"But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights." -Jonah 1:17
It has been forever since I have blogged, but I felt the need to share something that hit me so hard this past Tuesday. I was in my Bible study group and we were talking about Jonah chapter 1. I had read chapter 1 four times prior to going to Bible study and of course I still managed to miss some things that the other wonderful ladies managed to pick up on. One of those being in the very last verse of the chapter. It is posted above.
From a young age, anyone raised in church knows the story of Jonah. Jonah was punished for his disobedience to God. ...or was he? So many people see God as a spiteful being who pours out His wrath on those who disobey Him. He sent the fish to swallow Jonah, yes; but one thing we found very interesting in verse 17 though was the word "provided." God provided a fish for Jonah to be swallowed by. That one word, often overlooked, can change the whole context of the story. Yes, Jonah was being reprimanded for his disobedience, but without the "punishment" of being swallowed by the fish, he probably would have died in the middle of the sea. He would have lost his life due to one mistake, but God so mercifully provided a way out. God still needed his work to be done and offered Jonah a second chance. The provided fish is a representative of all the roadblocks that God puts in our lives. He provides difficulties and things that may seem like punishments, so that His glory will shine though at the end of it all. In the end, He is always providing for us and has our best interest and His glory in mind.
I challenge you to switch the context next time you feel like God is working against you. Look at the situation in a different context and see if you can find how God is providing another option or a better way for you.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Nontradtional
""It's going to be an awakening experience when conservative Christians get to Heaven and realize there are no pews and everyone is acting like a fool. You can't fully worship God in the comfort of the box that you've put up around your faith." -Anna Joy Wells
I haven't blogged in over a month! This is not because I did not want to, but rather because I have not found the time to, and when I have had the time to, I just haven't had anything remotely interesting worth blogging about. But alas, that streak of nothingness ends with this blog! Recently I have been thinking a lot about worship, how it is perceived and how Christians react when it goes out of what they consider the "norm." I think we as southern baptists, Catholics, and most other denominations are too traditional. I LOVE tradition, don't get me wrong. I love hymns and tradition; but who among us has not sung a hymn and was just singing the words, has participated in other traditional conservative church service that had no meaning to them? Everyone has done it at one time or another. One question that was brought to my attention in the summer of 2011 that I really honed in on was the question, "why do we continue to follow traditional worship, if it has completely lost its meaning for some of us?" I was challenged to sort through the parts of Christianity that I have been taught all my life and to pick out the traditions that are meaningful to me and figure out why others had lost my sincerity. Because, as I have come to find, without my heart in it, "worship" is not worship.
Challenge #1-Find what traditions are meaningful to you and do those. Discover which ones have no meaning and find out why. Above all, have sincere worship however that worship my manifest itself.
In addition, a friend of mine put another idea I was thinking into words. She said, "It's going to be an awakening experience when conservative Christians get to Heaven and realize there are no pews and everyone is acting like a fool. You can't fully worship God in the comfort of the box that you've put up around your faith." I can criticize Baptists because I am one, but here's what I realized, our...umm... ostracism (for lack of a better word)...often stops people from participating fully in communal worship. As Baptists, if you raise your hands in church, you may get a weird look, but nothing too bad. If you sing super loud and off key, you may have some people around you move from their pews. And heaven forbid you....DANCE!...I think Christians, especially Baptists are in for a huge surprise when we all get to Heaven. I don't care what you say, I'm dancing in Heaven. It will all be with a heart of worship that will have thrown tradition aside and be fully engulfed in glorifying my Lord without fear of what anyone else has to say about it.
Challenge #2-Take God out of the box you've put Him in, and let Him guide your worship rather than going by what you think everyone else expects your worship to look like. I really think God could care less if your worship is traditional or not as long as your worship is directed at Him with love and sincere affection.
*I have a feeling that there will be more blogs on this idea of "nontradtion"...but here is the first of many.
I haven't blogged in over a month! This is not because I did not want to, but rather because I have not found the time to, and when I have had the time to, I just haven't had anything remotely interesting worth blogging about. But alas, that streak of nothingness ends with this blog! Recently I have been thinking a lot about worship, how it is perceived and how Christians react when it goes out of what they consider the "norm." I think we as southern baptists, Catholics, and most other denominations are too traditional. I LOVE tradition, don't get me wrong. I love hymns and tradition; but who among us has not sung a hymn and was just singing the words, has participated in other traditional conservative church service that had no meaning to them? Everyone has done it at one time or another. One question that was brought to my attention in the summer of 2011 that I really honed in on was the question, "why do we continue to follow traditional worship, if it has completely lost its meaning for some of us?" I was challenged to sort through the parts of Christianity that I have been taught all my life and to pick out the traditions that are meaningful to me and figure out why others had lost my sincerity. Because, as I have come to find, without my heart in it, "worship" is not worship.
Challenge #1-Find what traditions are meaningful to you and do those. Discover which ones have no meaning and find out why. Above all, have sincere worship however that worship my manifest itself.
In addition, a friend of mine put another idea I was thinking into words. She said, "It's going to be an awakening experience when conservative Christians get to Heaven and realize there are no pews and everyone is acting like a fool. You can't fully worship God in the comfort of the box that you've put up around your faith." I can criticize Baptists because I am one, but here's what I realized, our...umm... ostracism (for lack of a better word)...often stops people from participating fully in communal worship. As Baptists, if you raise your hands in church, you may get a weird look, but nothing too bad. If you sing super loud and off key, you may have some people around you move from their pews. And heaven forbid you....DANCE!...I think Christians, especially Baptists are in for a huge surprise when we all get to Heaven. I don't care what you say, I'm dancing in Heaven. It will all be with a heart of worship that will have thrown tradition aside and be fully engulfed in glorifying my Lord without fear of what anyone else has to say about it.
Challenge #2-Take God out of the box you've put Him in, and let Him guide your worship rather than going by what you think everyone else expects your worship to look like. I really think God could care less if your worship is traditional or not as long as your worship is directed at Him with love and sincere affection.
*I have a feeling that there will be more blogs on this idea of "nontradtion"...but here is the first of many.
Monday, July 23, 2012
The Apostle Paul and Luke Bryan
"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything." -Ephesians 5:18-20
This blog may be taken as a bit blasphemous, but I promise that I mean no disrespect. Even though I am almost positive that neither Paul nor Luke Bryan had the other in mind when they wrote these two things above, I found a neat connection.
In the song above Luke Bryan is referring to a girl and he talks about drinking and talks about taking clothes off, but the point of the song is that the girl is the "best buzz [he's] ever gonna find." That her love is more addicting than any alcohol. I kinda thought about that and, through a long stretch, made it relate to my relationship with God. (I have a tendency to try to do this with almost every song I ever hear.) Again, it is a long stretch for some people, but I honestly find myself feeling "drunk" with the Holy Spirit sometimes. Above, you can see where the apostle Paul urges the church at Ephesus (and ultimately us) to be filled with the Spirit and to be thankful for everything. I believe that this song encompasses a small part of that. God's love is the best buzz I can ever find. I desire to be filled with Him and to go 'bottoms up' with His word until I know if from cover to cover. I want to be drunk on Him so much that His glory spills out of my mouth like a stream of incomprehensible babble may flow from the mouth of an alcoholic.
As I sit here staring out at the beach at in Edisto Beach, SC I am drunk on Him and high on summertime. I challenge you to be filled with Him, take Him in and be drunk on His love.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
10 OT Lessons
I have spent the last 8 weeks working in an adult outpatient rehab setting to get the majority of my hours for graduate school for occupational therapy. I have LOVED every minute of it. Here some of the life lessons and just some funny things I have learned in the last 8 weeks.
1. A good attitude can work wonders for the healing process.
2. Most people will work really hard to get back to doing the things they love most (playing golf, crocheting, making paper dolls) :)
3. I get really angry when I see a kid who has an unfortunate condition, and it is their parents fault that they are that way.
4. Both in therapy and life, discomfort is okay, but don't push it until its painful.
5. You can find a common interest with anyone.
6. The government and insurance agencies are really good at keeping people from the best possible treatments. (Drs. and therapists know what they are doing, insurance agencies don't.)
7. Some of the worst possible injuries have a story behind them that starts with "Well, I was just walking..." Walking is very dangerous! haha
8. Patients give good gifts (i.e. cards, homemade tissue boxes, muffins, recipes) :)
9. A sense of humor can lighten even the worst of situations.
10. Graduation day (the day he or she is discharged) can be the best or worst day of that person's life depending on how they felt about their therapist.
*I cannot wait to be an OT! :)
1. A good attitude can work wonders for the healing process.
2. Most people will work really hard to get back to doing the things they love most (playing golf, crocheting, making paper dolls) :)
3. I get really angry when I see a kid who has an unfortunate condition, and it is their parents fault that they are that way.
4. Both in therapy and life, discomfort is okay, but don't push it until its painful.
5. You can find a common interest with anyone.
6. The government and insurance agencies are really good at keeping people from the best possible treatments. (Drs. and therapists know what they are doing, insurance agencies don't.)
7. Some of the worst possible injuries have a story behind them that starts with "Well, I was just walking..." Walking is very dangerous! haha
8. Patients give good gifts (i.e. cards, homemade tissue boxes, muffins, recipes) :)
9. A sense of humor can lighten even the worst of situations.
10. Graduation day (the day he or she is discharged) can be the best or worst day of that person's life depending on how they felt about their therapist.
