PHILIPPIANS 3:12-14

It was back in July when I knew for sure that I was to change what I write about in my blog. At that time I thought it was going to be much easier writing about "The road to maturity" than it had been to write mainly about my past. Well...I was wrong. I think I liked that much better. When you have been down a path already, been through the "good times" and lived through the pain, you have experience in it. It's easy because you know it. You might not like it...but you know it. It's familiar to you. During the time I was writing about it there were periods of growth but they were not the main part of the posts. Now, I find it is hard to write about the day to day stuff because it's things I am currently having to learn. One thing I think I have figured out is...because I am writing about some of them, I am more aware when I don't do things exactly as I should. Luckily for me...God does not expect us to be perfect. He knows we are human and will do things wrong. This week was no exception...

There was an event at the beginning of the week that I knew I should go to. I asked four of my friends if they were going to go and all of them, for various reasons, said no. I knew that I should go from the time I had first heard about it. Really, I didn't want to but I felt that God was telling me to go. Well, since my friends weren't going I caved and didn't go either. That was the wrong thing to do. I knew if I said I was going to go that they would give me a hard time about it. That shouldn't have mattered. I should have listened to that "voice" inside of me and went anyway. I will never know what would have happened had I went. Off and on all week I have thought about it. I know I made the wrong choice.

During my bible reading tonight I read Matthew 14. It talks about Herod when he had John the Baptist beheaded. Herod didn't want to do that but because his friends were all there he caved and had him killed anyway. Herod didn't want to be embarrassed in front of his peers. So, why do we let ourselves be intimidated and swayed by our friends? For me it's because I don't want them upset with me or for them to give me a hard time about it. After the fact I always regret my decision.

I think what I'm supposed to learn from this is to listen to God and not other people. Sometimes they say and do things just to get you to conform to their wants. I need to do what God says and not what people say. It seems that He is telling me to take a chance, step out and do whatever He tells me, even if it's on my own. He will always be there with me. If I do that, and keep my eyes on Jesus, He will work it out so everything is alright.

Hopefully the next time I will make the right choice. That's when I'll know for sure if I really learned anything from this or not. I pray I really did.

While listening to the radio I heard this quote that I thought was appropriate;

Growth comes when you invest you heart, mind, and soul into relationship with HIM.

Don't let anything, or anyone, distract you from reaching your goal of knowing Christ more and becoming more like Him. I like these verses in The Message translation;


Philippians 3:12-14 (The Message)
Focused on the Goal
12-14I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.

I think that pretty much says it for me. I may stumble and occasionally may fall, but...with the help of the LORD, I won't turn back.