Song of Songs 2:2: “Like a lily among brambles, so is my love among young women.”
This verse has been in my head for the past few weeks, and God has used it to open my eyes, to convict me, to encourage me, to hold me accountable, and to comfort me. Even just the image of a lily dwelling among brambles takes you by surprise- to see such delicate beauty residing in a harsh, dark, stifling environment. God has used this verse to encourage me in so many ways over the past few weeks. As a college student, I am constantly confronted with the reality of broken relationships and misplaced priorities. Many of the girls that I interact with on a regular basis form their entire identity and measurement of self-worth around guys’ opinions of them. The lengths they go to in order to gain a guys attention, even for just a second, is astounding! It affects the clothes they wear, the places they go, the conversations they have…but as a woman of God, I have been freed from that. How gracious our God is! My identity rests firmly in the love, glory, and holiness of my Savior. I do not need to seek the approval of man.
As women of God, we are called to be set apart- a lily among brambles. Girls who find their identity in the approval of the guys around them are so draining! Have you ever spent a lot of time with a girl like that? It is so discouraging. As women, we so often fail to encourage one another and lift each other up on a regular basis. We are often too insecure for that. Instead, we search for compliments and attention in order to feel loved.
But as women of God, we don’t need to do that! We can encourage one another genuinely, regularly, and from the heart. We don’t need to compete for attention or affection; our God loves each of us the same. He loves us just the way we are, the way He created us to be.
The culture around us encourages us to behave as brambles- to stifle each others’ beauty and produce a cold, harsh environment that will only prick and injure. But our God has called us to be lilies- delicate, resilient, pure, and beautiful. Lilies stand in stark contrast among a field of brambles and thorns.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Hope.
Hope.
It’s a word we hear often, but do we really know what it means? I mean, really know what it means, what it looks like? This is something I feel like I’ve struggled with for a while. Every time I feel like I have it figured out, God throws me a curve ball. Over the past few months, I’ve been struggling with figuring out what it looks like to hope and to wait expectantly, but not tell God what He is going to do for me. I know that God can do anything, but He also has the freedom to tell me “No.” My job is to acknowledge His sovereignty in all of it.
Recently, God has really been challenging me with the idea of waiting expectantly for things that are not promised. It is clear throughout Scripture that we can count on the things that God has promised. However, I’ve been struggling with how much assurance I can have when praying for something that has not been promised in Scripture. Like, when I’m praying for Ryan. God hasn’t promised me that Ryan will be saved. Scripture is abundantly clear that some people will indeed be condemned to hell for eternity. For all I know, Ryan could be one of those people. That absolutely breaks my heart! I can’t even express in words how badly I yearn for him to come to know the Lord. And I pray for it constantly. But, at the end of the day, how much assurance do I have that God will really save him? I have no promise to fall back on here. Sure, there’s Scripture that tells us that God longs for all to be saved, that He works for the good of those who love him and are called according to His purpose, that He is able to save anyone. But there is no guarantee that He will indeed intercede for Ryan. The fact remains that some people will not be saved.
But I am still trying to remain hopeful. I want to wait expectantly, to be still and watch the mighty things that God is going to do. But hope is a scary thing. I am so afraid to get my hopes up for Ryan’s salvation if that is not God’s plan. Ultimately, God will be glorified, and that is the most important thing. But it breaks my heart to think that Ryan might not love the Lord. I will continue to hope and pray that God will open Ryan’s eyes to the truth of the Gospel, and continue to learn more about what hope looks like for me right now.
It’s a word we hear often, but do we really know what it means? I mean, really know what it means, what it looks like? This is something I feel like I’ve struggled with for a while. Every time I feel like I have it figured out, God throws me a curve ball. Over the past few months, I’ve been struggling with figuring out what it looks like to hope and to wait expectantly, but not tell God what He is going to do for me. I know that God can do anything, but He also has the freedom to tell me “No.” My job is to acknowledge His sovereignty in all of it.
Recently, God has really been challenging me with the idea of waiting expectantly for things that are not promised. It is clear throughout Scripture that we can count on the things that God has promised. However, I’ve been struggling with how much assurance I can have when praying for something that has not been promised in Scripture. Like, when I’m praying for Ryan. God hasn’t promised me that Ryan will be saved. Scripture is abundantly clear that some people will indeed be condemned to hell for eternity. For all I know, Ryan could be one of those people. That absolutely breaks my heart! I can’t even express in words how badly I yearn for him to come to know the Lord. And I pray for it constantly. But, at the end of the day, how much assurance do I have that God will really save him? I have no promise to fall back on here. Sure, there’s Scripture that tells us that God longs for all to be saved, that He works for the good of those who love him and are called according to His purpose, that He is able to save anyone. But there is no guarantee that He will indeed intercede for Ryan. The fact remains that some people will not be saved.
But I am still trying to remain hopeful. I want to wait expectantly, to be still and watch the mighty things that God is going to do. But hope is a scary thing. I am so afraid to get my hopes up for Ryan’s salvation if that is not God’s plan. Ultimately, God will be glorified, and that is the most important thing. But it breaks my heart to think that Ryan might not love the Lord. I will continue to hope and pray that God will open Ryan’s eyes to the truth of the Gospel, and continue to learn more about what hope looks like for me right now.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Oh, how He loves us....
So there’s this new phenomena. I’m not sure if it happens universally, or just at CNU, but the first few weeks of each semester, it seems like everyone is starting new relationships. It’s quite delightful A few of my friends have recently started new relationships, and it is so much fun to watch them as they interact with their new “love interest.” Their entire demeanor changes! They are so excited to just be around each other. They grin incessantly, giggle a lot more, and they just can’t hide their joy. But it got me thinking….
