Nourishment.

As I'm sitting here writing this, I'm eating a meatball hot pocket. These things never get old to me. You can ask anyone in my family...I've been eating them since I was probably 12. I was reading in John chapter 4 today, and there is a part that really stood out to me. The disciples were urging Jesus to eat, and He tells them, "No, I have food you don't know about." (verse 31.) The disciples were confused about where He got this food, and then Jesus says: "My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing His work." The disciples were so worried about Jesus not eating. Now, any of the guys in my band can testify to this...If I don't get food, I get cranky and eventually start whining about it. What if we were so concerned about doing God's will rather than filling our lives with all of this stuff that has no value? I know food is important, but it's not just food we do this with. Sometimes for me, it's music, playing Wii, my iPod touch, etc. What if we really valued doing the will of God over all of these things? What would this look like in your own life? I think it has to be a moment by moment conscious effort to really do this. We have so busied ourselves with other things (other nourishment), that we forget why we're really here (and where our real nourishment comes from).

Be Intentional.

Every day we have a choice. In fact, every second we have a choice. Now, sometimes, we let our wills determine our choices. For instance, apart from being in a band, I also work at a bookstore. Occasionally, (especially in the morning!) we have some difficult customers come in. By difficult, I mean completely rude and just simply uncalled for...(it's either that, or I am just not a morning person. ha) When this happens, everything in me (my will) wants to just rip into these people and just let them have a piece of my mind. Honestly, I do let my will get the best of me sometimes. I blow it. Lose my cool. And most of all, I potentially hurt my integrity, the integrity of those I work with, the corporate name that I work for, and I can skew the way people think of God by the way I act. Lately, I have been trying to be intentional with my choices. Not just in the bookstore, but in my thoughts, my speech, my marriage, my songwriting, etc. You see, we have a choice. A choice in every aspect of life, to make what could possibly have a tragic outcome, into a holy (set apart) outcome. Rather than making poor choices, turn them into choices that glorify God. Even when we're angry we have a choice whether or not to let it control our actions that follow. You never know how God will use the choices you make to play a part in someone's life. Sure, we're going to fail...we're human. Sin is our condition. We have to battle against our will sometimes. Be intentional.