Loved into Believing

~~~ 1 Peter 1:3-9 ~~~ Psalm 111 ~~~ Mark 10:17-27 ~~~

“You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

I am pretty sure that I am not strong enough
to sell all that I have in order to follow Jesus more completely.
Does this render me unable to follow Jesus?
I certainly hope not.

It appears the more material possessions we own
the harder it is to get to heaven.

It is very easy to get distracted with our material possessions.
Many times our things demand our attention.
Our material things, like appliances, for instance
break and we spend time repairing them.
Our automobiles require regular maintenance
to keep them operating safely.

Sometimes I wonder if I give more attention
 to my phone than I do to God.
The phone gives me beep or  vibrates to let me know
of an incoming text or email.
The phone is set up to get my attention.

God is silent; he does not give us any indication
 that we should pay attention to him.
There might be such an app that I am not aware of...
something along the lines of keeping us aware.

Being aware of the present moment
 with intention is a good way to stay connected with God.

The intention may just be the key factor.
If we intend to stay more connected to God
 than to our material things our attitude will change.

We take God for granted too much of the time.
We just expect that he knows we love him.
We just expect he will be there for us until...
something comes along that does not appear to be a apart of God.

Illnesses and accidents first come to my mind.
The times when we literally call out to God saying...
God, where are you?

Our suffering now is just for a little time when we
step back and consider eternity.  

I pray for the grace to have faith so strong
 as to be able to withstand adversity when it comes.

Abraham Lincoln once said,
"Nothing in this world is impossible to a willing heart."

I long to be able to rejoice with the indescribable and glorious joy
Saint Peter speaks of today.

“For men it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God.”

It does us good to keep this verse tucked away within out heart.
Blessed to have such a God that loves me into believing.
Peace.