Do I react this way to God’s love?
He loves me so much more than any boy ever could! Yet so often, it is so easy for women to idolize men. We long for relationships, yet we refuse to run to the Savior who created relationships. I admit that I have definitely struggled with idolizing relationships. By God’s grace, He has pulled me through that and in to a deeper relationship with Him. But He’s started to show me a new, exciting part of my relationship with Him. He sacrificed everything in order to establish a relationship with mankind. He delights to be with us. That should lead me to such uncontainable joy, similar to my friends who recently started relationships. As I watch all these new couples pop up, it really convicts me of the way I respond to Christ’s love.
Just think about it for a second:
When people are starting relationships, they go out of their way to make sure that they can see their bf/gf.
Do I go out of my way to spend time with God?
New couples talk to each other for hours, or consistently through out the day.
Do I talk to God that much? Does it bother me if I haven’t talked to Him in a while?
Nothing seems to bother people who just started relationships, because they are so excited about their new relationship that nothing trivial really phases them.
Am I that rooted and secure in God? Do I really keep things in perspective?
A lot of my single friends hate this phase of the semester because they say it always makes them want a boy who will flatter them and pursue them. While I sympathize, I think very frequently (more frequently than I want to admit) I fail to remember that a boy has already sacrificed everything for me. He pursued me more than any other man ever can. He left heaven and a seat at the right hand of the Father in order to ensure that we would be able to spend eternity together. He sacrificed His life so that I would not be a slave to sin. He washed me clean and clothed me in righteousness, despite my failure to remain faithful. He will never leave me or forsake me; He knows my innermost thoughts; He knows every hair on my head. When I look to the cross, it really helps put things in perspective.
Do I react this way to God’s love?
He loves me so much more than any boy ever could! Yet so often, it is so easy for women to idolize men. We long for relationships, yet we refuse to run to the Savior who created relationships. I admit that I have definitely struggled with idolizing relationships. By God’s grace, He has pulled me through that and in to a deeper relationship with Him. But He’s started to show me a new, exciting part of my relationship with Him. He sacrificed everything in order to establish a relationship with mankind. He delights to be with us. That should lead me to such uncontainable joy, similar to my friends who recently started relationships. As I watch all these new couples pop up, it really convicts me of the way I respond to Christ’s love.
Just think about it for a second:
When people are starting relationships, they go out of their way to make sure that they can see their bf/gf.
Do I go out of my way to spend time with God?
New couples talk to each other for hours, or consistently through out the day.
Do I talk to God that much? Does it bother me if I haven’t talked to Him in a while?
Nothing seems to bother people who just started relationships, because they are so excited about their new relationship that nothing trivial really phases them.
Am I that rooted and secure in God? Do I really keep things in perspective?
A lot of my single friends hate this phase of the semester because they say it always makes them want a boy who will flatter them and pursue them. While I sympathize, I think very frequently (more frequently than I want to admit) I fail to remember that a boy has already sacrificed everything for me. He pursued me more than any other man ever can. He left heaven and a seat at the right hand of the Father in order to ensure that we would be able to spend eternity together. He sacrificed His life so that I would not be a slave to sin. He washed me clean and clothed me in righteousness, despite my failure to remain faithful. He will never leave me or forsake me; He knows my innermost thoughts; He knows every hair on my head. When I look to the cross, it really helps put things in perspective.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Over the past few weeks, my eyes have really been opened to the body of Christ. G has graciously been showing me the power in the unity of believers, and I’ve really started to view believers as part of a family for the first time in my life. Y’all- it has been SO cool! He really opened my eyes to it for the first time at work. I felt so alone and isolated from the body of Christ while I was working because I’m the only Christian there. But God has been so merciful in the short amount of time that I’ve been working at Aroma’s! Not a week has gone by that I have not had a religious conversation at work and been able to minister to my co-workers in some way. He has just blown me away with His generosity. I love that He is blessing me with the opportunity to participate in His plan for these people’s lives! But it can still be discouraging to be the only one consciously representing Christ. I think God knows that I am very easily discouraged, and He’s totally got my back. I have been able to meet so many Christians at work who are just people who are coming in to grab a quick cup of coffee. A few weeks ago, I was having a conversation with my manager about King David (I LOVE David!), and a customer walked up. Turns out, he was a chaplain for the military and ended up having a 15 minute conversation with my manager about religion!! There have also been two Christian retreats at the Marriot across the street from Aroma’s over the past few weeks, and a lot of the people will come in for lunch. My conversations with them have definitely been encouraging. On top of that, we’ve had a lot of discipleship meetings and Bible studies at Aroma’s recently. On Monday we had 4 different Bible studies meeting in the morning. 4! It was so encouraging to me! Each time I meet a Christian at work, I just can’t help but think, “We get to spend eternity together, worshipping the one true God.” How cool is that?! Doesn’t that just blow you away? I forget that so many times when I’m at church or interacting with other Christians. You guys- we get to be friends for eternity. Not only that, but in Christ, we are family! And we get so worship Christ together forever. You’ve got to admit- that’s pretty cool.
In addition to that, not only do we get to worship together for eternity, but we get to further the kingdom together right now! A lot of the Christians coming in to Aroma’s have no idea that I am trying to minister to my co-workers. They are just there to have a cup of coffee, or in some cases have a Bible study. But they get to help me minister to my co-workers! My co-workers have heard the conversations I have with these people, and it often leads to a discussion later. God is so cool in the way He works!