*I cannot wait to be an OT! :)
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Blessed Beyond Comparison
♪You're rich in love and you're slow to anger. Your name is great and your heart is kind. For all your goodness I will keep on singing, ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.♫ -Matt Redman "10,000 Reasons"
This song has been on repeat for a while in my iTunes. I wish it would have been out a year and a half ago. If it had been, my very first blog post would have been based off of it. It is a perfect example of why I began my blog and is an archetypal example of the title of my blog, Blessed Beyond Comparison. I began this blog almost as a form of worship. I wanted nothing more than to talk about my God and how great He is and how wonderfully he has blessed me. I have had posts here and there that had no religious affiliation and I have had a few that were just venting or ranting, but for the most part I feel like I have continued to boast about God in most of the posts.
My favorite lyrics in the whole song are posted above. We serve a loving and kind God and for that and thousands of other reasons, we can rejoice and praise Him. Even on my worst days, I come realize that those days are not so bad. I live in America, I have a wonderful family, I have my health, and literally ten thousand more reasons as to why my God is AWESOME! But if all that were to be taken from me, I would still have my God, and because of His goodness there will be no cease to my praises.
I challenge you to realize you have so many reasons to live and so many reasons to praise God for His goodness.
Blessed Beyond Comparison
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Sit Down, Shut Up
"Be still and know that I am God." -Psalm 46:10
Layman's translation: Sit down, shut up, quit worrying, I'm God, and I will handle this for you. More often than not, I need God to slap me in the face with that. A reminder that I am not in control and a reality check that I serve an awesomely powerful God who is capable of all things. I often overvalue my existence. My very first blog post said something about approaching the question "What would God do without me?" I came to the same conclusion then that I still come to now, a year and a half later. Without me, God would still be God. He would continue despite my absence and not a single bit of his power or control would be drained. It is here that the author of the psalm points out this very fact; that God is God, despite who we are. He is all powerful despite what we try to do about it. He is in control despite how much we try to pretend that we fill that role.
I challenge you to be sit down, shut up, and quit worrying. God is in control.
Layman's translation: Sit down, shut up, quit worrying, I'm God, and I will handle this for you. More often than not, I need God to slap me in the face with that. A reminder that I am not in control and a reality check that I serve an awesomely powerful God who is capable of all things. I often overvalue my existence. My very first blog post said something about approaching the question "What would God do without me?" I came to the same conclusion then that I still come to now, a year and a half later. Without me, God would still be God. He would continue despite my absence and not a single bit of his power or control would be drained. It is here that the author of the psalm points out this very fact; that God is God, despite who we are. He is all powerful despite what we try to do about it. He is in control despite how much we try to pretend that we fill that role.
I challenge you to be sit down, shut up, and quit worrying. God is in control.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Leadership is an Art
"Leaders don't inflict pain, leaders bear pain." -Leadership is an Art by Max DePree
So something that has been on my mind a lot recently is the idea of leadership. I have been in and out of leadership roles in my life, and I am grateful for the opportunities that I have been given. At no point have I ever thought that I deserved any of them or that the position was owed to me. I hope that I have been a successful team captain, Bible study leader, head lifeguard, and many other things, here's the thing that bugs me most; leaders should work harder than anyone and it is so much more than just being a boss. Leading is being the boss without being bossy. Hence the above quote. Leaders do not inflict pain on their "inferiors" (I hate using that word to describe the leader's followers), rather, leaders are to lighten the burden as best they can for their inferiors. This may not always mean that the leader is doing their work for them, but it could mean that the leader is doing thier best to come up with the most efficient ways of doing things. That they are being a planner, but working hard nonetheless. In doing this, they save time, energy, and sometimes money. However, other times, this means that the leader is to "step down" out of their position in order that things run smoother. They should be ready and willing to take on part of the burden of their inferiors. In contrast, if a leader is doing well, he or she may see their inferiors doing the same for them, going out of their way to make the leaders life easier and going above and beyond their job descriptions. With this in mind and these actions in play, respect is formed for and from both parties.
Now for rhetorical questions! How can you expect a group to work or stay uplifted when the leader is lazy? It is disheartening to say the least when a leader's job is to be the prime example, and the leaders could care less because they are too preoccupied with mindless distractions. It is important to remained focused on the job at hand. How can you demand respect from your followers if you yourself are disrespecting them by not carrying your part? Playing sports growing up, I was always told "you are only as strong as your weakest player." Not only is this saying true, but never ever ever ever (!) should your leader be your weakest part! They are the leader for a reason! If one part of the team slacks, everyone else has to pick up the extra work and stress; if one part of the team fails, the whole team fails.
If you are a leader, I challenge you to be the leader, not just the boss. Be the example and do not overestimate your value to a job. Just because you have the title next to your name, does not make you better than anyone else. A team is a team.
If you are the follower, I challenge you to (respectfully) keep your leader in check. Call them out if you feel they are slacking, and encourage them when they are doing a fantastic job. We all need accountability and, coming from personal experience, it is nice to know when you are and are not doing a good job.
So something that has been on my mind a lot recently is the idea of leadership. I have been in and out of leadership roles in my life, and I am grateful for the opportunities that I have been given. At no point have I ever thought that I deserved any of them or that the position was owed to me. I hope that I have been a successful team captain, Bible study leader, head lifeguard, and many other things, here's the thing that bugs me most; leaders should work harder than anyone and it is so much more than just being a boss. Leading is being the boss without being bossy. Hence the above quote. Leaders do not inflict pain on their "inferiors" (I hate using that word to describe the leader's followers), rather, leaders are to lighten the burden as best they can for their inferiors. This may not always mean that the leader is doing their work for them, but it could mean that the leader is doing thier best to come up with the most efficient ways of doing things. That they are being a planner, but working hard nonetheless. In doing this, they save time, energy, and sometimes money. However, other times, this means that the leader is to "step down" out of their position in order that things run smoother. They should be ready and willing to take on part of the burden of their inferiors. In contrast, if a leader is doing well, he or she may see their inferiors doing the same for them, going out of their way to make the leaders life easier and going above and beyond their job descriptions. With this in mind and these actions in play, respect is formed for and from both parties.
Now for rhetorical questions! How can you expect a group to work or stay uplifted when the leader is lazy? It is disheartening to say the least when a leader's job is to be the prime example, and the leaders could care less because they are too preoccupied with mindless distractions. It is important to remained focused on the job at hand. How can you demand respect from your followers if you yourself are disrespecting them by not carrying your part? Playing sports growing up, I was always told "you are only as strong as your weakest player." Not only is this saying true, but never ever ever ever (!) should your leader be your weakest part! They are the leader for a reason! If one part of the team slacks, everyone else has to pick up the extra work and stress; if one part of the team fails, the whole team fails.
If you are a leader, I challenge you to be the leader, not just the boss. Be the example and do not overestimate your value to a job. Just because you have the title next to your name, does not make you better than anyone else. A team is a team.
If you are the follower, I challenge you to (respectfully) keep your leader in check. Call them out if you feel they are slacking, and encourage them when they are doing a fantastic job. We all need accountability and, coming from personal experience, it is nice to know when you are and are not doing a good job.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Cliche
John 3:16-"For God so loved the world that He gave his only son that whoever believe in Him will not perish but will have eternal life."
Bet you didn't read the whole verse above...or if you did, you just skimmed over it. You saw "John 3:16" and read the rest in your mind because this is a verse beaten into even the most unchristian-like people from the day they are born (at least in the south pretty much). I would be willing to bet that 90% of the people I know have heard this verse from somewhere at some point in their lives. I would also be willing to bet that all my friends who are Christians probably say this verse as quick as possible, I know when I read it, it is at lightning speed because it is a verse that is second nature.
Although there is nothing I can do about it and I am very glad that this verse (and others like it) are so well known, I have to wonder how much of scripture we take for granted. How much of God's holy word are just cliches in our book? How many verses that were once life changing are now just mainstream?
I get so excited when I come across a Bible verse that strikes a chord with me that I am not familiar with. And yet I read over some of the verses that once were such a huge part of my daily walk with God and they seem to mean nothing. I have overused them (if that is possible). Their meaning has been lost in a repetitive reading of them and every time I read it again, I get further and further away from where it hit home for me.
This was a tough challenge to come up with. I challenge you to really read your Bible and dig deep for the wisdom that it provides. Even the most cliche verses can teach you something new. Do not fail to cherish God's word.
Bet you didn't read the whole verse above...or if you did, you just skimmed over it. You saw "John 3:16" and read the rest in your mind because this is a verse beaten into even the most unchristian-like people from the day they are born (at least in the south pretty much). I would be willing to bet that 90% of the people I know have heard this verse from somewhere at some point in their lives. I would also be willing to bet that all my friends who are Christians probably say this verse as quick as possible, I know when I read it, it is at lightning speed because it is a verse that is second nature.
Although there is nothing I can do about it and I am very glad that this verse (and others like it) are so well known, I have to wonder how much of scripture we take for granted. How much of God's holy word are just cliches in our book? How many verses that were once life changing are now just mainstream?
I get so excited when I come across a Bible verse that strikes a chord with me that I am not familiar with. And yet I read over some of the verses that once were such a huge part of my daily walk with God and they seem to mean nothing. I have overused them (if that is possible). Their meaning has been lost in a repetitive reading of them and every time I read it again, I get further and further away from where it hit home for me.
