DON'T IGNORE GOD

I just graduated from college with my Bachelor's degree in Christian Ministry. There's something to be said of that statement. I went into college not knowing a thing about God, much less His Son. I came to faith, was "born-again," and celebrated by going to a bar. I wasn't actually celebrating, I didn't even know what had happened.
Nevertheless, I found myself talking to an admissions counselor at a Christian College. Found them on the internet. She asked me what degree I would be pursuing, and when I said 'Christian Ministry,' she took a moment to recover. I can only assume that she was taken aback by my cigarette-laden smell and my revealing hemlines. Regardless, I could only be quietly assured that I was meant to be there by the strange sense of peace I could feel inside of me. I must mention for credibility sake, that I talked about going back to college for seven years with my fiance, so this take was met with much apprehension.
Anyhow, the next two years were a lifesaver. Had I not been there, I don't know if I would have made it in this 'Christian journey.' I was inundated with constant support, constant focus on God, and constant focus on who I was in Christ. I was more than mildly shocked when my testimony (I didn't even know what that was) was met with love and encouragement. That was not the real world. My real world was a dog eat dog and laugh about it later mentality.
Enough of the past for now. My sole point in bringing up the ol' college days is that, now that it's over, I'm bummed. Way bummed to be truthful. It is so easy to get caught back up in the 'real world' again, and God is relegated to being a co-pilot. Which is so dangerous.
My favorite passage in the bible is: Jeremiah 20.9 Jeremiah was given an awful task by the Lord. He was to be a prophet, indicting Israel for their sinful and awful ways. Needless to say, Jeremiah was not a popular member of society. In this passage, he is yelling at God about being assigned this task. He's mad, but then he says something that sums up my relationship with God most of the time. The title of this message is called Jeremiah's Complaint. The line I love is, "But if I say, 'I will not remember Him [God] Or speak anymore in His name, Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it."
I love that. There have been so many times I'd like to chuck this whole God-thing off as another fad in my life, but He won't let me. Once you see the truth, I think it's impossible to ignore. He's real, He's there, and He has something to say. If I ignore Him, I sense something is wrong. The best analogy I have is this; when you are really in love, and the passions are new, and your lover leaves on a trip. Remember that ache, where every day is a month, and you feel like you lost an arm? That's the feeling I get. Ache and down.
AND NOW WE GET TO THE POINT...
In another passage in Jeremiah, God is explaining (as if He has to) why He's ultimately mad about the whole Israel thing: "They (the Israelites) have turned their back to Me and not their face..." Jeremiah 32.33
Whoops. God is okay if get mad at Him, He's okay if you yell at Him (trust me on this one. I'm still here.) He is not okay if we ignore Him. What we do is; search for spiritually, go to church, tell the pollsters that we believe in Him. We keep our faces on God, but we turn our backs in search of things of this earth. I am convinced it is possible to go to church and ignore God. It's the stuff that hypocrisy is built of.
Here's the ultimate deal for those who struggle with this whole God thing. I hate the bad stuff in life, I want to know just as much as you do why bad things happen. However, at the end of the day, I know I need to take the questions and the complaints to Him, rather than blow Him off.
What's the ultimate cause for wars and death if there is no God? That life sucks and then you die. Forgive me if that doesn't sound appealing. What's the ultimate cause for wars and death if there is a God? I don't know. However, I do know that He has a plan that's much bigger than I could ever imagine. And He sacrificed His own Son. That tells me He has a plan. I would rather believe that there is a Good and Righteous being that's ultimately in control, rather that complete randomness.
Think about it...