I’ve also seen this outside of Aroma’s. I have been trying really hard to become more intentional about praying for other people, especially for their ministries and missions. A lot of times I feel really bummed because I can’t go on a particular mission trip, and I feel like I am not contributing at all. But, that’s the great thing about prayer- its portable. ☺ I have been praying for brothers and sisters I know that have been blessed with the opportunities to go on mission trips this summer, and you guys- it has been such a blessing! We so often underestimate the power of prayers. That is such a tragedy! God has blessed us with so many ways to participate in His plan, yet we take that for granted! Do we even realize what a blessing it is to be able to be able to participate in God leading someone to salvation?! That’s HUGE! Obviously it’s not us, but Christ working through us- but you guys- we get to have Christ work through us! That’s freakin cool.
In praying for others while they travel on different missions trips this summer, I have learned a lot of different things. One thing is how cool it is to be in communication with God. I hadn’t been talking to G as much over the past few weeks. I didn’t realize how much I missed Him! I used to be praying for Ryan constantly, and I have seriously been slacking recently, which I hate. I still pray for him every day, but not nearly as much as I used to. I’ve been trying to pray without ceasing more over the past few weeks, but it’s still a work in progress. I confess, I get so easily caught up in work and other things, but I am trying hard to be in more constant communication with G. Fortunately, God has been merciful in reminding me to chat with Him throughout the day and to lift up my friends in prayer. In praying for friends on mission trips, it definitely holds me accountable in praying throughout the day. If I have made the commitment to someone that I will be praying for them, I take that seriously. If I tell you that I will be praying for you, please know that I mean it. I will actually be praying for you. I used to be one of those Christians who would throw around the phrase, “I’ll pray for you” or “You’ll be in my prayers.” But one day I came across the Scripture 1 Samuel 12:23: “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.” To be honest, I’m not quite 100% sure how this would specifically apply to the church today, but it had never even occurred to me that it could be sinful to not pray for someone! That verse really opened my eyes to how serious God views prayer. [If you have any insight to the best way to interpret the verse, please let me know!! I would love to learn more about it and how it is appropriately applied today!] I mean, we get the privilege of talking to God, the Creator of the universe. The King of Kings, the Holy of Holies. Whoa. Take a second to let that sink in. Anytime we want to, anywhere we want to. Yet I pass up that opportunity so often!
But recently, since I’ve been taking advantage of this awesome privilege, not only have I seen God work mightily, but I’ve also grown closer to my brothers and sisters in Christ and really started to experience the body of Christ. We are truly one in Christ! I am able to help friends minister all over the world, even though I’m here in Newport News all summer. Right now I am partnering (through prayer) for people in Africa, South East Asia, up and down the East Coast, Canada, Mexico, South America- practically all over the world! That’s awesome. All right here from my dorm room in Newport News. Not too bad, eh? And its so cool being able to hear about their trips when they get back! I genuinely rejoice with them over each soul saved, each person they were able to talk to. It has been such a cool learning experience you guys. I really encourage you to try it out if you aren’t already. You will be amazed how much God can teach you if you simply start to really take prayer seriously. I’ve learned so much about God’s character and about the body of Christ.
In addition to that, not only do we get to worship together for eternity, but we get to further the kingdom together right now! A lot of the Christians coming in to Aroma’s have no idea that I am trying to minister to my co-workers. They are just there to have a cup of coffee, or in some cases have a Bible study. But they get to help me minister to my co-workers! My co-workers have heard the conversations I have with these people, and it often leads to a discussion later. God is so cool in the way He works!
I’ve also seen this outside of Aroma’s. I have been trying really hard to become more intentional about praying for other people, especially for their ministries and missions. A lot of times I feel really bummed because I can’t go on a particular mission trip, and I feel like I am not contributing at all. But, that’s the great thing about prayer- its portable. ☺ I have been praying for brothers and sisters I know that have been blessed with the opportunities to go on mission trips this summer, and you guys- it has been such a blessing! We so often underestimate the power of prayers. That is such a tragedy! God has blessed us with so many ways to participate in His plan, yet we take that for granted! Do we even realize what a blessing it is to be able to be able to participate in God leading someone to salvation?! That’s HUGE! Obviously it’s not us, but Christ working through us- but you guys- we get to have Christ work through us! That’s freakin cool.
In praying for others while they travel on different missions trips this summer, I have learned a lot of different things. One thing is how cool it is to be in communication with God. I hadn’t been talking to G as much over the past few weeks. I didn’t realize how much I missed Him! I used to be praying for Ryan constantly, and I have seriously been slacking recently, which I hate. I still pray for him every day, but not nearly as much as I used to. I’ve been trying to pray without ceasing more over the past few weeks, but it’s still a work in progress. I confess, I get so easily caught up in work and other things, but I am trying hard to be in more constant communication with G. Fortunately, God has been merciful in reminding me to chat with Him throughout the day and to lift up my friends in prayer. In praying for friends on mission trips, it definitely holds me accountable in praying throughout the day. If I have made the commitment to someone that I will be praying for them, I take that seriously. If I tell you that I will be praying for you, please know that I mean it. I will actually be praying for you. I used to be one of those Christians who would throw around the phrase, “I’ll pray for you” or “You’ll be in my prayers.” But one day I came across the Scripture 1 Samuel 12:23: “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.” To be honest, I’m not quite 100% sure how this would specifically apply to the church today, but it had never even occurred to me that it could be sinful to not pray for someone! That verse really opened my eyes to how serious God views prayer. [If you have any insight to the best way to interpret the verse, please let me know!! I would love to learn more about it and how it is appropriately applied today!] I mean, we get the privilege of talking to God, the Creator of the universe. The King of Kings, the Holy of Holies. Whoa. Take a second to let that sink in. Anytime we want to, anywhere we want to. Yet I pass up that opportunity so often!
