{"id":658,"date":"2012-01-29T04:14:00","date_gmt":"2012-01-29T04:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=658"},"modified":"2012-02-03T22:40:05","modified_gmt":"2012-02-03T22:40:05","slug":"pursuing-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=658","title":{"rendered":"Pursuing God"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In our pursuit of God, we find ourselves. Although we can be and do all things in Christ, without abiding in Him, we can do nothing. We must acknowledge our \u201cwormhood\u201d before we can be transformed into a butterfly. God never intended us to perfect ourselves. The dichotomy is this-the more we realize the truth of our flaws and vulnerability, the more we know we must depend on God\u2019s spirit to work through us. Then the focus is shifted to more of Him-we must become less.
\nSince God knows just how He made us and how we can best serve Him to be fulfilled, the best expression of ourselves is when He shines through us, joyfully doing what we are made to be-a unique expression of His personality. A confidence arises in the fact that He who began a good work in us will carry it to completion.<\/p>\n

C.S. Lewis states in \u201cTill We All Have Faces,\u201d
\n\u201cWe must die before we die, and the kingdom life arises anew.\u201d God makes all things new, a far superior life than we were leading.<\/p>\n

I John 3:2 Beloved we are God\u2019s children; Now what we shall be has not yet been revealed.<\/p>\n

In our pursuit of God, we find ourselves. Holly Smith<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 In our pursuit of God, we find ourselves. Although we can be and do all things in Christ, without abiding in Him, we can do nothing. We must acknowledge our \u201cwormhood\u201d before we can be transformed into a butterfly. God never intended us to perfect ourselves. The dichotomy is this-the more we realize the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2193,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=2193","url_meta":{"origin":658,"position":0},"title":"Embrace Your Thorns","author":"hollysmith","date":"August 24, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Embracing Your Thorns Humbling ourselves and making the first move to resolve offenses can turn our biggest rival into our greatest cheerleader. What do you have to lose? Often our own pride and caring what others think are obstacles preventing us from doing so. The Bible tells us to break\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"images-3","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/images-3.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1422,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=1422","url_meta":{"origin":658,"position":1},"title":"God’s School-The Desert","author":"hollysmith","date":"September 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Jesus rebuked Peter in Matthew 16:23,\u201c...you do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men.\u201d Which do you have in mind? Are you prepared, equipped, toughened for the season ahead? I had a problem. I was impatient to reach my destiny but the more\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"desert road","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/desert-road-300x202.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2025,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=2025","url_meta":{"origin":658,"position":2},"title":"God’s School-The Desert","author":"hollysmith","date":"September 5, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Jesus rebuked Peter in Matthew 16:23,\u201c\u2026you do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men.\u201d Which do you have in mind? Are you prepared, equipped, toughened for the season ahead? I had a problem. I was impatient to reach my destiny but the more impatient\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"desert-road-300x202","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/desert-road-300x202.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2361,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=2361","url_meta":{"origin":658,"position":3},"title":"God\u2019s School-The Desert","author":"hollysmith","date":"June 25, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Jesus rebuked Peter in Matthew 16:23,\u201c...you do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men.\u201d Which do you have in mind? Are you prepared, equipped, toughened for the season ahead? I had a problem. I was impatient to reach my destiny but the more impatient\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"images","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/images.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":248,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=248","url_meta":{"origin":658,"position":4},"title":"Iron Sharpens Iron","author":"hollysmith","date":"May 24, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Colleen and I were discussing the lessons of Joseph in Genesis one day on the way to a meeting. She thought God whispered, \u201cWhat about Reuben?\u201d \u201cWhat about Reuben? Was he of lesser importance?\u201d Colleen pondered aloud. \u201cHe had a conscience and kept Joseph from being killed as well as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Living Your Own Identity"","block_context":{"text":"Living Your Own Identity","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=6"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Rueben1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1020,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=1020","url_meta":{"origin":658,"position":5},"title":"The Epic Battle","author":"hollysmith","date":"January 1, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"There\u2019s an epic battle going on, We must become aware, Lest we be left behind and fall To its accusing faire. In the past these enemies were giants, larger than life- Now they attack invisibly, but still put up a fight. 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