This was a tough challenge to come up with. I challenge you to really read your Bible and dig deep for the wisdom that it provides. Even the most cliche verses can teach you something new. Do not fail to cherish God's word.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Stumbling into the Sacred
"We cannot get away from God, though we can ignore Him. We may ignore but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God-the world is crowded with Him." -C.S. Lewis
I read a story one time about a theologian and a child on a train together. The theologian promised the small boy an apple if he could answer a single question. The child agreed. The theologian asked, "Where is God?" Without missing a beat, the child replied, "I'll give you a whole barrel of apples if you can tell me where God is not."
Despite his youth, this kid gets it. It is not so much as to where God is, but rather where He is not. Needless to say, the theologian did not get his barrel of apples. God is everywhere. When David wrote Psalm 139 he said, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast." He surrounds us and is always there for us. Many people believe that God is similar to a watchmaker. That He created the world and has been distant ever since; that He is just standing back and letting nature run its course. I have to politely decline this idea. I believe the existence of a Creator is undeniable in our everyday lives. Simple miracles are things that we consider to be "normal" because they happen every single day, but we fail to realize them as miracles. Everyday we stumble upon the sacred and fail to realize that He is the very reason of our being. He is hidden in the little things and is present among the greatest and lowest moments of our lives. He is the snow falling, He is coincidences, He is the sun rising, He is the life we have every morning when we wake up, and He is love. These miracles may seem mundane if seen through an untrained eye, but to a child of God, they are the masterpieces of our Creator.
I challenge you to slow down a bit and look for the everyday miracles that God has placed in your life.
I read a story one time about a theologian and a child on a train together. The theologian promised the small boy an apple if he could answer a single question. The child agreed. The theologian asked, "Where is God?" Without missing a beat, the child replied, "I'll give you a whole barrel of apples if you can tell me where God is not."
Despite his youth, this kid gets it. It is not so much as to where God is, but rather where He is not. Needless to say, the theologian did not get his barrel of apples. God is everywhere. When David wrote Psalm 139 he said, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast." He surrounds us and is always there for us. Many people believe that God is similar to a watchmaker. That He created the world and has been distant ever since; that He is just standing back and letting nature run its course. I have to politely decline this idea. I believe the existence of a Creator is undeniable in our everyday lives. Simple miracles are things that we consider to be "normal" because they happen every single day, but we fail to realize them as miracles. Everyday we stumble upon the sacred and fail to realize that He is the very reason of our being. He is hidden in the little things and is present among the greatest and lowest moments of our lives. He is the snow falling, He is coincidences, He is the sun rising, He is the life we have every morning when we wake up, and He is love. These miracles may seem mundane if seen through an untrained eye, but to a child of God, they are the masterpieces of our Creator.
I challenge you to slow down a bit and look for the everyday miracles that God has placed in your life.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Do More of What Makes You...
"When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other." -Ecclesiastes 7:14
This verse has been on my mind a lot recently. I personally believe that happiness is a manifestation of our circumstances and how we handle them. Romans 8:28 says, "we know that all things work together for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose." It is in this verse that we find that all things, both good and bad, are precious moments of life given to us from our Creator. We live a life that is not our own and every moment we borrow is one we will never get back once it has passed. Undoubtedly, we will have days that just suck. Where nothing goes right and it seems like you are taking on the whole world alone. It is in these moments that I believe that the presence of our Creator is undeniable. He gives us hard times to strengthen our faith and so that we know the good times when we see them. And even in the darkest of days, there is a possibility of the creation of a small ray of sunshine in every situation. It is in these moments that we must seize happiness in whatever way, shape, or form it may manifest itself as.
Unfortunately, I just wrote this whole paragraph on happiness and now I am going to shoot it to the ground in a sense. The truth of the matter is that happiness is not our ultimate goal in life. I read a post on pinterest recently that summed up all of this...It had originally said "Do more of what makes you happy," but happy was scratched out and overwritten with "holy." Do more of what makes you holy. It is not about our happiness. No matter what, happiness will come and go, but joy, righteousness, and holiness should be ever present in our lives through the Holy Spirit.
I challenge you to live a life of holiness. If you can manage that, I think the happiness will undoubtedly follow.
Holiness>Happiness
I challenge you to live a life of holiness. If you can manage that, I think the happiness will undoubtedly follow.
Holiness>Happiness
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Lay 'em Down
♪Come down to the river; come and let yourself in. Make good on a promise to never hurt again. If you're lost and lonely, you're broken down, bring all of your troubles come lay 'em down. All you sinners and the weak at heart all you helpless on the boulevards, wherever you are now whatever evil you've found, bring all of your troubles and come lay 'em down♫ -Needtobreathe "Lay 'Em Down"
So this song has been stuck in my head literally ALL week! I'm thinking that this will be a short blog because I wanted to blog about this song, but I think it is so self-explanatory. Basically, "bring all of your troubles, come lay em down." Give your problems over to God, lay em down and let them go. There is a certain amount of relaxation that comes with this song; it tails on the idea that we can be guilt free, fearless, and live our lives abundantly (Jn. 10:10) if we are willing to sacrifice the things of this world that hold us back. Our sin is the root of all of these feelings and, although reveling in sin can be very fun, it is not worth the after-effects. The hope we find when we lay down the things that hold us back is exponentially greater than any fun we had previously found in the sin.
I honestly do not think that you could pick a better song to start every day off with. I challenge you to remember this song when you are stressed, when you are happy, when you are feeling any sort of doubt, remember that the feet of Jesus are readily available to receive any and all of your trouble, but you have to let go of them first.
I honestly do not think that you could pick a better song to start every day off with. I challenge you to remember this song when you are stressed, when you are happy, when you are feeling any sort of doubt, remember that the feet of Jesus are readily available to receive any and all of your trouble, but you have to let go of them first.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
You Never Marry The Right Person
"Why should neurotic, selfish, immature people suddenly become angels when they fall in love...?"
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/relationship/features/27749-you-never-marry-the-right-person
If the title of this blog caught you attention, then you are in the same boat as me. A while back a friend of mine posted a link with the same title that caught me eye, and I just had to read it. This whole article was addressing the fact that you will never marry the right person. First of all, no one is perfect, you are never going to love everything about anyone. "Mr./Mrs. Right" does not exist for you to marry. The article says people do not see marriage as it is. That being that it is "two flawed people coming together to create a space of stability, love, and consolation...simply put, today people are asking far too much in the marriage partner." Basically, it is not easy. Now, I have never been married, so I cannot describe how hard it is. However, every time I turn around, someone is getting a divorce. So just from inductive reasoning, I can assume it is difficult. In today's society, just about everything we have is disposable. Something breaks and it is just easier to get a new one than to put the effort into fixing it. I think this is where our relationships fail. Dating is one thing...no real long term commitment; however, if you are in and out of relationships often or if you are in one of the on-again-off-again relationships, aren't you just practicing for divorce? But the biggie is marriage...we have to face that people change and, as the article says, you have to work at it to love the stranger you find yourself married to.
I love the last point that this article makes because it makes a claim for why marriage is so hard. That claim being that it is because marriage is a reflection of the gospel. Basically that we are flawed, sinful, horrible people, but despite all that, Jesus Christ works with what we have to create a relationship full of love and commitment. It is a story of Christ who loved us despite it all and who will work at it to create a relationship with us. But how tough is that if it is only one sided? Imagine if a loving husband showers his wife with adoration, prayers, gifts, and quality time, but she fails to acknowledge his existence. It is a two way deal for the marriage to jive. There must be a constant outflow of love, understanding, and grace on both sides.
Lastly, I think it is so important to find where your relationships with people fit in with your relationship with Jesus. (Note: It is not the other way around.) We do not fit in Jesus into our earthly relationships, we fit them into you and Jesus. Our relationship does not give meaning to His, but rather His gives meaning to ours. He is not a vital part of our marriages, but the vital, life sustaining source and part of them.
So to answer the question in the beginning, "Why should neurotic, selfish, immature people suddenly become angels when they fall in love...?, the answer is that they shouldn't be expected to and they won't. We have been born flawed ever since the fall of man and I challenge you to reflect the gospel in all relationships you have with people, especially marriages.
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/relationship/features/27749-you-never-marry-the-right-person
If the title of this blog caught you attention, then you are in the same boat as me. A while back a friend of mine posted a link with the same title that caught me eye, and I just had to read it. This whole article was addressing the fact that you will never marry the right person. First of all, no one is perfect, you are never going to love everything about anyone. "Mr./Mrs. Right" does not exist for you to marry. The article says people do not see marriage as it is. That being that it is "two flawed people coming together to create a space of stability, love, and consolation...simply put, today people are asking far too much in the marriage partner." Basically, it is not easy. Now, I have never been married, so I cannot describe how hard it is. However, every time I turn around, someone is getting a divorce. So just from inductive reasoning, I can assume it is difficult. In today's society, just about everything we have is disposable. Something breaks and it is just easier to get a new one than to put the effort into fixing it. I think this is where our relationships fail. Dating is one thing...no real long term commitment; however, if you are in and out of relationships often or if you are in one of the on-again-off-again relationships, aren't you just practicing for divorce? But the biggie is marriage...we have to face that people change and, as the article says, you have to work at it to love the stranger you find yourself married to.
I love the last point that this article makes because it makes a claim for why marriage is so hard. That claim being that it is because marriage is a reflection of the gospel. Basically that we are flawed, sinful, horrible people, but despite all that, Jesus Christ works with what we have to create a relationship full of love and commitment. It is a story of Christ who loved us despite it all and who will work at it to create a relationship with us. But how tough is that if it is only one sided? Imagine if a loving husband showers his wife with adoration, prayers, gifts, and quality time, but she fails to acknowledge his existence. It is a two way deal for the marriage to jive. There must be a constant outflow of love, understanding, and grace on both sides.