But recently, since I’ve been taking advantage of this awesome privilege, not only have I seen God work mightily, but I’ve also grown closer to my brothers and sisters in Christ and really started to experience the body of Christ. We are truly one in Christ! I am able to help friends minister all over the world, even though I’m here in Newport News all summer. Right now I am partnering (through prayer) for people in Africa, South East Asia, up and down the East Coast, Canada, Mexico, South America- practically all over the world! That’s awesome. All right here from my dorm room in Newport News. Not too bad, eh? And its so cool being able to hear about their trips when they get back! I genuinely rejoice with them over each soul saved, each person they were able to talk to. It has been such a cool learning experience you guys. I really encourage you to try it out if you aren’t already. You will be amazed how much God can teach you if you simply start to really take prayer seriously. I’ve learned so much about God’s character and about the body of Christ.
Matthew 6:34
I’ve recently discovered that I have a bad habit…well, I have a lot of bad habits, but I’ve become more aware of one in particular:
I’m a planner.
I like to know exactly what is going to happen months in advance. It’s not bad to have a plan, but I often get so caught up in planning and preparing for the future, that I fail to live in the present. A friend of mine kindly reminded me of this a few days ago, and I’m so glad he did! We were talking, and somehow the topic of Canada came up. (For those of you who don’t know, I absolutely LOVE Canada! God has given me such a heart for that country, and I can’t wait to go back in December on the mission trip to Toronto!!) I am a very excitable, enthusiastic person, so I find it very easy to get caught up in my excitement about Canada. But that doesn’t mean that my time in America is insignificant! In my conversation the other day, my friend gently told me, “God put you in the US for a reason.” He is so right! It isn’t a bad thing for me to love Canada and long to share the Gospel with the people there; but that doesn’t mean that my time in America is completely insignificant. One of Satan’s greatest victories is getting us to focus so much on the future that we completely waste the present. Right now, God hasn’t placed me in Canada. He has placed me at CNU. God has a plan for where I live, where I work, where I go to school, what classes I take- He knows every individual that I will interact with. He has a divine plan for it all! No one knows His ways. But it would be such a tragedy for me to neglect the people God wants me to be interacting with here and now simply because I am so busy focusing on the future. God is in control, and He will work all things out for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). I have no idea what God has planned for my life in the upcoming years, or even for the next few days…but one thing is certain- He does have a plan. God isn’t a God of accidents and coincidences; He is completely in control. He is omniscient and omnipresent, and He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). He is not caught off guard. He has brought me to where I am today for a certain purpose and certain plan. It reminds me of a verse we went over a few weeks ago at community group: “And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14, ESV). God hasn’t placed you where you are today on accident. I really encourage you (and challenge myself) to live more intentionally with today, and to be present in the present.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” -Matthew 6:34
I’m a planner.
I like to know exactly what is going to happen months in advance. It’s not bad to have a plan, but I often get so caught up in planning and preparing for the future, that I fail to live in the present. A friend of mine kindly reminded me of this a few days ago, and I’m so glad he did! We were talking, and somehow the topic of Canada came up. (For those of you who don’t know, I absolutely LOVE Canada! God has given me such a heart for that country, and I can’t wait to go back in December on the mission trip to Toronto!!) I am a very excitable, enthusiastic person, so I find it very easy to get caught up in my excitement about Canada. But that doesn’t mean that my time in America is insignificant! In my conversation the other day, my friend gently told me, “God put you in the US for a reason.” He is so right! It isn’t a bad thing for me to love Canada and long to share the Gospel with the people there; but that doesn’t mean that my time in America is completely insignificant. One of Satan’s greatest victories is getting us to focus so much on the future that we completely waste the present. Right now, God hasn’t placed me in Canada. He has placed me at CNU. God has a plan for where I live, where I work, where I go to school, what classes I take- He knows every individual that I will interact with. He has a divine plan for it all! No one knows His ways. But it would be such a tragedy for me to neglect the people God wants me to be interacting with here and now simply because I am so busy focusing on the future. God is in control, and He will work all things out for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). I have no idea what God has planned for my life in the upcoming years, or even for the next few days…but one thing is certain- He does have a plan. God isn’t a God of accidents and coincidences; He is completely in control. He is omniscient and omnipresent, and He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). He is not caught off guard. He has brought me to where I am today for a certain purpose and certain plan. It reminds me of a verse we went over a few weeks ago at community group: “And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14, ESV). God hasn’t placed you where you are today on accident. I really encourage you (and challenge myself) to live more intentionally with today, and to be present in the present.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” -Matthew 6:34
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Modest is Hottest
I went camping for the first time recently. I had the best time! I was able to go with a huge group of people, and I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience camping. We stayed up late playing games, making s’mores, walking to the river, and discussing what God had been teaching us. I slept up on this platform, in the middle of a field, with only a blanket and a pillow. My friend and I stayed up for a bit discussing God’s creation, and I even saw my first shooting star! God just blew me away on my trip to the woods. I understand why people enjoy camping so much! It makes you feel so alive and so in touch with the Creator. I’m a big fan.
Before we left to go camping, we received a list of things that we should remember to pack; just the basics, like bug spray, a sleeping bag, a Bible, etc. At the end of the message, they informed us that there was a pool at the campground, but there were some swim suit requirements. Boys- no speedos; girls- no two-pieces… and if you only had a two-piece, you were asked to wear a dark t-shirt over it.
I am SO glad that they told us that! I must confess, a few years ago, that would have made me so angry! I used to hate that girls always seem to have such strict wardrobe requirements, while boys can typically wear whatever they want to. But God has really given me a new attitude over the past few years. He has started to show me that dressing modestly is an amazing way to serve my brothers in Christ. It is no secret that lust is a very common struggle among the men of the church. But a lot of times we don’t really take an open, honest approach to it.
