Obliged

Sorry if you heard me screaming this morning.

I just couldn't take all the racket anymore and had to scream for a second to stop the chaos chanting in my cranium (impressive alliteration, I know).

I needed to turn off the noise for a moment.

Turn off the barage of bad news and despair.

Turn off the what-if-ing and worrying.

Turn off the doom and gloom.

I had to clear the clutter to get quiet and hear from God.

In the quiet, I felt as if God was reminding me of a prior obligation that I had made.

He reminded me of the moments in the not-so-distant past when I begged Him to help me and assured Him that I would follow Him and do the things He encouraged me to do.

I remember those times all too well.

I was on my knees in desperation, begging for help, and when His help came, I was overcome with gratitude and assured Him I would repay Him for all He had done for me.

I swore to Him that I would honor my obligation.

But you know how it goes.

Things get better, we get lazy, and we just return to "normal" as things settle down.

We forget about our desperation for God and how utterly alone we felt in our fear and uncertainty.

We forget the tangible thankfulness that filled our souls when God paid the debt of our sins,

redeemed us, and pulled us from the wreckage of our pain and sorrow.

We forget the excitement we felt when we wanted to tell everyone our "Look What God Did" story and share the love He so easily gave us.

We forget how good it felt to follow His lead and trust in the path He has for us on this journey.

We are stubborn little creatures of habit, and we easily forget that we still need God every minute of every hour. Living a life that honors all He did for us is the best choice.

Our "we'll take it from here, God." habit is the worst one to break.

Here's the thing - God's grace doesn't nag us into submission.

God doesn't force us into anything but is always there, sending gentle reminders to help us get back on track.

The hard part is getting quiet so we can hear and remember.

We have to decide to willingly honor the obligation we made to God in our moments of need.

We owe Him that much, don't we?

God is beckoning us to honor our obligation, follow Him, and be the light this world needs.

God is reminding us and whispering to us to cling to Him and let Him lead us on the path He has cleared for us.

Imagine if we were so obliged to God that we happily activated the loving light God created within us.

How beautiful would that be?

Today is our moment to repay our debt and honor our obligation.

Remember the gratitude that once filled your heart, and let it inspire you to take one step forward on the path God is leading you on.

And let us never forget these words:

Thank You, God, for this beautiful life you have given us.

Matthew 6: 9-12

This, then, is how you should pray:

" 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

1 Peter 3:15

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."