Questions & Answers

Questions are surrounding me lately. I've always thought that I was good at asking questions, and I am, when they are aimed at someone else. The hard part is asking questions of myself. It isn't that I avoid asking myself where I am heading, what I am meant to do, or who I am. I ask all the time!

It is difficult to find the answers to my self examinations. I figure if I can answer correctly then I could find a way to change the messes I make on a daily basis. Since I don't seem to get concrete answers, I seem to wander around the same questions over and over again. It is a bit frustrating!

Lately, I have again been wondering why the "Me" on the inside does not seem to fit in my outside world. I know who I am on the inside. I know my values, passions, desires and dreams. I've worked hard discovering the things I do well and how to use them, but trying to put those things into my world just doesn't seem to fit. Like the square peg in a round hole, it seems an impossible task. Unfortunately the more I push and work to make it fit the more discouraged I become.

Writing this out I keep hearing the Holy Spirit say, "Integrity." Yes, that is what I want. I want integrity! I want my inner life and my outward actions to be integrated! It is being genuine, honest, unimpaired. The question now is this not what I have been doing? I thought it was. Maybe it isn't.

Lord, You are the glue that holds my life together. You teach me daily what to do and I am working hard at obeying Your voice. I know that I am not perfect, nor will I be. I know that You are perfection and You will complete the good work You have started in my life. Lord, teach me integrity of my inner life and the life others see. Teach me how to become whole and genuine so that You will be seen in the world through me!

Fool for Christ

I've been reading Erwin McManus' book "Uprising." It has given me much to think about. The book takes a look at the character of God and what we as Christians need to know about following in His footsteps of character.

Integrity is one of those qualities God has asked us to live out in our lives. It is being the same on the outside as we are on the inside. It is being the same with all people, not changing who we are or what we think depending on who we are with at the time. Not easy when we are flawed. Showing our weakness as well as our strengths makes us vulnerable.

That is where being a fool for Christ comes in. To show Christ to the world we must live with integrity. It takes convictions that we cannot compromise. When we open up our true selves to the world holding strong convictions that reflect God we become fools for Christ.

Now that is the kind of fool I want to be! And this is no April Fool!

Amazing God, there is no foolishness in You, yet the world is fooled into thinking it is hopeless to believe in You. Today, I want to be Your fool, letting the world see You through my actions and words. I seek the integrity that You have.