I got tagged!
Well, it’s not a bad thing. Amanda Rose at Little Steps Along the Way tagged me in a blogging meme. My first time too Amanda!
A meme is a blog post topic that is passed around and shared. The theme for this one is “Three Favorite Scripture Verses.”
So, these are three of my all time favorites because I keep coming back to them and use them often. They continually speak to me in my life and work.
1. Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
I like this verse because it reminds me that, in the end, it’s not all about me. It’s about letting the Lord work through me.
If you think about it, this is exactly the opposite of the way most of us work. We usually think about what we want, come up with our plans, and then inform God asking him to bless them.
Think about it–you know I’m right! 😉
This is very different. You go to the Lord first, in complete trust, and ask him where you should be going. You don’t think first about your own plans, your own agendas, your own understanding of things. You consult God first.
Then, humbly acknowledging God is the one behind everything, he’ll direct you on the way you should go.
That’s not an easy thing. But, it can be a freeing thing.
2. John 15:5
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me, you can do nothing.”
Fr. Michael Scanlan once did a homily on this verse at Franciscan University and it’s been a favorite ever since.
He said Jesus tells us we can do nothing without him. That’s nothing! No. Thing. Nothing, that is, until we are connected and in union with him.
Supernatural life flows into us from our union with him. Supernatural work, the work of ministry, flows out of us from our union with him. There is no other way you can be fruitful and grow in the love of Jesus.
3. Philippians 4:6-7
“Have no anxiety about anything but in everything let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Noticing a pattern here? 😉 This verse again reminds me to get over myself and trust everything to God.
I’ve really found this verse to be true! If you honestly unburden your thoughts, feelings and desires to the Lord, he calms your heart and gives you peace. And for me, peace is one of the greatest gifts the Lord gives his followers.
God has a way of smoothing out life! It doesn’t always happen right away, but usually if you stick with prayer it comes without you even realizing. Those things that totally torqued you just fall away in importance and you have peace.
So those are mine.
Now I tag bloggers:
- Bryan at Calling All Witnesses
- Michael at Churchman Kirk
- Trista at not a minx, a moron, or a parasite
The rules are:
1.Write a post on your three favorite verses from the Bible and why you like them.
2. Link back to this post.
3. In your post tag three other bloggers to carry this theme forward, link to you and tag additional bloggers.
Marc, thanks for playing along in this meme and for your three wonderful verses! The Proverbs verse is one of my favorites, also. I especially like the part about Him making straight our paths.
Thanks for picking me to take part. I really enjoyed it!
Yeah, I like that part too. Sometimes I wish he would take a more actively make straight those paths but I take what I can get. I usually think that means I’m not entrusting and acknowledging enough.
I had to make a post about this:
http://platytera.blogspot.com/2011/06/top-three-ax.html
Cool one!
I am working on this, just so you know!
Hey, no rush! 😉
Marc! I loved these… I see a common unspoken thread running through your posts. Despite what it may seem, God really does have our best interests in mind. Take the Israelites just before the Exodus, for example. If God wanted to keep them under His thumb, and control them, He would have left them in Egypt as slaves making bricks. God has our best interests in mind, but He needs us to surrender so He can work within us. Giving up that control is something that I think we all struggle with.
By the way, I finally posted mine! HA!
That’s a really great way to put it Bryan. He needs our surrender to work within us. We have to give up control first before he can do his work. It’s interesting to think that we need to surrender our desires to him in order to see them fulfilled.
Can’t wait to read your verses! Thanks for continuing the meme!