Exploring the struggles & joys of following God

Without love, our obedience to God is just good deeds. As Judas, our lawful obedience doesn’t bear fruit unless born out of love for God.

Because Judas wasn’t serving for God’s glory but for his own, the reason for his service was distorted. He was doing all the Christianly things, but his true loves and who he was doing it for were leaking out.

Judas demonstrated that being convicted of sin doesn’t make you a Christian. It’s your response that shows what’s inside your heart. If your conviction doesn’t lead to repentance, it leads you back to sin.

Knowing God is real doesn’t equate a relationship with Him. Judas held on to idols in his life more tightly than His love for God. His complacency led him to never identifying and uprooting this idol.

Judas spent years of his life dedicated to Jesus’ ministry, and yet he didn’t really love Him. He couldn’t have been closer to the church or seemingly to God, and yet his heart couldn’t have been further away. What ways are we drawn into knowing God where we want His things but we don’t want Him?

Proverbs 31 envisions what a wise life looks like practically, demonstrated through a woman. As she seeks God and His wisdom, she is becoming more like Him. She’s discerning, disciplined and known for her kindness.

The work we do on earth matters echoes into eternity. If we forget about our eternity, we’ll live and work on earth without investing into it. The Proverbs describe how our desires impact how we work. If our desires are aligned with God, so will our work.

Have you ever considered who your close friends were? The Proverbs advises on the importance of people and friends you’re influenced by. The people around you can either bring you closer to God or further away from Him.

What we choose to say is so important. The Proverbs talks about the power we have in our tongue. As Christians, we’re either bringing people closer to God or further away from it through our words.

Who would think that reproof could be life-giving? While it’s not always used this way, godly reproof will always lead us back to the feet of Jesus. Even if it doesn’t feel good, it will be what we need the very most.