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“You cant spread your faith around to try and get the most bang for your buck. You cant say you believe Gods got your back, but then seek answers elsewhere.”

By Brie Gowen

Ill just go ahead and warn you that some of you reading this will disagree with me. Some of you wont like what I have to say, and thats ago. We can agree to disagree, and thats the fabulous thing about opinion posts. Theyre my opinion, but one I feel led to share. So here goes.

Recently I was starting an IV on a patient. It was a difficult stick to say the least, and as I looked at her arm I whispered, Lord guide my hand.

The patient answered back quickly, Oh yes, Jesus! I pray she gets it.

I missed the vein. I decided to try again, and it was at this point my patient told me she was of American Indian descent. Then she proceeded to pray to her ancestors. She asked them to guide my hand and help me obtain venous access.

I still missed, but it did get me to thinking about something. She wanted me to get that IV bad. I wasnt the first person who had tried and failed, and in her desperation she was grasping at any and all straws. She was covering all her bases. Jesus, her ancestors; you name it. So many of us do this!

I am aware of different cultural practices, and as a nurse and as a human being I respect all personal belief systems of those I encounter. I wont condemn their practices in any way, but as a Christian I have my own convictions I like to share, and in speaking to fellow Christians I will advise against the practice of covering all your bases. In other words, if you have proclaimed your belief in Jesus and made the decision to follow Him then the rest of this post is especially for you.

You cant spread your faith around to try and get the most bang for your buck. You cant say you believe Gods got your back, but then seek answers elsewhere. You cant pray to the Lord to speak His will for your future, but then place any merit on horoscopes you read with hopes that the stars can tell you some good news. You might as well put all your stock in a fortune cookie if you think a paragraph in a beauty magazine has any power in your life.

I personally believe that God is jealous for you, and if you give Him your heart He wants it for real. Not just a little bit, not a piece here and there. He wants all of you. He wants your faith in its entirety, so if you seek the Lords favor in prayer then leave it at that.

So many times when we are desperate in life we reach for answers any place we can find them, but this should not be so.

Your pastor cannot save you. Neither can your spouse. Being a mother doesnt make you whole, and your career will never complete your life. The work you do for your community will earn you no heavenly accolades without the relationship with Jesus that is required to be saved, and if you place your trust in man youre going to end up disappointed.

Healing crystals cant fix whats ailing you, and reaching out to the spirit world or your spirit guide wont give you the answers you require. You cant find the strength you need to carry you in life within yourself, and no matter how long, hard or deep you soul search, the love you hold for yourself will never be enough to make you feel complete.

I once knew a guy who dabbled in several different religions. He could as easily be seen performing the sign of the cross one minute, but praying to his statue of Buddha the next. He suffered from mental anguish most of his life, and he projected his pain onto others. He tried to cover all his bases in his pursuit of happiness, but always seemed to fall short. I spoke to him once about it when he landed in my hospital bed, and he seemed agreeable when I told him there was but one way to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus.

You can treat life like a buffet if you wish, taking a taste of this and that, but you will never have a full stomach until you get something with substance. Jesus. In fact, if you try and spread yourself out amongst the world, taking bits and pieces of what sounds good, youll actually end up with a tummy ache. And heartache. And emptiness in the end.

John 14:6

Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

But, even if you do consider yourself a follower of Jesus, and especially then, you must follow Him with your entire heart. It is what He requires.

Matthew 22:37

Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

As Christians especially we must stop dividing our heart, soul and mind to the world, but surrender it all to the Lord. When you can do this youll find complete contentment, the answer to prayer and a fullness in your life than cant be discovered elsewhere.

The other things? Theyre actually pulling you away from God.

About the Author:Brie Gowen is a 30-something (sliding ever closer to 40-something) wife and mother. When shes not loving on her hubby, chasing after the toddler or playing princess with her four-year-old, she enjoys cooking, reading and writing down her thoughts to share with others. Brie is also a huge lover of Jesus. She finds immense joy in the peace a relationship with her Savior provides, and she might just tell you about it sometime. Shed love for you to check out her blogat BrieGowen.com.

Read more: http://www.faithit.com/danger-banking-on-plan-b-god-doesnt-answer-prayer-brie-gowen/