Lastly, I think it is so important to find where your relationships with people fit in with your relationship with Jesus. (Note: It is not the other way around.) We do not fit in Jesus into our earthly relationships, we fit them into you and Jesus. Our relationship does not give meaning to His, but rather His gives meaning to ours. He is not a vital part of our marriages, but the vital, life sustaining source and part of them.
So to answer the question in the beginning, "Why should neurotic, selfish, immature people suddenly become angels when they fall in love...?, the answer is that they shouldn't be expected to and they won't. We have been born flawed ever since the fall of man and I challenge you to reflect the gospel in all relationships you have with people, especially marriages.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
10 People I Want to Be More Like
1. Jesus-Of course, the most important person and the person I need to strive the hardest to be like.
2. Shari Barton-The best mother and lover of a family. If girls really do turn into their mothers...I'm set :)
3. Amy King-Her wisdom and insight is far beyond that of any other woman her age.
4. Jason Hadden-One of the most caring people I know and he puts more thought into his actions than anyone else I know.
5. Betsy McCarty-By far THE happiest person I know. Nothing seems to bring Betsy down.
6. Debbie Pope-I want her compassion for people.
7. Missy Hadden-A woman full of spirit and livelihood who would never let a single day go to waste.
8. Mary Beth Avent-Her understanding and knowledge of scripture is amazing.
9. Mark Shivers-I wish I could have his ingenuity and love for all things theological and life-enriching.
10. Addie Ridgeway-I wish I could bake, sew, and love all people like Addie does.
*Making this list really made me realize the wonderful people I have gotten to know while working at Camp Longridge. Because of those two summers spent in the midst of God's glory, I met some of my biggest role models. 6 of the 10 people I would not know otherwise.
10. Addie Ridgeway-I wish I could bake, sew, and love all people like Addie does.
*Making this list really made me realize the wonderful people I have gotten to know while working at Camp Longridge. Because of those two summers spent in the midst of God's glory, I met some of my biggest role models. 6 of the 10 people I would not know otherwise.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Sabotage
"[Christianity] is a civil war, a rebellion, and we are living in a part of the universe occupied by the rebel. Enemy-occupied territory--that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage." -C.S. Lewis
So I am in the process of reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and saying it is great is an understatement! Above is an interesting quote from the book. I have heard many many many parallels comparing Christianity to other things, but never have I ever thought of Christianity as a spy mission. Basically Lewis is trying to make the point that this is not where we belong. Earth is not our final resting place, not our home, and not our territory. Heaven is. The world is occupied by so many worldly things (...I know who wouda thought?!?) that we are to triumph over for the glory of God.
This world is the devil's realm; however, in the midst of all the evil, God is undeniably present. He can be quiet yet he knows what is going on through the rebellion. There are no secret plans to overthrow Him that He does not know about, and He has his spies that are behind enemy lines working for Him...Christians. As Christians, we are supposed to sabotage any and all of the schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6:11-12 says, "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." We are to suit up and get ready for battle because when we step forward and expose ourselves as Christians, we are going to be persecuted in some way, shape, or form.
Fortunately, we know who wins this war. The rebel is subdued. Revelation 20:9-10 reads, "[Satan's armies]...surrounded the camp of God's people...but fire came down from heaven and devoured [Satan's armies]. And the devil, who deceived them, was throw into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." As Christians, we can rest assured that our scars will be worth the battle and that in the end, we will find that our God reigns.
I challenge you to suit up and go sabotage the devil.
So I am in the process of reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and saying it is great is an understatement! Above is an interesting quote from the book. I have heard many many many parallels comparing Christianity to other things, but never have I ever thought of Christianity as a spy mission. Basically Lewis is trying to make the point that this is not where we belong. Earth is not our final resting place, not our home, and not our territory. Heaven is. The world is occupied by so many worldly things (...I know who wouda thought?!?) that we are to triumph over for the glory of God.
This world is the devil's realm; however, in the midst of all the evil, God is undeniably present. He can be quiet yet he knows what is going on through the rebellion. There are no secret plans to overthrow Him that He does not know about, and He has his spies that are behind enemy lines working for Him...Christians. As Christians, we are supposed to sabotage any and all of the schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6:11-12 says, "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." We are to suit up and get ready for battle because when we step forward and expose ourselves as Christians, we are going to be persecuted in some way, shape, or form.
Fortunately, we know who wins this war. The rebel is subdued. Revelation 20:9-10 reads, "[Satan's armies]...surrounded the camp of God's people...but fire came down from heaven and devoured [Satan's armies]. And the devil, who deceived them, was throw into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." As Christians, we can rest assured that our scars will be worth the battle and that in the end, we will find that our God reigns.
I challenge you to suit up and go sabotage the devil.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Boring Christianity
"Radical discipleship is not adventure tourism." -Andrew Byers
I recently read an article on discipleship. The writer begins by telling a story that happened to him a few years ago. His story is that he was asked what he was doing for his summer break, he replied "working as electrician." He then returned the question to his friend and his friend said that he was going to Kenya to work in an orphanage. The whole article is an encouragement pointing out that just because you are not travelling the world does not mean that you are spiritually inferior to those who are. The one word that the writer uses over and over again is "radical." He says that radical discipleship is not always needed; however, radical service is. There is nothing wrong with staying at home and serving and there is nothing wrong with travelling the globe. ...Well...maybe there is...
I will go ahead and admit it, I love mission trips. They manage to put two of my absolute favorite things together into one...traveling and Jesus. I had made plans to work back at Camp Longridge this coming summer, but those fell through. I then planned to spend a little over a week in Cleveland with BCM's from all over South Carolina, but God has closed that door as well. Like many Christians I have talked to recently, I began to ask why God didn't want me to go. I was ready, I was willing, I was excited, much like a child ready to go to Disney World, and then I get a firm "no." Although it was somewhat disappointing, I just assumed God wanted me at home. I guess I could just serve in my church and just help out wherever I am needed, but that just sounded so...boring. It was then, that I ran across the article entitled "We Need Boring Christians." And the quote above struck me hard. I realized that the tourism was too much a part of why I was wanting to go places. Now don't get me wrong, I so badly wanted to go for the ministry as well! I figured that being a radical Christian was all about packing up everything you own and making an immediate decision to go somewhere else, but it is not. Being radical is not always an action, being radical is a state of mind. A friend of mine, in referring to missions, said "be intentional." It is as simple as that; no matter where you are or what you are doing, we must be intentional and radical in our discipleship and on the mission field.
If you have every read the book "Radical" by David Platt, you know the scenario I am talking about when I talk about dropping everything for a life worthy of a cause. Even though I loved the book and I would be willing to change something in a skinny minute if I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to do so, I just wasn't feeling that this summer. Why? Honestly, I don't know. What I do know is that God must have something spectacular planned for me in the near future. By spectacular I am not referring to a phenomenal or mind blowing job; it may be background work. Maybe He has a role that will be full of humility (which I know I need a touch of), that would be spectacular in my book. The writer says, "Following Jesus is not to be romanticized through impressive Facebook status updates or photos of exotic places on our blog. Discipleship is often ugly, messy, and painful. Faithful service will regularly lead us into dull labors and bewildering struggles that would make unexciting press." As lame as some people thinks that sounds, I look forward to doing these things for the rest of my life. I want to serve. It may or may not be in some desolate country, it may or may not extravagant, but I can promise you that it will be impactful nonetheless. Maybe being a "boring" Christian isn't so bad after all.
I challenge you to live the lifestyle we are all called to live as Christians. Whether it be extravagant, "boring," or a complete 180 from where you are now, make sure to serve wholeheartedly (Eph 6:7) and to be intentional.
I recently read an article on discipleship. The writer begins by telling a story that happened to him a few years ago. His story is that he was asked what he was doing for his summer break, he replied "working as electrician." He then returned the question to his friend and his friend said that he was going to Kenya to work in an orphanage. The whole article is an encouragement pointing out that just because you are not travelling the world does not mean that you are spiritually inferior to those who are. The one word that the writer uses over and over again is "radical." He says that radical discipleship is not always needed; however, radical service is. There is nothing wrong with staying at home and serving and there is nothing wrong with travelling the globe. ...Well...maybe there is...
I will go ahead and admit it, I love mission trips. They manage to put two of my absolute favorite things together into one...traveling and Jesus. I had made plans to work back at Camp Longridge this coming summer, but those fell through. I then planned to spend a little over a week in Cleveland with BCM's from all over South Carolina, but God has closed that door as well. Like many Christians I have talked to recently, I began to ask why God didn't want me to go. I was ready, I was willing, I was excited, much like a child ready to go to Disney World, and then I get a firm "no." Although it was somewhat disappointing, I just assumed God wanted me at home. I guess I could just serve in my church and just help out wherever I am needed, but that just sounded so...boring. It was then, that I ran across the article entitled "We Need Boring Christians." And the quote above struck me hard. I realized that the tourism was too much a part of why I was wanting to go places. Now don't get me wrong, I so badly wanted to go for the ministry as well! I figured that being a radical Christian was all about packing up everything you own and making an immediate decision to go somewhere else, but it is not. Being radical is not always an action, being radical is a state of mind. A friend of mine, in referring to missions, said "be intentional." It is as simple as that; no matter where you are or what you are doing, we must be intentional and radical in our discipleship and on the mission field.
