Faith and Acceptance

This week was rough for me. It seems that for awhile, while doing this I was on a spiritual mountaintop. This, week though, I'm pretty sure I hit my spiritual valley. I had less desire, less motivation, and less wanting. I don't why we must go through these highs and lows. If it were a personality swing between highs and lows, I would be sure to be diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. But for some reason, this seems to be a normal experience in the spiritual journey. Is it supposed to be like this? I don't know, I imagine it is or a reason though and I'm going to keep walking 'cause I want to make it to my next mountain top.

I did read the chapter this week, chapter 6 in Steps to Christ. No matter how I might have felt about things during the week, whenever I pick up this book to read, it is always a blessing and always gives me more motivation and determination to not give up and to not walk away. This week I realized that God has given me, you, us, so many promises. Promises that we can have his peace. Promises that he will saves us. Promises of a new heart.

Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. -Isaiah 55:1

 ...Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. -Isaiah 1:18

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. -Ezekiel 36:26

 ...Believing ye might have life through his name. -John 20:31

...What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. -Mark 11:24

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus... -Romans 8:1

I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins... -Isaiah 44:22

These are only a few. God offers a gift that we can do nothing to obtain. We do not have to make ourselves right. We do not have to prove that we are worthy. All we do is come and the rest will follow. For we cannot of ourselves have a new heart, that comes from Christ! We cannot remove our sin, Christ does.

The more and more I read, following Christ is less about feeling and more about a decision; taking a step. Last week I discussed the idea of how Christ wants us to reason, to know what we are choosing and why. This week from this chapter I got the idea that it's not about feeling right or good, it's about believing the promise, about willing ourselves to come to Christ, and about knowing he is faithful to fulfill his promise. Christ made a decision for us. When will we make a decision for him?