I was talking to one of my guy friends in Chicago a couple of years ago about the issue of modesty and lust. He mentioned that he really disliked how the church seemed to push the burden of the “lust issue” on to the women; they really stressed that women dress modestly, and we discussed how men can sometimes use that to avoid having to deal with their own sin issues. But at the same time, as a girl, it is such an amazing blessing to be able to help out my brothers in Christ by wearing modest clothing! I completely understand that men are responsible for their own sin issues… but as their sister in Christ, I am also responsible for not putting a stumbling block in their path. I am called to love them well, to love and serve them as Christ would; I think that includes caring about any sin they may be struggling with, and doing whatever I can to help point them back to the Savior. One way that I can do that is by dressing modestly.
Of course, some guys are still going to struggle with lust. Dressing modestly doesn’t fix the problem. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what a girl is wearing, a guy is just going to lust- even if she were dressed in a giant paper bag! But that doesn’t mean we can’t try to help a brother out. I respect my guy friends too much to put a stumbling block in their path by dressing immodestly. Even if that means that sometimes I have the inconvenience of wearing a dark t-shirt over a cute bathing suit. When I take a more eternal perspective, it’s pretty clear that helping my friends keep their thoughts pure is SO much more important than looking “cute” that day. We can still look cute and dress modestly! Sometimes it might make shopping a little bit more difficult, but it is truly an amazing way to serve the body of Christ. We are called to honor God with our bodies and to build up and encourage fellow believers. This can be as simple as what outfits we choose to wear! This doesn’t mean we have to go around dressing in long pants and turtlenecks year round…it just means that we need to be mindful of what we wear. We also need to be mindful of our intentions behind the outfit we put on each day; do I want to wear these shorts because they make my butt/legs look good, or do I want to wear them because they are comfortable and its hot outside? Am I wearing them more for my glory, or for Gods?
Before we left to go camping, we received a list of things that we should remember to pack; just the basics, like bug spray, a sleeping bag, a Bible, etc. At the end of the message, they informed us that there was a pool at the campground, but there were some swim suit requirements. Boys- no speedos; girls- no two-pieces… and if you only had a two-piece, you were asked to wear a dark t-shirt over it.
I am SO glad that they told us that! I must confess, a few years ago, that would have made me so angry! I used to hate that girls always seem to have such strict wardrobe requirements, while boys can typically wear whatever they want to. But God has really given me a new attitude over the past few years. He has started to show me that dressing modestly is an amazing way to serve my brothers in Christ. It is no secret that lust is a very common struggle among the men of the church. But a lot of times we don’t really take an open, honest approach to it.
I was talking to one of my guy friends in Chicago a couple of years ago about the issue of modesty and lust. He mentioned that he really disliked how the church seemed to push the burden of the “lust issue” on to the women; they really stressed that women dress modestly, and we discussed how men can sometimes use that to avoid having to deal with their own sin issues. But at the same time, as a girl, it is such an amazing blessing to be able to help out my brothers in Christ by wearing modest clothing! I completely understand that men are responsible for their own sin issues… but as their sister in Christ, I am also responsible for not putting a stumbling block in their path. I am called to love them well, to love and serve them as Christ would; I think that includes caring about any sin they may be struggling with, and doing whatever I can to help point them back to the Savior. One way that I can do that is by dressing modestly.
Of course, some guys are still going to struggle with lust. Dressing modestly doesn’t fix the problem. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what a girl is wearing, a guy is just going to lust- even if she were dressed in a giant paper bag! But that doesn’t mean we can’t try to help a brother out. I respect my guy friends too much to put a stumbling block in their path by dressing immodestly. Even if that means that sometimes I have the inconvenience of wearing a dark t-shirt over a cute bathing suit. When I take a more eternal perspective, it’s pretty clear that helping my friends keep their thoughts pure is SO much more important than looking “cute” that day. We can still look cute and dress modestly! Sometimes it might make shopping a little bit more difficult, but it is truly an amazing way to serve the body of Christ. We are called to honor God with our bodies and to build up and encourage fellow believers. This can be as simple as what outfits we choose to wear! This doesn’t mean we have to go around dressing in long pants and turtlenecks year round…it just means that we need to be mindful of what we wear. We also need to be mindful of our intentions behind the outfit we put on each day; do I want to wear these shorts because they make my butt/legs look good, or do I want to wear them because they are comfortable and its hot outside? Am I wearing them more for my glory, or for Gods?
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Oh Toronto...I miss you terribly.
21 weeks until we return to Toronto. Just over 5 months. 147 days.
Words cannot even begin to express how excited I am to return to Canada and share the Gospel with the people in Toronto, the world’s most diverse city. I was so blessed to be able to go to Toronto for 5 days in May, and the Lord showed me so much during that brief visit. God began to challenge me to live boldly for Him and to live intentionally as His ambassador in my daily life. I wish I could sit down and tell you everything that we did and experienced in Toronto, and share with you all of the amazing things that God has been teaching me since then. But, for now, I will just share a few of the key experiences and lessons that I learned while I was in Canada.
When we were in Toronto, we were able to learn about different cultures and religions that were prominent in the area. It was so eye opening. We were privileged to hear the testimonies of several former Muslims and Hindus. The power of God in their lives is so apparent! They live each day yearning to glorify God, accepting everything as a gracious gift from the Father. It is so invigorating. It really challenged me to live with that same attitude, and to seek out opportunities to tell others about Christ. After learning about other religions and hearing testimonies from former Muslims and Hindus, we took a trip to a Hindu temple in Toronto. It is one of the largest Hindu temples in the world and cost millions of dollars to build. We were able to walk around the temple and then through a museum that outlined the history of the Hindu religion. When we were in the temple, we were able to look around at the decorations. We had been told that the walls were all hand-carved and imported from India. As I looked around at the walls of the temple, I was blown away. Not by the intricate art work, but by the astounding number of idols represented. The walls were covered from floor to ceiling with carvings of different idols. There were also columns through out the temple covered in idols. Hindus worship 330 million gods. Take a second for that to sink in. 330 million. I can’t even fathom how many that is! That visit to the Hindu temple really slapped me in the face with the reality of the world’s need for the Gospel. There are so many lost people out there who need to know the love of Christ and the saving power of His Name! I need to be out there declaring the Truth of the Gospel whenever I get the chance. Am I living my life in such a way that glorifies God?