If you have every read the book "Radical" by David Platt, you know the scenario I am talking about when I talk about dropping everything for a life worthy of a cause. Even though I loved the book and I would be willing to change something in a skinny minute if I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to do so, I just wasn't feeling that this summer. Why? Honestly, I don't know. What I do know is that God must have something spectacular planned for me in the near future. By spectacular I am not referring to a phenomenal or mind blowing job; it may be background work. Maybe He has a role that will be full of humility (which I know I need a touch of), that would be spectacular in my book. The writer says, "Following Jesus is not to be romanticized through impressive Facebook status updates or photos of exotic places on our blog. Discipleship is often ugly, messy, and painful. Faithful service will regularly lead us into dull labors and bewildering struggles that would make unexciting press." As lame as some people thinks that sounds, I look forward to doing these things for the rest of my life. I want to serve. It may or may not be in some desolate country, it may or may not extravagant, but I can promise you that it will be impactful nonetheless. Maybe being a "boring" Christian isn't so bad after all.
I challenge you to live the lifestyle we are all called to live as Christians. Whether it be extravagant, "boring," or a complete 180 from where you are now, make sure to serve wholeheartedly (Eph 6:7) and to be intentional.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The Shadow Proves the Sunshine
♪We are crooked souls trying to stay up straight, dry eyes in the pouring rain. Well, the shadow proves the sunshine. Two scared little runaways hold fast til the break of day light were the shadow proves the sunshine♫ -Switchfoot " The Shadow Proves the Sunshine"
I love this song. Plain and simple, it is a great song. I see two particular sides of this song. First of all, after deciding I was going to write a blog post on this song, I was informed by a Switchfoot connoisseur that this song was written by Jon Foreman after travelling to Africa. Having been to Africa myself, it struck a chord with me. In America, we are so blessed. Yes, we have to deal with $3.50 gas prices and crazy taxes, but those are the extent of a lot of American's worries. We have abundance, if you are reading this...you have abundance in simply the fact that you have a computer. We see our "shadows" and fail to realize that to others would consider our problems blessings in comparison to their problems. I read a quote one time that said "If we all threw our troubles in a pile, we'd see everyone else's, then grab ours back." We have trouble understanding that some of the biggest troubles in our lives are but minor in comparison to what other people are dealing with.
Secondly, this song addresses that without hardships in life, we would never have any comparison to know that the joyful and good parts of life are, in fact, joyful and good. Often we cannot see the fact that we live in the "sunshine" until we have seen the shadows. This is a message of hope in a world that can only seem to focus on desperation. Having bad times proves that there is in fact a bright side to the situation; going through trials and tribulations and then coming out of them a stronger and wiser person proves that there is in fact a purpose for our sufferings. It proves that we are not living a life with no hope in sight, but rather that we have a purpose and a goal. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Whether this was the main meaning meant to be conveyed by this song or not, this is what I get out of it...that we are striving for a goal and, although it will not always be easy, God will prevail in the end if we persevere.
I challenge you to be thankful for the things you have and to thank God specifically for the dark parts of your life because it is in the darkest of times that His glory shines brightest.
I love this song. Plain and simple, it is a great song. I see two particular sides of this song. First of all, after deciding I was going to write a blog post on this song, I was informed by a Switchfoot connoisseur that this song was written by Jon Foreman after travelling to Africa. Having been to Africa myself, it struck a chord with me. In America, we are so blessed. Yes, we have to deal with $3.50 gas prices and crazy taxes, but those are the extent of a lot of American's worries. We have abundance, if you are reading this...you have abundance in simply the fact that you have a computer. We see our "shadows" and fail to realize that to others would consider our problems blessings in comparison to their problems. I read a quote one time that said "If we all threw our troubles in a pile, we'd see everyone else's, then grab ours back." We have trouble understanding that some of the biggest troubles in our lives are but minor in comparison to what other people are dealing with.
Secondly, this song addresses that without hardships in life, we would never have any comparison to know that the joyful and good parts of life are, in fact, joyful and good. Often we cannot see the fact that we live in the "sunshine" until we have seen the shadows. This is a message of hope in a world that can only seem to focus on desperation. Having bad times proves that there is in fact a bright side to the situation; going through trials and tribulations and then coming out of them a stronger and wiser person proves that there is in fact a purpose for our sufferings. It proves that we are not living a life with no hope in sight, but rather that we have a purpose and a goal. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Whether this was the main meaning meant to be conveyed by this song or not, this is what I get out of it...that we are striving for a goal and, although it will not always be easy, God will prevail in the end if we persevere.
I challenge you to be thankful for the things you have and to thank God specifically for the dark parts of your life because it is in the darkest of times that His glory shines brightest.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
For the Sake of Time
"Work for a cause, not for applause. Live life to express, not to impress. Don’t strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt." -Unknown
I am not going to write some long drawn out beginning into this blog; I'm just gonna get straight to the point for the sake of time (you''ll understand in a second) We only get a short time here on Earth, 100 years max. So why do we spend a lot of our days doing absolutely nothing. I am as guilty as anyone. While in college, I do not do anything! I feel I sleep for 9 hours a day, I am in classes for about 4 hours a day, I spend 1 hour in the gym, and another 2 hours studying (that is an overestimate on most days). That leaves me with 24-9-4-1-2=8 hours...8 hours where I have no idea what I spend my time doing. It is often sitting down to eat a meal and watch The Price is Right with my roommate, mindlessly browsing the internet, showering, cleaning, driving, etc, but honestly I have more time than I know what to do with! Do why don't I use ever day to make an effective impact on the Kingdom of God and in other's lives? ...your guess is as good as mine.
Here's the thing that I have hit on this in a few other blogs and I will hopefully drive home by the end of this blog, as Christians, we should want to leave a legacy. We should deeply desire to leave God's fingerprint on everything that we do. I heard a great analogy one time that God is the stamp and we are the ink chosen to leave a permanent imprint on the world. When we do His work though, we need to make sure that it is for His glory. We need to leave a legacy, but it is not for our own gain. That is what the quote above is addressing. We should be desperately striving to see the kingdom of God flourish, but we are not working for applause. Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men." Ultimately, we are never working for men! We may serve them in our actions and aid them with our words, but all work is to be for the Lord in the long run.
That leads to the second part of the quote. We are not trying to impress anyone with our lives. There is a worship song by Phillips, Craig and Dean in which a few of the lyrics read, "I will glory in the power of the cross. The things I thought were gain, I count as loss." This should be our attitude at all times--That we are living for the sole purpose of ministry and that we need to express the love of God in every aspect of our lives. Lastly, "don't strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt." Jesus was not always noticed. Yeah, He preformed miracles and flipped some tables which surely drew some attention to himself, but there are other times where He spent time washing His disciples feet and spending time with small groups of people just talking to them. Surely His disciples knew who He was and were in awe when they were in His presence, but can you imagine the weight of knowing when He died that the world was going to change forever?? Naturally His presence was noticed, and I'm sure His absence was felt. I can imagine all of His followers' hopes were crushed when they found out that the Savior that they had trusted was being put to death (and then their hopes resurrected when He rose again). That is the sort of impact we should have on the world. When we are gone, our legacy should live on despite maybe only having humble attitudes and dealing with behind the scenes work. We have so little time to make this impact, so why do we waste it? Again...your guess is as good as mine.
I challenge you to waste less time, in everything you do, make His name great!
1 Corinthians 10:31-"So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Forever Loved
♪I will not take my love away when praises cease and seasons change. While the whole world turns the other way, I will not take my love away. I will not leave you all alone. When striving leads you far from home, and there's no yield for what you've sown, I will not leave you all alone. I will give you what you need in plenty or in poverty. Forever, always, look to me and I will give you what you need.♫ -Matt Wertz "I Will Not Take My Love Away"
While listening to Pandora in the library, I stumbled across this artist, Matt Wertz. I quickly paused Pandora and moved my way to youtube where I have been listening to his songs nonstop. They are so chill, simple, and I love them. This is quite possibly my favorite. When I say simple, I mean simple. The whole song is posted above. This song is a perfect representation of God's love for us as individuals. He will never take His love away despite the changes that come and when we move away from Him. As humans, I think we have trouble grasping this concept. We love because we are loved. Meaning that we love someone when they show their love to us and when they choose to move out of our lives and not to love us anymore, we often let them do just that. But God, wow, God would never do that to us. His love is never ending and even when we cease to praise Him, cease to love Him, and the world hates us, He keeps on loving us. What a wonderful picture drawn out by the cross and our loving God.
The other message in this song is that He will give us what we need. Matthew 6:26 reads, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" This verse is a constant reminder that God is the sole provider of our lives and everything in them. Like the song says "I will give you what you need in plenty or in poverty. Forever, always, look to Me and I will give you what you need." I have never heard God's sovereignty and grace summed up in a better way.
I challenge you to remember that God will provide and that He is there no matter what the circumstances.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
More Than Just Words
"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." Matthew 15:8-9
http://www.myspace.com/music/player?sid=74898293&ac=now
Above are the lyrics to a song by Carl Cartee. Who is Carl Cartee? Just a regular old singer/songwriter who no one has seem to ever heard of and who loves the Lord and uses his talents to prove just that. I heard him a few years ago at a summer camp where he led worship. Some of his songs changed my life. They gave me a new outlook on things in my life. One of those things being they way I interact with God, and one of those songs being the one posted above.
