, I can see it most everywhere I go. People I know who claim Christ as Lord of their lives live as though they've never had that life changing moment happen to them. They are hateful, hurtful and cynical. They sometimes go out of their way to show their disappointment in something and making sure you truly understand their position on a subject.

Perhaps the place I see it the most is in my own bathroom mirror. I am not innocent of this charge, but I do understand that the first step in fixing the problem is recognizing that there is one to begin with. That's why I have hope in getting my missing piece back but it's almost like it's now my mission to shed light on this growing problem in the Christian community.

Shouldn't we be the happiest people on earth? Shouldn't we be filled with more joy than most other people? And yet we're not. We have a one-on-one relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and yet our attitudes and outlooks say something else.

Could that be why so many people who don't know our Lord don't have the motivation to get to know Him?

Could that be what Satan knew would send the loudest message? That if these Christians would just live with sour and disappointing attitudes it would act as a type of repellent and keep people from wanting anything to do with that?

I hope you stop to think about this observation. Do you also see that over the course of time and through the storms of this life your joy has slipped away entirely?

Will you fight to get it back?

Will you turn your "magnet" back on once again?

Psalm 51:12

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit...


To be continued...

Christ's Letters

2 Corinthians 3:3 (NLT)


3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

Funny how you often hear of someones "life story" when they pass away or when you are at a funeral. That person is remembered by the things and events that made up their personal story. It's an easy way to honor and describe that particular loved one that was called away. Sometimes you see this on the news when it's a celebrity or public figure. Pictures and videos will be shown to give the viewer a better understanding of what that persons story consisted of.

In 2 Corinthians 3:3 Paul is writing to the church in Corinth and telling them that their lives are not just "life stories." In fact, Paul tells us that as Christians, we are more than just some story, but instead we are actual letters from Christ!

How we live our lives in this world while in a relationship with Christ sends a message. A personal message from Christ to the lost that is not just some story but instead a letter from the very son of God.

It's true that even though you may go your whole life without knowing Christ you will still end up with some kind of story at your death. But how powerful and wonderful is it to know that if you live your life for Christ you end up being His personal letter to those around you?!?!

What is Christ saying through you and your story?

Is your personal "Christ letter" getting delivered or is it getting lost in the mail?

How Big Is God?

Maybe you can hear it right now. A little girl asks her daddy unexpectedly, "Daddy, how big is God?"

The father, caught off guard by such a surprising question takes a few minutes to gather his thoughts and then tries to explain to his daughter how big he thinks God is.

After he gives his best answer the daughter, now satisfied, squeezes the grip she holds with her father. Her tiny hand interlocked with his is all he thinks about for the rest of their walk.

It's an innocent enough question isn't it? One we might have asked already once or maybe even on several occasions. One can't help but wonder just how big God really is. Think of all the ways you can answer that question. Then think of how many of those answers would be correct. I'm pretty sure all of them would be correct in some way or another. But how DO you answer this question really?

The answer is easy. In fact you might not have even considered it if you hadn't been thinking about it.

The answer is this; God is as big as you are close to Him.

Do you understand?

Maybe this will help; Your relationship with God determines how big He is!! How good is your realtionship with Him? In other words, how close to Him are you?

You see, I've heard it said that God is like a mountain in the distance. The closer I get to Him the bigger he becomes. And the more I walk with Him in my life the more I realize this saying is true.

God is big enough to handle EVERYTHING!

He is big enough to be with me in the smallest of places!

He is big enough to love me when I'm unlovable.

He is big enough to provide for me when I don't deserve it.

And he is big enough to let me figure out on my own just how big He really is.

I think that alone is a testamet to how big God is. The fact that he subtly let's us figure that out on our own, but only if we really want to know...