For the past 21 years of my life, I haven’t really been living my daily life conscious of the fact that we are fighting a spiritual battle. You guys- this is real. What we do here- the way we represent Christ, how often we sharing the Gospel, how our lives demonstrate the transforming power of the Cross- that echoes for eternity. When people look at us and follow us, are we leading them to Christ? Or are we merely glorifying ourselves? God really convicted me of that in Canada. It is so easy for me to share the Gospel with boldness when I am away on a mission trip. But once I get back, I will slip back in to my normal, daily routine. I won’t be searching for opportunities to share the Gospel. God has really been convicting me of that recently and challenging me to live more intentionally. It has been so awesome to watch Him work in the past few weeks. He is so great, and He’s definitely been spoiling me by blessing me abundantly with opportunities to glorify Him through out these past few weeks.
I really challenge you guys to consider going to Toronto in December to share the Gospel with the people there. God has really given me a heart for Canada, and for the lost people there. Please prayerfully consider where God is leading you to go in the next few months, and who He wants you to share the Gospel with. Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel with those around you; I promise, God will not disappoint you!
Words cannot even begin to express how excited I am to return to Canada and share the Gospel with the people in Toronto, the world’s most diverse city. I was so blessed to be able to go to Toronto for 5 days in May, and the Lord showed me so much during that brief visit. God began to challenge me to live boldly for Him and to live intentionally as His ambassador in my daily life. I wish I could sit down and tell you everything that we did and experienced in Toronto, and share with you all of the amazing things that God has been teaching me since then. But, for now, I will just share a few of the key experiences and lessons that I learned while I was in Canada.
When we were in Toronto, we were able to learn about different cultures and religions that were prominent in the area. It was so eye opening. We were privileged to hear the testimonies of several former Muslims and Hindus. The power of God in their lives is so apparent! They live each day yearning to glorify God, accepting everything as a gracious gift from the Father. It is so invigorating. It really challenged me to live with that same attitude, and to seek out opportunities to tell others about Christ. After learning about other religions and hearing testimonies from former Muslims and Hindus, we took a trip to a Hindu temple in Toronto. It is one of the largest Hindu temples in the world and cost millions of dollars to build. We were able to walk around the temple and then through a museum that outlined the history of the Hindu religion. When we were in the temple, we were able to look around at the decorations. We had been told that the walls were all hand-carved and imported from India. As I looked around at the walls of the temple, I was blown away. Not by the intricate art work, but by the astounding number of idols represented. The walls were covered from floor to ceiling with carvings of different idols. There were also columns through out the temple covered in idols. Hindus worship 330 million gods. Take a second for that to sink in. 330 million. I can’t even fathom how many that is! That visit to the Hindu temple really slapped me in the face with the reality of the world’s need for the Gospel. There are so many lost people out there who need to know the love of Christ and the saving power of His Name! I need to be out there declaring the Truth of the Gospel whenever I get the chance. Am I living my life in such a way that glorifies God?
For the past 21 years of my life, I haven’t really been living my daily life conscious of the fact that we are fighting a spiritual battle. You guys- this is real. What we do here- the way we represent Christ, how often we sharing the Gospel, how our lives demonstrate the transforming power of the Cross- that echoes for eternity. When people look at us and follow us, are we leading them to Christ? Or are we merely glorifying ourselves? God really convicted me of that in Canada. It is so easy for me to share the Gospel with boldness when I am away on a mission trip. But once I get back, I will slip back in to my normal, daily routine. I won’t be searching for opportunities to share the Gospel. God has really been convicting me of that recently and challenging me to live more intentionally. It has been so awesome to watch Him work in the past few weeks. He is so great, and He’s definitely been spoiling me by blessing me abundantly with opportunities to glorify Him through out these past few weeks.
I really challenge you guys to consider going to Toronto in December to share the Gospel with the people there. God has really given me a heart for Canada, and for the lost people there. Please prayerfully consider where God is leading you to go in the next few months, and who He wants you to share the Gospel with. Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel with those around you; I promise, God will not disappoint you!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
My friends are awesome.
I had such a long night at work tonight.
As I thought back on my night after I got home, I was wondering why tonight in particular seemed so bad. There were a few things that it could have been...the two people I was working with were not doing their fair share of the work. Most of the night it seemed like it was me doing all of the work; I would be taking orders, but no one would be making the drinks. Then, when I went to make the drinks, it seemed like no one would be taking orders. It was definitely frustrating.
But that wasn't the reason I had such a bad night. I haven't really been able to figure it out until just now.
Tonight I really realized how truly broken our world is. I am desperately trying to be a light for Christ in my work place. I try to represent Him well. Some ways I do that is by working diligently and doing my best to do my job well. I was also recently blessed enough to have some awesome Jesus conversations with two of my co-workers, and I've been making some progress at building a positive relationship with the agnostic cook (who apparently hates everyone). All of this happened on Wednesday. Tonight, however, was quite a different experience. I was so stoked after work on Wednesday, and I think tonight I was under some serious spiritual attack. Satan is not pleased that God is starting to penetrate into Aroma's.