This song is about getting past the routine prayers and acts we do towards God, and to speak and live every part of our lives for His glory. It is an invitation to make every move and take every moment with Him in mind. If we could get this down, how different would our lives be! The downside for me personally is that I struggle with this everyday. I am selfish. I go to church, read my Bible every night, pray pretty often, and, although that is more than a lot of people do, it is no where near enough. The straight facts are that my life thrives because God is a part of it, and all too often I forget that He is the sole reason for my existence. I want my lips, my thoughts, my heart and everything in between to honor God. So the challenge for you (but mainly for myself) is to thank God for everything, everyday. I aspire to get past the useless traditions that much of Christianity still has today, to find God in the midst of it all, and to remember that every moment is another moment given to me to love and serve God. "All of my life in every season, You are still God! I have a reason to sing; I have a reason to worship!"
http://www.myspace.com/music/player?sid=74898293&ac=now
"So many prayers spoken out loud.
So many words and promises vowed.
I told You I loved You so many times,
but I want to show You that love with my life.
With more than just words that I speak from my mouth,
I want to give You my thoughts before they're even out.
Every ambition, every dream I dream.
More than just talk from dry lips, You're all that there is.
with all of my heart Father I want to give
more than the things I know You've already heard.
More than just words."
Above are the lyrics to a song by Carl Cartee. Who is Carl Cartee? Just a regular old singer/songwriter who no one has seem to ever heard of and who loves the Lord and uses his talents to prove just that. I heard him a few years ago at a summer camp where he led worship. Some of his songs changed my life. They gave me a new outlook on things in my life. One of those things being they way I interact with God, and one of those songs being the one posted above.
This song is about getting past the routine prayers and acts we do towards God, and to speak and live every part of our lives for His glory. It is an invitation to make every move and take every moment with Him in mind. If we could get this down, how different would our lives be! The downside for me personally is that I struggle with this everyday. I am selfish. I go to church, read my Bible every night, pray pretty often, and, although that is more than a lot of people do, it is no where near enough. The straight facts are that my life thrives because God is a part of it, and all too often I forget that He is the sole reason for my existence. I want my lips, my thoughts, my heart and everything in between to honor God. So the challenge for you (but mainly for myself) is to thank God for everything, everyday. I aspire to get past the useless traditions that much of Christianity still has today, to find God in the midst of it all, and to remember that every moment is another moment given to me to love and serve God. "All of my life in every season, You are still God! I have a reason to sing; I have a reason to worship!"
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Jason Hadden
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." -1 Corinthians 13:4-7
This is a rare blog. Unlike most others that you will read (from me at least), but this is just me wearing my heart on my sleeve and putting it out there.
A year and a halfish ago, I began dating a very special guy. Since October 16, 2010 (and even before then), Jason Hadden has been able to show me God's love in ways that no one else could. He has attained more respect from me than any other person my age, and he has deserved ever bit of it (and still deserves more than I can give). I aspire to have half of his humility, a pinch of his theological considerations, and as much love for people as he has. He has been a backbone and a great friend to me. God has provided me with more than I could have ever imagined having in a boyfriend. Shoutout and much thanks go out to him.
Now I spent a lot of time trying to figure out if I loved Jason Hadden. Most people just say "I love you" on a whim; they base it off of emotions in that moment. I did not want to be one of those people. To be honest, when I asked myself the question "do I love him?" I didn't know the answer. I hear stories about how people just know, but I am not one of those people. I had never been in love before; I had no idea what it was supposed to be like. Surely not like the movies, surely not like my parents love after 20ish years of marriage, I just had no idea. I needed a definition. Problem: Love seems to be different for everyone, if you look up the definition of love, you will never be able to simply define it. So how did I know if I loved him? I turned to 1 Corinthians 13. One night I sat in my bed, wondering if I loved him or not. I was not doubting my feelings, but I feel that love is so much more than feelings. Feelings come and go, passions fade, and when everything drifts off into the unknown, you should be left with love despite it all.
When I turned to 1 Corinthians that night, I went through every part of its definition of love and figured out if I acted/felt that way towards Jason.
#1-Love is patient-Anyone who has stood in a line with me, or who has had to wait with me anywhere will know that I am not a naturally patient person. I am stuck in the right-here-right-now society that we all live in. The difference is that, with Jason, he can take his time doing whatever. Patient? Check!
#2-Love is kind-Ill be the first (an possibly only) person to admit it. I can be a mean spirited person. I like nothing more than revenge. Spitefulness is one of my many shortcomings. However, never have I ever desired anything spiteful on him. Kind? Check!
#3-It does not envy-I am not a very envious person. I don't envy his past relationships and I don't envy the attention he gives other people. No envy? Check!
#4-It does not boast-In my opinion, if you have to tell the whole world that you are in love, is it really love? People should be able to look at you and tell. (This blog is an exception and is a first in an almost year-and-a-half-long relationship) :)
For the sake of space and time, I will go ahead and cover proud, rude, self-seeking, and easily angered all in one. I am proud to be Jason Hadden's girlfriend, but I am not haughty about it. I hope that when I talk about him to my friends that they don't see it as rubbing it in their faces that I have a boyfriend, or anything of the sort. I can be rude, but I never want to be rude with him. Self-seeking is a tough one. It is hard to put him (and all other people for that matter) before myself. I am selfish and I want everything out of the relationship that I can get. But that's not the right attitude. I have to constantly remind myself to care for, love, and serve others before myself. Angered...has Jason made me upset before? Yes. Angry? No. Anger is a hard feeling to get over and is deeply embedded within complicated situations. We have a simple love. No complications, no hard feelings, no anger.
Keeps no record of wrong...here's the toughest one for me with all people, not just him. I keep track of wrongs; forgive and forget does not work with me. I do not forget when I have been hurt. I have to remind myself everyday that "he didn't purposefully try to make me feel insert gloomy feeling/disgust when he insert action that happened months ago that I just cannot forget about." It is a constant battle, but its easier with Jason than with most people.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth-I can be straight up honest with Jason. I can tell him the truth about things and know he wont judge me, hold things against me, or get angry with me. I think that this is one that I appreciate the most.
In conclusion, I would do anything to protect him; I always have his back. I trust him and his judgement in all situations and with all decisions, even if they are not what I would do in those situations. With us, I always hope for the best in the future, and I will go to all lengths in attempt to make this good thing we have going last as long as possible.
This blog was long as mess! But this was the long and intense process that I went through to come to the conclusion that I love Jason Hadden. I wouldn't have it any other way :) Blessed Beyond Comparison
*insert syringe of insulin now* :P
This is a rare blog. Unlike most others that you will read (from me at least), but this is just me wearing my heart on my sleeve and putting it out there.
A year and a halfish ago, I began dating a very special guy. Since October 16, 2010 (and even before then), Jason Hadden has been able to show me God's love in ways that no one else could. He has attained more respect from me than any other person my age, and he has deserved ever bit of it (and still deserves more than I can give). I aspire to have half of his humility, a pinch of his theological considerations, and as much love for people as he has. He has been a backbone and a great friend to me. God has provided me with more than I could have ever imagined having in a boyfriend. Shoutout and much thanks go out to him.
Now I spent a lot of time trying to figure out if I loved Jason Hadden. Most people just say "I love you" on a whim; they base it off of emotions in that moment. I did not want to be one of those people. To be honest, when I asked myself the question "do I love him?" I didn't know the answer. I hear stories about how people just know, but I am not one of those people. I had never been in love before; I had no idea what it was supposed to be like. Surely not like the movies, surely not like my parents love after 20ish years of marriage, I just had no idea. I needed a definition. Problem: Love seems to be different for everyone, if you look up the definition of love, you will never be able to simply define it. So how did I know if I loved him? I turned to 1 Corinthians 13. One night I sat in my bed, wondering if I loved him or not. I was not doubting my feelings, but I feel that love is so much more than feelings. Feelings come and go, passions fade, and when everything drifts off into the unknown, you should be left with love despite it all.
When I turned to 1 Corinthians that night, I went through every part of its definition of love and figured out if I acted/felt that way towards Jason.
#1-Love is patient-Anyone who has stood in a line with me, or who has had to wait with me anywhere will know that I am not a naturally patient person. I am stuck in the right-here-right-now society that we all live in. The difference is that, with Jason, he can take his time doing whatever. Patient? Check!
#2-Love is kind-Ill be the first (an possibly only) person to admit it. I can be a mean spirited person. I like nothing more than revenge. Spitefulness is one of my many shortcomings. However, never have I ever desired anything spiteful on him. Kind? Check!
#3-It does not envy-I am not a very envious person. I don't envy his past relationships and I don't envy the attention he gives other people. No envy? Check!
#4-It does not boast-In my opinion, if you have to tell the whole world that you are in love, is it really love? People should be able to look at you and tell. (This blog is an exception and is a first in an almost year-and-a-half-long relationship) :)
For the sake of space and time, I will go ahead and cover proud, rude, self-seeking, and easily angered all in one. I am proud to be Jason Hadden's girlfriend, but I am not haughty about it. I hope that when I talk about him to my friends that they don't see it as rubbing it in their faces that I have a boyfriend, or anything of the sort. I can be rude, but I never want to be rude with him. Self-seeking is a tough one. It is hard to put him (and all other people for that matter) before myself. I am selfish and I want everything out of the relationship that I can get. But that's not the right attitude. I have to constantly remind myself to care for, love, and serve others before myself. Angered...has Jason made me upset before? Yes. Angry? No. Anger is a hard feeling to get over and is deeply embedded within complicated situations. We have a simple love. No complications, no hard feelings, no anger.
Keeps no record of wrong...here's the toughest one for me with all people, not just him. I keep track of wrongs; forgive and forget does not work with me. I do not forget when I have been hurt. I have to remind myself everyday that "he didn't purposefully try to make me feel insert gloomy feeling/disgust when he insert action that happened months ago that I just cannot forget about." It is a constant battle, but its easier with Jason than with most people.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth-I can be straight up honest with Jason. I can tell him the truth about things and know he wont judge me, hold things against me, or get angry with me. I think that this is one that I appreciate the most.
