Reading thoughts.

"There is much work to be done. It will take many changes and even sacrifices. I pray that we will keep in mind what is important, and that we will carve 'God is love' on the tablet of our hearts. We are commissioned to do God's will on earth through loving acts of faith. With God, all things are possible." -Matthew Sleeth

After finishing Matthew Sleeth's book Serve God, Save the Planet, I have mixed emotions. I believe this was an important book for me to read on my journey to living more naturally. It has put more intentional thoughts into my mind surrounding the issues that convict me daily. It has challenged me. It is always interesting to read about someone's journey or calling to help change the world, because you get the true vulnerability of what they are wrestling with. Reading Sleeth's thoughts, I couldn't help but imagine what it would feel like to finish a book like this and know that thousands of people will read it and make their opinions about you. The great part is, when you've come to this point in life, you don't care what others think, you care what you believe is right, and you just want to get it out there to serve the Lord through it and let him use it for his glory.

I appreciated this. As I keep working to change my habits, and live out my convictions, and keep serving God in ways that have been overlooked before; it is something I never want to stop wrestling with how to do it. I know that in the last year, my life and goals have truly changed and will continue to change, because my heart has been moved to something greater. I believe God is Lord of my life, so not overlooking bad habits in my life, and changing them should be the first thing I do, just as using the gifts of the Spirit in my life should be a reaction to living out my faith. In essence these are one in the same, the way we love and treat others by living in the Spirit, and the way we choose to help or overlook others (most importantly the ones who are forgotten) by our lifestyles. I think the hardest part about books like Matthew Sleeth's is that after we read them, we dismiss the things we don't want to change, or we slowly forget what we felt convicted about as we read them. My biggest fear and struggle is that I will not use the courage I have to share and act and in effect I will not fully life out my convictions. This is what I pray for...

-That I will be able to put aside my discomfort, and speak out, I will share...
-That I will not lose focus on the things of heaven, to change the earth, God is in control.
-But that I will not forget that taking care of the earth was God's command to us, not environmentalists theories, we are in control of whether we obey him in this area.
-That we are all responsible to take action, to change habits that are hurting others, and we are all responsible to be informed on what is hurting others.
-That each decision I make to help save the planet, will affect my children and their children, and this is why I must make sacrifices.
-That I would be able to discern what habits in my life are hurting the earth and in effect hurting God, because I overlook them as if I deserve to use the earth for my benefits, not his, and hurt the millions of other people he has given life to.
-Perspective... that what life in America is, is not a life that helps other countries live in a way that alone, just meets their needs.
-To remember that what is easiest, might not be the best use of resources, energy, or beneficial to my health and the health of others.
-To have the discipline to buy less and use less
-To make it priority to reuse more, to recycle more, to reduce more
-To actually drive less
-To walk more
-To grow more gardens and plant more seeds for the kingdom.
-To keep reducing the trash I take to the curb.
-To think about population issues, and how God's word fits with this.... this was the hardest chapter for me, because I've never thought about what my responsibility is in this before. Chapter 15... very thought provoking.
-To remember that in all things we are commanded to love, how does truly loving my neighbors (in all countries) coincide with my actions everyday. And as the wealthiest country, how are we setting an example for others?
-That many would step up and begin caring for God's creation and all of God's creatures.