Tonight was different than any other night I have worked at Aroma's. I know that my co-workers are lost, and God has definitely been opening my eyes to the world's need for a Savior. But tonight was like a punch to the gut. It was so hard to listen to some of the things my co-workers were talking about and watch them do some of the things they were doing. We lead such different lives! One of my co-workers was flirting with some guy she's recently been involved with, and the other one was off sending dirty texts to his boyfriend. My heart was just aching over our brokenness. We are all so desperately in need of a Savior! It was surprisingly difficult for me.
Also, we had quite a different crowd tonight. I usually work in the mornings, so I typically deal with customers who are on their way to work, or are business people from the area. Tonight was not quite the same demographic. Most people were still very friendly, but then we had the occasional customer who was not quite so polite. We had a few guy customers that were not quite as respectful as the guys that I usually hang out with. It wasn't anything particularly appalling; it was just so different than what I am used to. I didn't realize how quickly I came to expect that guys would be respectful!
In high school I was very used to guys being...less than chivalrous. I actually came to expect it. Then I came to college. The guys I hang out with now are such awesome men of God. I seriously have some of the best guy friends a girl could ask for. I have just come to realize how much I take them for granted. But, if you guys are reading this- thank you so much for being respectful. It really means a lot. It is such a refreshing change of pace, and so different from most guys our age.
One guy I was talking to at work the other day was staring at these girls. When I asked him what he was doing, he said he was “window shopping.” Just looking to enjoy the view, maybe try on a few things, but not interested in buying anything. He said that “its a guy thing.” With out even thinking I replied, “Not the guys I hang out with. They're very respectful.” I am so blessed to not have to worry about that when I hang out with my friends! They don't look at women as items to be gawked at; they value us a God's creation. I am so thankful for that.
I really started to see this recently, especially when I was in Toronto. A few of the neighborhoods we were in were not in the best part of town, so it wasn't really safe for a girl to be walking around all alone. The guys were so great about making sure that we had an “escort” when we went somewhere. It was so great to know that they were looking out for us, and they were there to protect us if we needed it.
The other day, I was walking with a friend of mine. We were walking through the parking lot, and he moved to walk on the side by the cars because “there are some crazy drivers...just to be safe.” No one has ever done that for me before! I was completely taken aback. I didn't even know how to respond. I am so blessed to have friends like that! It really helps remind me of how God created community to be. It is something that is encouraging, not draining.
When I got off of work, I was craving that community. I called my room mate and asked if we could please do something with a group of our friends when I got back from work, even though it was 11 pm. Some of our friends came over to play some games, and I can't even tell you how encouraging it was just to be able to hang out with them. They are such awesome people. It was such a great change of pace from the rest of my night. I am so thankful for their friendship, and am so grateful to God for opening my eyes to the blessing that He has given me in their friendship. So, to all my lady friends- thanks for being awesome and low drama. You girls are great, and such a blessing! Guy friends- thanks SO much for being respectful, protective, and chivalrous. The world needs more guys like you.
As I thought back on my night after I got home, I was wondering why tonight in particular seemed so bad. There were a few things that it could have been...the two people I was working with were not doing their fair share of the work. Most of the night it seemed like it was me doing all of the work; I would be taking orders, but no one would be making the drinks. Then, when I went to make the drinks, it seemed like no one would be taking orders. It was definitely frustrating.
But that wasn't the reason I had such a bad night. I haven't really been able to figure it out until just now.
Tonight I really realized how truly broken our world is. I am desperately trying to be a light for Christ in my work place. I try to represent Him well. Some ways I do that is by working diligently and doing my best to do my job well. I was also recently blessed enough to have some awesome Jesus conversations with two of my co-workers, and I've been making some progress at building a positive relationship with the agnostic cook (who apparently hates everyone). All of this happened on Wednesday. Tonight, however, was quite a different experience. I was so stoked after work on Wednesday, and I think tonight I was under some serious spiritual attack. Satan is not pleased that God is starting to penetrate into Aroma's.
Tonight was different than any other night I have worked at Aroma's. I know that my co-workers are lost, and God has definitely been opening my eyes to the world's need for a Savior. But tonight was like a punch to the gut. It was so hard to listen to some of the things my co-workers were talking about and watch them do some of the things they were doing. We lead such different lives! One of my co-workers was flirting with some guy she's recently been involved with, and the other one was off sending dirty texts to his boyfriend. My heart was just aching over our brokenness. We are all so desperately in need of a Savior! It was surprisingly difficult for me.
Also, we had quite a different crowd tonight. I usually work in the mornings, so I typically deal with customers who are on their way to work, or are business people from the area. Tonight was not quite the same demographic. Most people were still very friendly, but then we had the occasional customer who was not quite so polite. We had a few guy customers that were not quite as respectful as the guys that I usually hang out with. It wasn't anything particularly appalling; it was just so different than what I am used to. I didn't realize how quickly I came to expect that guys would be respectful!
In high school I was very used to guys being...less than chivalrous. I actually came to expect it. Then I came to college. The guys I hang out with now are such awesome men of God. I seriously have some of the best guy friends a girl could ask for. I have just come to realize how much I take them for granted. But, if you guys are reading this- thank you so much for being respectful. It really means a lot. It is such a refreshing change of pace, and so different from most guys our age.
One guy I was talking to at work the other day was staring at these girls. When I asked him what he was doing, he said he was “window shopping.” Just looking to enjoy the view, maybe try on a few things, but not interested in buying anything. He said that “its a guy thing.” With out even thinking I replied, “Not the guys I hang out with. They're very respectful.” I am so blessed to not have to worry about that when I hang out with my friends! They don't look at women as items to be gawked at; they value us a God's creation. I am so thankful for that.