In conclusion, I would do anything to protect him; I always have his back. I trust him and his judgement in all situations and with all decisions, even if they are not what I would do in those situations. With us, I always hope for the best in the future, and I will go to all lengths in attempt to make this good thing we have going last as long as possible.
This blog was long as mess! But this was the long and intense process that I went through to come to the conclusion that I love Jason Hadden. I wouldn't have it any other way :) Blessed Beyond Comparison
*insert syringe of insulin now* :P
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Redeem
"God, to redeem us at the deepest portion of our nature-the urge to love and be loved-must reveal His nature in an incredible and impossible way. He must reveal it at the cross." -E. Stanley Jones
This past weekend, I attended a conference along with about 450 other BCM students from across the state of South Carolina. On Sunday morning, the main speaker was talking about how he did not expect us to retain everything we heard this weekend, but he hoped that something took out to us and that we left changed in some aspect of our lives. For me, that changed can be summed up in one word...Redeemed. I have heard the word over and over again and I even know what it means and can give a good definition for it; however, one of the speakers made redemption a very visual image for me this past weekend and I know that I will never look at it the same way again.
I have always just looked at redemption as a sort of payment. It's how Jesus died so that I could be redeemed from my sin and be free. His image suggested something a little different. It was compared to an arcade. When you go to an arcade, you win tickets and you redeem them for a prize. Now if you were to watch any young child redeeming their tickets, they stare at the glass for what seems like hours, contemplating what to get. They want to make sure they get just the right item, the perfect trinket and something that they really love. God has done the same for us. He has turned in His son as the payment, and has picked us out specifically to be His prized possession. This is a story of being sought after, a image of being loved, a story of worth and value, and the sign of a proud Father who has gained a great possession. This is the story that all men need to hear. That they are loved, they are worth something, and that there is someone desperately trying to get them from behind the glass and take them home. Thankfully, God has enough tickets and has already turned over His payment for His prize. Matthew 20:28 says, "Just as the son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." The price is paid and we are free to go home with our Father who loves us dearly and who considers us worth the price of giving His only son. Amazing!
I challenge you to find your worth in God and constantly remind others that they have value and love in Jesus Christ.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Written in Red
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church. If they still refuse to listen to the church, then consider them Gentiles or tax-collectors" -Matthew 18:15-17
How do you firmly handle the one's you love in Christian kindness when they don't want to hear you out? Personally, I have only confronted one person in a matter of their sin, and that was an easy turn around that was taken no further than me and that person and that I still yet to speak of to any one else. Maybe this is because I am afraid of repercussions, or maybe just because all my friends are perfect people, but the more likely reasons is because I only confront people that I care deeply for.
I cannot imagine my own sins being pointed out to me. Embarrassment, shame, guilt. First thing I would do is flip to Matthew 7:3 that says, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in a friends eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye." Or flip a few verses prior and spout off, Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge lest you too be judged." The defenses would go up faster than a blink of an eye. I would be doing anything in my power to justify my means. Problem: Before you interpret those verses in Matthew 7, or others like it, you must use them in context. Before Matthew 7 is the Sermon on the Mount. To sum it up, the Sermon on the Mount addresses motives and sin. As sinners we tend to minimize or rationalize our transgressions and magnify the the wrong we see in others lives. We cannot judge someones internal righteousness, but we can address sins in a loving manner with Christlike motives at hand.
Now let's skip a few chapters and hop on over to Matthew 18. The verse at the beginning of this post is the subject matter. Addressing out faults in others. Can you do it without judging? ...Yes. If you love someone with Christ's love, then you can address their sins without judgement. What is Christ's love? Dying for them...would you be willing to do it? To them, it may feel like you are ganging up on them, but with the right intentions this is far from the truth. If you follow the guidelines of Matthew 18:15 and go to them one on one to begin with, there's no ganging up. If you end up having to pull another person into it, it is simply to prevent the "he-said/she-said" complex. Finally, last resort, get the church involved. Maybe not the actual "church," but a group of Christians who love and care for that person and want to see them grow in Christ. Again, let's take Matthew 18 passage in context. Given the context, calling someone out on his or her sin displays a willingness to care for a flock member from perishing (Parable of the lost sheep found just previous to this passage). This passage does not say a specific sin that has to be at issue, but it does question the motives of the Christians calling another brother or sister out. They are to care about the well being of the members of God's family who have gone astray, but are deeply important to the Father.
Now what if someone goes through all this trouble only to find that a brother still will not repent from their sins? Jesus tells us that they are to be treated as a Gentile or a tax collector...so hate them? ...of course not. That means love them more than ever, because they are lost.
Now for a couple challenges...
Challenge #1-If you've gone astray and a fellow Christian is pointing out your sins, don't assume they are out to get you.
Challenge #2-If you claim to be a Christian, prove it. Prove it with your speech, your actions, your intentions, your honesty, and your humility.
Challenge #3-If you claim to be a Christian and you blatantly refuse to turn from sin and you have no convictions over things that are written in the Bible, take a second to look at yourself and decide which side of the fence you are on.
Challenge #4-If you do fall into that last category, disregard everything I have written, it does not apply to you. As my pastor says often, "don't expect a lost person to act like a Christian, they're lost."
Challenge #5- If you are going to be calling a fellow Christian out, check your intentions before any word is uttered. If your motives are Christlike, continue.
*"If it isn't in black and white in the Bible, that's probably because it is in red."
How do you firmly handle the one's you love in Christian kindness when they don't want to hear you out? Personally, I have only confronted one person in a matter of their sin, and that was an easy turn around that was taken no further than me and that person and that I still yet to speak of to any one else. Maybe this is because I am afraid of repercussions, or maybe just because all my friends are perfect people, but the more likely reasons is because I only confront people that I care deeply for.
I cannot imagine my own sins being pointed out to me. Embarrassment, shame, guilt. First thing I would do is flip to Matthew 7:3 that says, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in a friends eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye." Or flip a few verses prior and spout off, Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge lest you too be judged." The defenses would go up faster than a blink of an eye. I would be doing anything in my power to justify my means. Problem: Before you interpret those verses in Matthew 7, or others like it, you must use them in context. Before Matthew 7 is the Sermon on the Mount. To sum it up, the Sermon on the Mount addresses motives and sin. As sinners we tend to minimize or rationalize our transgressions and magnify the the wrong we see in others lives. We cannot judge someones internal righteousness, but we can address sins in a loving manner with Christlike motives at hand.
Now let's skip a few chapters and hop on over to Matthew 18. The verse at the beginning of this post is the subject matter. Addressing out faults in others. Can you do it without judging? ...Yes. If you love someone with Christ's love, then you can address their sins without judgement. What is Christ's love? Dying for them...would you be willing to do it? To them, it may feel like you are ganging up on them, but with the right intentions this is far from the truth. If you follow the guidelines of Matthew 18:15 and go to them one on one to begin with, there's no ganging up. If you end up having to pull another person into it, it is simply to prevent the "he-said/she-said" complex. Finally, last resort, get the church involved. Maybe not the actual "church," but a group of Christians who love and care for that person and want to see them grow in Christ. Again, let's take Matthew 18 passage in context. Given the context, calling someone out on his or her sin displays a willingness to care for a flock member from perishing (Parable of the lost sheep found just previous to this passage). This passage does not say a specific sin that has to be at issue, but it does question the motives of the Christians calling another brother or sister out. They are to care about the well being of the members of God's family who have gone astray, but are deeply important to the Father.
Now what if someone goes through all this trouble only to find that a brother still will not repent from their sins? Jesus tells us that they are to be treated as a Gentile or a tax collector...so hate them? ...of course not. That means love them more than ever, because they are lost.
Now for a couple challenges...
Challenge #1-If you've gone astray and a fellow Christian is pointing out your sins, don't assume they are out to get you.
Challenge #2-If you claim to be a Christian, prove it. Prove it with your speech, your actions, your intentions, your honesty, and your humility.
Challenge #3-If you claim to be a Christian and you blatantly refuse to turn from sin and you have no convictions over things that are written in the Bible, take a second to look at yourself and decide which side of the fence you are on.
Challenge #4-If you do fall into that last category, disregard everything I have written, it does not apply to you. As my pastor says often, "don't expect a lost person to act like a Christian, they're lost."
Challenge #5- If you are going to be calling a fellow Christian out, check your intentions before any word is uttered. If your motives are Christlike, continue.
*"If it isn't in black and white in the Bible, that's probably because it is in red."
Saturday, January 21, 2012
10 Confessions
1. I can easily down a gallon of diet coke, water, or orange juice.
2. "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls is my favorite song to listen to while I work out.
3. I don't really have a favorite color anymore.
4. When I cry, it's usually over something dumb.
5. If I wasn't a gamecock fan, I would probably be either an Alabama, Tennessee, or Clemson fan.
6. I have a strong urge to delete my facebook.
7. My feet are always cold.
8. I think pictures of the Grim Reaper are just about the creepiest thing ever.
9. No matter how hard I try, I will never understand calculus
10. I think floor length skirts are the worst clothing item.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Plan Accordingly
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." -Hebrews 11:1
Is it wrong to hope my plans are God's plans? Is it wrong to take a step down a path without knowing if it's exactly where I am supposed to be? These are the questions I have been asking myself recently. Am I going the right way? If I do not get a "no" from God, I take that as a "carry on." But all too often, I get a "no," and I am forced to change directions.
