Substance

We all have the choice to believe in Jesus Christ.  I choose to.  I know him as my Lord and Savior, my redeermer, my comforter, my counselor, my advisor, my Father, my friend.  He listens to every thing I say.  When needed, he lets me know that I am out of line (a nice way of saying I'm wrong).  He guides me in the things I should and should not do.

Yesterday as I drove home from church, I heard a pastor speaking that your faith is the substance of your life.  This gave me something to ponder on (like I didn't have anything else!!)

So in reading the definition of substance it says:  material,  true or real; not imaginary,  solidly built; strong,  ample; sustaining,  considerable in importance, value, degree, amount, or extent: won by a substantial margin.

Needless to say, I was blown away.  When I read all these definitions, it speaks to someone who is real, strong, and solid.  Like Jesus Christ.  Like the image that we are to reflect. 

When I think of my faith being the substance in my life, I think more of the food that I receive from being in the word, from modeling the word--it feeds me, it warms me, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be His servant.

Substance:  Strength.  When Martin needed to leave Medtronic, I knew we would be alright.  Because from Him, you receive strength.  You know what the right thing to do is, and you do it because you know, he's right there beside you and it'll be alright.

Substance:  Real.  I've never been one to put on airs.  As they say, I am what I am.  I've tried to be the very best of who I am.  Granted, I haven't always liked myself, but in 1998, I took care of that!!  I like to think that I am now the person God intended me to be.  On any day, you will get the best of who I am that day.

Substance:  Strong.  Because of the world we live in, being strong is a NECESSITY.  People are drinking and driving, killing their spouses, their children, their dogs.  They're stepping on each other to move up the ladder.  They're running each other off the road because they were cut off, and more.  It's just UGLY.  How God must be looking upon us with sadness that he said he would never again destroy the earth.

And because of all this, we have to be strong.  We have to be strong enough not to cave in to the likes of these ways.  We have to be strong enough to know what is right and do it even if you want to do something else.  We have to be strong just to get out of bed knowing that we are going to a job we don't like but it pays the bills.  We have to be strong to and committed to our relationships.  Not only to Jesus, our substance, but to each other.

You want an idea of strength, real, being strong?  Go back to the old days when they had nothing.  No cars, no air conditioning, no soda, no phones.  They made it just fine, and they were comfortable and happy with what they had.  When you were as good as your word.  When a handshake was your contract.  When everyone came out to help their neighbor. 

The pastor ended the sermon by saying that our faith is the substance of our life and it is our faith the determines the quality of our life.
 
Hmmmmmmmmm