So, I wouldn't really call this a devotional exactly, but more of something that's just heavy on my heart that I feel needs to be shared.
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Okay, if you're a Christian, take a step back and picture what your life would be without Christ. Not knowing how this world came to be, not knowing why you were put on this earth, and not knowing what comes after death. You spend your life devoted to finding happiness in things, people, and/or places...all of which will let you down at some point (either intentionally or unintentionally.) How sad, how lonely, how scary of a life is that? To live in a world full of sin and not be able to see anything besides it. How frightening would it be to live in a state of constant confusion and question?
You live your life wondering why you were put here, what your purpose is or if you even have one. How many questions you have, but how little answers you receive. You feel empty, never knowing.
You search high and low for something to complete you and to fulfill your life. But to find completion we need to find perfection, but without God we're left searching for something that we will never find. We try to find completion in people, but people aren't perfect, so we end up hurt and broken when our expectation of perfection aren't met.
Not only do you not know why you were put here or what lies ahead...not to mention the constant seek for fulfillment...but to also have think you have complete "control" over your life. (Clearly, as christians, we know God ultimately has control, but we also have free will to live a Godly or ungodly life. Without knowing Him you can't exactly follow Him or give Him your complete control.)
This has been so heartbreaking to me lately. I find such joy in Christ, such completion in Him! He gives me strength, purpose, fulfillment...life! To imagine life without Him is simply put: horrifying. I can't imagine going through life every day without knowing I have a perfect God who is bigger than all of it and loves me so completely.
I have close friends and family who don't know Christ and with my recent complete life devotion to Him in the past year, they're rejection or lack of knowledge of Him is undeniably heart wrenching. My heart aches for them and for others who don't know Him. I see the pain and suffering people who don't know God go through and all I can think of is the amount of overwhelming love and peace I have with Him. All of who I am longs for them to feel what I feel, but I know without God they never will.
I just so strongly encourage you to pray for those around you, that they come to know the Lord. Talk to them, love on them, share God with them! It can be scary, I know, but we are called to do "scary" things as followers of Christ. If God really is the center of your life and the joy of your heart, you should long to share the Good News of Christ with others! He is the hope of the world and is the only one who will complete us and love us 100%.
This was just a topic I felt needed to be shared. I love you all so much and pray that God be the center of your life, your actions, and your words; that He be your whole world.
If you don't know God, but you think you want to get to know Him, you can talk to me any time. I'm no professional bible scholar, but I sure love the Lord and just want to share Him with you.
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Blessings,
Natalie