I have to be honest, I really hate making long term plans. I like making short term plans...like what I'm doing for the next couple weekends, or when I am going to sit down and write a paper; however, when it comes to trying to plan my life out, I would rather crawl under a rock. My reasons...because God almost always changes my plans. I get my hopes up for something, I really really really start looking forward to something, and Jesus ruins it. Now don't get me wrong, He replaces them with something bigger and better in the long run, but is it bad that I think its better just to not make them at all? Or should I still make plans, but allow God to mold my plans (...aka throw them in the trash and start from scratch)? I have yet to find the answer to any of these questions, but here's what I do know...I can hope my plans are God's plans, but if He decides to trash mine, it is alright because I know He knows what He is doing.
Challenge (to you and myself)...trust God, He knows what He's doing.
*"For my ways are not your ways, nor are my thoughts your thoughts. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts" -Isaiah 55:8-9
Is it wrong to hope my plans are God's plans? Is it wrong to take a step down a path without knowing if it's exactly where I am supposed to be? These are the questions I have been asking myself recently. Am I going the right way? If I do not get a "no" from God, I take that as a "carry on." But all too often, I get a "no," and I am forced to change directions.
I have to be honest, I really hate making long term plans. I like making short term plans...like what I'm doing for the next couple weekends, or when I am going to sit down and write a paper; however, when it comes to trying to plan my life out, I would rather crawl under a rock. My reasons...because God almost always changes my plans. I get my hopes up for something, I really really really start looking forward to something, and Jesus ruins it. Now don't get me wrong, He replaces them with something bigger and better in the long run, but is it bad that I think its better just to not make them at all? Or should I still make plans, but allow God to mold my plans (...aka throw them in the trash and start from scratch)? I have yet to find the answer to any of these questions, but here's what I do know...I can hope my plans are God's plans, but if He decides to trash mine, it is alright because I know He knows what He is doing.
Challenge (to you and myself)...trust God, He knows what He's doing.
*"For my ways are not your ways, nor are my thoughts your thoughts. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts" -Isaiah 55:8-9
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
More Than One Shot
"Wide-eyed, baptized, and still wanting to sin, but thank God we get more than just one shot." -Luke Bryan "We Rode in Trucks"
I am a failure. In fact, I'm probably the biggest one out there. I have to try and try before I get things right, I often wish I could take back words I have said, and I am forever longing to be better at almost everything. The more and more I pay attention to the world around me and the view of Christians in our society today, the more I understand why people are so turned off by Christianity. I myself have been called a hypocrite before, and here is the thing that a lot of people don't get about Christians...we are not perfect. We are still human, we still make mistakes, we still hurt people through our words and actions, and we are still failures by the world's standards.
Here's the hope for all of humanity though...we get more than one shot. It is not a walk-on-a-tightrope life, where if you have one slip, you're done for. It's not even a three-strike-and-you're-out sorta deal. It is forgiveness beyond all measure and unending grace overflowing from a loving God. Romans 3:23-24 reads, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came through Jesus Christ." We are not perfect, and we never will be, but for those of us who are real Christians (not those who call themselves Christians as a default religion), God's forgiveness covers anything and everything we could ever do. We just have to ask for forgiveness and accept it.
In addition, for those who are not yet Christians, you get more the just one shot as well. What you are accepting is a little different though. You are getting the opportunity to accept the loving, gracious, miraculous God into your life and in doing so, you give your life back to Him. Being a Christian is not easy, if anything it's harder than before, but the abundance of love that God offers you covers any sort of temptations that you may fall to or stumbling blocks that may arise. "Love covers a multitude of sins." -Peter 4:8b
Challenge: Accept your imperfection, and thank God for a multitude of chances.
I am a failure. In fact, I'm probably the biggest one out there. I have to try and try before I get things right, I often wish I could take back words I have said, and I am forever longing to be better at almost everything. The more and more I pay attention to the world around me and the view of Christians in our society today, the more I understand why people are so turned off by Christianity. I myself have been called a hypocrite before, and here is the thing that a lot of people don't get about Christians...we are not perfect. We are still human, we still make mistakes, we still hurt people through our words and actions, and we are still failures by the world's standards.
Here's the hope for all of humanity though...we get more than one shot. It is not a walk-on-a-tightrope life, where if you have one slip, you're done for. It's not even a three-strike-and-you're-out sorta deal. It is forgiveness beyond all measure and unending grace overflowing from a loving God. Romans 3:23-24 reads, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came through Jesus Christ." We are not perfect, and we never will be, but for those of us who are real Christians (not those who call themselves Christians as a default religion), God's forgiveness covers anything and everything we could ever do. We just have to ask for forgiveness and accept it.
In addition, for those who are not yet Christians, you get more the just one shot as well. What you are accepting is a little different though. You are getting the opportunity to accept the loving, gracious, miraculous God into your life and in doing so, you give your life back to Him. Being a Christian is not easy, if anything it's harder than before, but the abundance of love that God offers you covers any sort of temptations that you may fall to or stumbling blocks that may arise. "Love covers a multitude of sins." -Peter 4:8b
Challenge: Accept your imperfection, and thank God for a multitude of chances.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Trouble
"Jesus promised his disciples three
things---that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in
constant trouble." -DC Talk "Jesus Freaks II" (The book, not the song)
I started reading the book "Jesus Freaks" as a part of a Bible study my freshman year of college. Little did I know that this Bible study would be far from a mainstream study. The whole book is filled with stories of martyrdom and selfless acts done by people who love God.
The quote above stood out to me more than any other quote in the book. It is a simple message of what Jesus's disciples stood for and what modern disciples should strive to stand for. They were a symbol of strength and bravery. Being a disciple is far from easy. As disciples we put ourselves in the midst of persecution in the hope of reaching one lost soul. Now you may be asking, "If it's scary, how can disciples be fearless?" This question has a simple answer...they were loved. 1 John 4:28a reads, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment." God's love is what gets us through even the toughest of situations and allows our fear to be cast far from our bodies. We may have an earthly punishment, but the ultimate achievement is a reward, not a punishment.
The second part of this quote addresses the attitude of a disciple. Although disciples should be persistent and determined, they should also be happy. Matthew 5:10 says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Umm...hello! If that doesn't make you happy, I do not know what will! If you think persecution for God's sake is not worth it...think again! Our reward is eternal, so why not be happy about being a disciple of Jesus! James 1:2-3 reads, "Consider it pure joy my brothers when you face trials of many kinds for you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." Enjoy your struggles because they are temporary. Rejoice because He is eternal!
The final part of this quote again has to do with persecution. If you are suffering for your faith, good. Christianity is no longer mainstream. It is no longer accepted all over the U.S. "Jesus Freaks" can be a very appropriate title, hinting at the oddness of one expressing such a desire for their faith and for others to know the same joy. This upsets a lot of people and causes trouble. Now yes, we are called to be peacemakers, but being in trouble with people comes with the Christian territory. Now we are not going around stirring up trouble just for the heck of it, but we are following in the steps of Jesus. Jesus says in John 15:18 that "if the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first." There it is from the Lord Himself. We, as disciples, will be in trouble and be hated because He was hated and got into trouble with the people of His day. He told people that they were not perfect, He showed them the truth, and He uncovered the God-sized hole in their hearts.
Challenge: Be a real disciple. Be fearless, happy, and welcome trouble that comes with persecution .
I started reading the book "Jesus Freaks" as a part of a Bible study my freshman year of college. Little did I know that this Bible study would be far from a mainstream study. The whole book is filled with stories of martyrdom and selfless acts done by people who love God.
The quote above stood out to me more than any other quote in the book. It is a simple message of what Jesus's disciples stood for and what modern disciples should strive to stand for. They were a symbol of strength and bravery. Being a disciple is far from easy. As disciples we put ourselves in the midst of persecution in the hope of reaching one lost soul. Now you may be asking, "If it's scary, how can disciples be fearless?" This question has a simple answer...they were loved. 1 John 4:28a reads, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment." God's love is what gets us through even the toughest of situations and allows our fear to be cast far from our bodies. We may have an earthly punishment, but the ultimate achievement is a reward, not a punishment.
The second part of this quote addresses the attitude of a disciple. Although disciples should be persistent and determined, they should also be happy. Matthew 5:10 says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Umm...hello! If that doesn't make you happy, I do not know what will! If you think persecution for God's sake is not worth it...think again! Our reward is eternal, so why not be happy about being a disciple of Jesus! James 1:2-3 reads, "Consider it pure joy my brothers when you face trials of many kinds for you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." Enjoy your struggles because they are temporary. Rejoice because He is eternal!
The final part of this quote again has to do with persecution. If you are suffering for your faith, good. Christianity is no longer mainstream. It is no longer accepted all over the U.S. "Jesus Freaks" can be a very appropriate title, hinting at the oddness of one expressing such a desire for their faith and for others to know the same joy. This upsets a lot of people and causes trouble. Now yes, we are called to be peacemakers, but being in trouble with people comes with the Christian territory. Now we are not going around stirring up trouble just for the heck of it, but we are following in the steps of Jesus. Jesus says in John 15:18 that "if the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first." There it is from the Lord Himself. We, as disciples, will be in trouble and be hated because He was hated and got into trouble with the people of His day. He told people that they were not perfect, He showed them the truth, and He uncovered the God-sized hole in their hearts.
Challenge: Be a real disciple. Be fearless, happy, and welcome trouble that comes with persecution .
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