Joyviction

What inspired me to start another blog? Well the title of this one is "Joyviction". Joy and conviction. I had an experience today of both at the same time. I've been listening to Darrell Ferguson's "Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul" series and it has been one of the most profound lessons I have ever learned as a Christian. Today's topic was Desire = Worship. I can go into that further later when I have more time but I wanted to remind myself that this day did indeed happen and it's not just another day to be thrown to the wind. Seems I've had things wrong most of my life. When did it become all about me and nothing about God? I'm not sure but it happened somewhere along the way. I've become so selfish that I couldn't even tell that I was. That's scary.

One thing I want to point out to myself most of all is that asking God for things with the motive of bringing pleasure to myself (even asking to be healed of a sickness) is both idolatry and adultery in God's eyes. If I ask for healing from sickness and I do not do it so that God might be glorified then it is worthless. I never understood the whole thing about loving both the world and God at the same time is impossible. To love one is to hate the other, etc. Apparently I have allowed the world to condition me so thoroughly that I believed I could do both and that is was also right and okay to do so. After what I just heard there is no WAY I can ever believe that again. Hahaha, eat that enemy/world! So that is where I get my joy. I get it from God! He both convicts me in my error and gives me joy to understand that it doesn't have to keep being like that. He strengthens me and encourages me and gives me hope to carry on the work that He has set out for me to do.