Just some thoughts

I visited church with my friend Brandi today, and her minister said a few things that really spoke to me. So much so that I immediately scrambled for a pen so that I could jot them done and come back to them later...

"Real spirituality cannot be forced on the outside through rules and regulations. Real spirituality happens on the inside, and that inner change is made manifest on the outside."

This has been so true with me. People have only noticed such a change in me because of what God originated on the inside of me. What people see on the outside is actually an outflow of a new heart that is always being changed and shaped by God. It doesn't always change as fast as I'd like it to, and my self-will often slows down the process, but He is changing me none the less.

"Listening to the Word of God is good, but is not good enough. Reading the Word of God is good, but is still not good enough. It's only by obeying the Word of God that we change."

True again. I love God's Word and know the power that it has in my life when I feed my mind with it. I must confess though that I'm usually more worried about just reading it, and sometimes I miss the more important aspect of obedience. My thoughts automatically go to James 1:21-27. I want to be "doer," and not just a "hearer." That's only possible with God's strength.