Who are we?

I don't know if you've noticed, but much of what I write on here is due to interesting things that friends of mine bring up, different ideas that they think of, and then I just expand on it, in this case the topic brought up was our goals.

A friend and I were talking, discussing what our life goals are. We both shared 3 life goals, mine were:

1. have a family, wife and kids

2. have a job/career that I love, not just one that I like because I get paid to do it, but one that if I weren't getting paid I would still do it for the love of it

3. to glorify God in everything I do.

Now, that alone isn't really blog worthy, however it is the thought that followed this conversation that made me want to share. How much do you think that it is our goals in life that shape us into who we are today? How much do my goals of the future govern what I do today?

Let me unpack this a little bit. In regards to my own goals, here is how it breaks down. I want a family, so if there is a girl I like I am going to pursue her, date her, marry her, and then have children with her. I want a career that I love, so I am studying a topic that I love, I love leading people in worship, so I'm going to school to learn how to do that more effectively so I can do that as a career. Lastly, I want to glorify God in everything I do, so I am going to go to church and classes that will teach more about the God I love, how to better serve Him. I'm going to read His word and talk to Him on a daily basis, unceasingly if you will.

You've heard what you do defines who are, you've also heard how you do it defines how you are, and also you've learned who you are defines what you do, but now you add the thought of what you want to do defining who you are. Wow, so confusing, how will we ever know who we are?

Well, unfortunately I think it's a mix of all of these things. I think what we do shows people what our desires are, how we do it shows people our character, and what we want to do shows people our heart, all of these things being defined by who we are. All of the above is meaningless if it is not done because of who we are. Who we are defines what we do, how we do it, and what our true goals are. We cannot put borders on who we are, we cannot define who we are by what we do, we are who we are outside of all these things. Sorry for not helping you figure out who you are, but that's something we all have to do on our own. Look at your goals in life, that will help. Look at how you do things now, that will help. Who we are defines who we are.

But, let me return to the original conversation, what are your goals in life? Let me say this, if you know what your goals are, follow them. Don't do something because it will make you more money, or because it is easier, you are not going to be any happier, you'll probably me more depressed. Follow your goals, follow your heart, and don't fool yourself, don't tell yourself that having more money is really where you're heart is, we both know it's not, where you're heart is may lead to more money, but i don't think it's the only thing that God wants for you.

Again, I don't know if this is all right, in fact I may be way off base, I don't know what God actually wants from you, tell me if I'm wrong in what I've written, I just want you to think about things.

Think hard my friends.

-Matty

Correction

A good friend of mine pointed out to me that original sin was not brought on by fear, Adam sinned because he had a desire to be more like God, which is very true. So I thank Kyle for pointing that out to me.

I also want to point out that fear isn't always necessarily a bad thing. We all fear different things, it is what we do with that fear that determines what happens next. We can either accept our fear as is and give it to God, letting that fear strengthen us to do what we need to do. However, we can do what I said before, letting that fear lead us to sin, into disobedience of God.

The beautiful thing is that God will help us with our fear, we just have to ask Him. He leaves it up to us to turn our worries upon Him, which is something that takes courage in itself. So great.

God, you are so good. Thanks you.

Fear

What I am going to talk about may be completely incorrect, and if so I am sorry, and please bring it to my attention, however, please note that when I am talking about fear in this blog, I am talking about a sinful fear, I am not talking about a righteous fear of God, but rather a fear that God is not good enough. - M.E.

I have a thought, this thought was brought to my attention when I went to church on Sunday night and the pastor asked us to have some discussion around our tables. A number of questions to get us going were put up on the screens, and one of those questions was something like "what is your favourite part/least favourite part of Christmas". A few answers went around the table, and a common theme, in both the fav and least fav categories was family. As the discussion continued we started to talk about why we did, and yet did not like seeing our families, and a big part of it was the confusion, the arguments and fights that take place, so that led to a discussion of emotion, where emotion comes from, and I input the idea that much of our negative emotion, that such as hate, comes from fear, in fact, a lot of the negative things that we do evolves out of fear; racism - a fear of people different from us, you could say the same of sexism, envy - a fear of not being as good, and so it goes.

One of my best friends recently blogged about idolatry and the fact that it is not just the worship of gold statues in the Old Testament, but rather it is the placing of things higher than God, that it is the placement of security, status, satisfaction and stability (as he said S4) in a place of higher importance than our Father. I believe that this is something that can sprout from fear. We fear that we won't have a good enough job to support our family so we overwork ourselves to make sure our families are in good position, we fear that we are not popular enough so we do whatever we can do be 'cool', and all this is sin. I'm not saying that those are not important things, it is important to be able to support your family, and it is important to have friends, however it is our placement of those things over our blatant need and desire for God that is the sin, a sin which I believe can be traced back to fear.

I'm going to say something bold, and when I do such a thing I am really saying that I am going to say that I am about to say something in which I want other people to comment on, I want people to question me, or support me, on. Tell me what you think of this. I think that all sin can be traced back to fear. Let me say that again, all sin can be traced, followed back to a fear of something.

Sin, deliberate disobedience from the will of God, going against God, can generally said to be caused because somebody was afraid that God's way wasn't good enough, that His way wasn't right, that it wasn't enough for them. That's fear. That's a fear that what has been given to you isn't right. But, is His name not "I AM"? Does not God say in His very own Word "Do not fear for I am with you" (Isa 41:10), "In GOD I will trust, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID" (Ps 56:11), (I will fear no evil for You are with me" (Ps 23:4). We have nothing to fear for GOD IS WITH US! We have nothing to fear for GOD IS!

Returning to the topic of idolatry, I believe that my own idolatry is caused by my fear that God's way won't please me like my idol of the moment will. I see myself saying "well, God is great, but He can't bring me joy like this new xbox game does", or "God makes me feel good, but not as good as looking at this does". That's wrong. That's my fear that God isn't enough, and that is SIN. And you know the only person who can help you overcome this fear? God. That's who. As I referenced before "Do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you in My righteous right hand". (Isa 41:10). Does this sound like someone who can take away all of our fear? I think so, now I just need to act on it, and so do you.

What do we do now? We turn to God. We pray that He will take away our fears. We ask Him to take away that belief that He isn't enough. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Mt 11:29-30)

So, in closing, fear the Lord, He is the only one worthy to be feared. Do not fear for S4, do not fear that He is not enough, for HE IS, "I AM" (Ex 3:14 & Jn 8:58). Cast your fears upon Him so that you may fear only Him.

In Him

Matty

Friends

All I want to say right now is that I would be so lost without my friends, my boys, keeping me in check. I love that they ask how I'm doing and that the expect me to answer honestly. I love that when they ask what they need to pray for I can tell them and still have them love me just as much. I need their love and support as much as I need my families. Thank you, friends, for keeping me in check, for telling me when I'm in the wrong, for discussing the deeper things of life with me, and for being there, for loving. God has put us in each others lives for a reason.

In Him

Matty