Thoughts to ponder for the day (okay, I've been pondering)

Last night I hear the tail end (like 5 minutes) of an interview withKirk Franklin. He cracks me up, he is so, well, Kirk Franklin. Okay this is something he said. Now this is not a direct quote, because I definately don't do direct quotes very well, unless I have read them and can copy them. It went something like this. "We as Christians go around trying so hard to be like Christ, why don't we just give up and die." Okay, I was like what in the world, then he clarified his statement and it made so much sense. He went on to say, "we just need to die out to our own will, give God the keys and let him do the work in our life--he alone through the Holy Spirit will make us more Christ like." Okay, now maybe that didn't mean so much to anyone else, but it definately did to me. I thought alot of that today. God is sovereign and in control at all times, we just need to realize that and let him, quit trying to control everything ourselves. We all try to "work" so hard, and do good things in our own power, and we just run in circles, but if we'd just "die" to our will, God would do the good works through us.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Teaching
us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, Titus 2:11-12 (NIV)
I thought alot of that today. Actually, I've been thinking alot of the sovereignty of God latelty. I've been thinking every decision that I've made, everything I've done, God really did it. Even the faith I had in Christ to come to salvation came from God alone. I just didn't realize it. He has ordered my steps. He knows the end from the begining, that includes the end of my life, from the begining of my life. Even though I don't see it at times, God is working everything in my life together for his glory (you know hind sight is 20/20). Isn't that what we were created for, God's glory?! That is our purpose in life, to glorify God. Wow!! Something else I've been thinking on is this. Our pastors wife, in sunday school class says this all the time, God as the right, the wisdom, and the power to do his holy will. That just sums it all up for me. Nothing happens without God causing it. That means good and bad. My prayer is that I would bring glory to Christ, but I know that I can not accomplish that in my own will, only through the work of the Holy Spirit in my life can I accomplish it. Okay, I hope that I've expressed myself in some sort of clear way, I sometimes have a hard time getting my thoughts from my head to the paper.

Have a blessed day, and remember we serve a great BIG GOD!!!!!
Talk GOD BIG!!!

Romans 8:28-29 (ESV)
28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for
good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to
the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among
many brothers.