I really started to see this recently, especially when I was in Toronto. A few of the neighborhoods we were in were not in the best part of town, so it wasn't really safe for a girl to be walking around all alone. The guys were so great about making sure that we had an “escort” when we went somewhere. It was so great to know that they were looking out for us, and they were there to protect us if we needed it.
The other day, I was walking with a friend of mine. We were walking through the parking lot, and he moved to walk on the side by the cars because “there are some crazy drivers...just to be safe.” No one has ever done that for me before! I was completely taken aback. I didn't even know how to respond. I am so blessed to have friends like that! It really helps remind me of how God created community to be. It is something that is encouraging, not draining.
When I got off of work, I was craving that community. I called my room mate and asked if we could please do something with a group of our friends when I got back from work, even though it was 11 pm. Some of our friends came over to play some games, and I can't even tell you how encouraging it was just to be able to hang out with them. They are such awesome people. It was such a great change of pace from the rest of my night. I am so thankful for their friendship, and am so grateful to God for opening my eyes to the blessing that He has given me in their friendship. So, to all my lady friends- thanks for being awesome and low drama. You girls are great, and such a blessing! Guy friends- thanks SO much for being respectful, protective, and chivalrous. The world needs more guys like you.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
I have a love-hate relationship with TV...
For the past month, I’ve been on summer break. CNU’s fall semester doesn’t start again until the end of August, so I still have almost 3 more months off from school. It has definitely been great to have some free time and so much time to relax. I was blessed enough to be able to go to the beach for a week with one of my roommates, and then able to go on a mission trip to Toronto, Canada for a week. Also, I recently started a job, so that has given me something to do for a few days of the week.
But I still have so much time! It’s a little ridiculous to be honest. God has really been challenging me to be intentional with my time and be sure that I am using it wisely; it sounds much easier than it is. I have so much free time, which is an AMAZING blessing, and I am definitely trying to use this free time while I have it. But it is so tempting for me to waste my time! Some days, I will just want to wake up and just veg out in front of the TV for most of the day. But how is that contributing to the Kingdom? How is that beneficial? I am not growing, I am not pursuing God, and I am not telling others about God. I’ve really been convicted of how I’m using my time. I’m not saying that I need to constantly be reading my Bible or doing evangelism. What I’m saying is that I need to be more intentional. It’s okay to relax. God even put having a Sabbath in his Top Ten! We all need to take time to rest- that’s Biblical. However, we also need to be active! There is a time for each.
At church on Sunday, the pastor was talking about rest. He mentioned how people often swing between the two extremes; some people work ALL the time and never take a vacation. But then some people just relax all the time, and need to get to work! I am trying to find that balance. Right now, I have so much free time that it is very tempting for me to be the person that relaxes all day. But I need to get to work! It may not be in the form of a 9-5 job (I only work part time), but I can be working for God’s glory. He maintains very flexible hours ;)
So I’m trying to find things to do to be using my time wisely and for the glory of God. I’m trying to start blogging a bit more to help me reflect on all of the things God has been teaching me. I’m also hoping to be able to volunteer more in the community. Tomorrow I start volunteering with Mission Day Star at Liberty Baptist. I’m so stoked to see how God is going to move! Please let me know if you know of any other awesome opportunities or have any cool ideas of ways to use my time. It’s much more difficult than I thought it would be to find things to do with my free time.
But I still have so much time! It’s a little ridiculous to be honest. God has really been challenging me to be intentional with my time and be sure that I am using it wisely; it sounds much easier than it is. I have so much free time, which is an AMAZING blessing, and I am definitely trying to use this free time while I have it. But it is so tempting for me to waste my time! Some days, I will just want to wake up and just veg out in front of the TV for most of the day. But how is that contributing to the Kingdom? How is that beneficial? I am not growing, I am not pursuing God, and I am not telling others about God. I’ve really been convicted of how I’m using my time. I’m not saying that I need to constantly be reading my Bible or doing evangelism. What I’m saying is that I need to be more intentional. It’s okay to relax. God even put having a Sabbath in his Top Ten! We all need to take time to rest- that’s Biblical. However, we also need to be active! There is a time for each.
At church on Sunday, the pastor was talking about rest. He mentioned how people often swing between the two extremes; some people work ALL the time and never take a vacation. But then some people just relax all the time, and need to get to work! I am trying to find that balance. Right now, I have so much free time that it is very tempting for me to be the person that relaxes all day. But I need to get to work! It may not be in the form of a 9-5 job (I only work part time), but I can be working for God’s glory. He maintains very flexible hours ;)
So I’m trying to find things to do to be using my time wisely and for the glory of God. I’m trying to start blogging a bit more to help me reflect on all of the things God has been teaching me. I’m also hoping to be able to volunteer more in the community. Tomorrow I start volunteering with Mission Day Star at Liberty Baptist. I’m so stoked to see how God is going to move! Please let me know if you know of any other awesome opportunities or have any cool ideas of ways to use my time. It’s much more difficult than I thought it would be to find things to do with my free time.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Why Does Love Always Feel Like a Battlefield? …You better go get your armor.
Since returning from Toronto, I have been really convicted about living missionally. It is a great thing to be able to travel hundreds or thousands of miles away and tell others about Jesus. However, why do I find it necessary to travel so far to share the Gospel with others? Why am I only concerned about the salvation of the people living in other cities and nations? I am so bold and intentional on mission trips, but that stops the second I come back home. That is inexcusable! I HATE that I do that!
Since I’ve been convicted about this, I have really been praying that God would graciously enable me to live more intentionally. I am trying to stop focusing so much on the future, but instead learning to be intentional and focused on the present and the opportunities God is blessing me with right now. Since I have started earnestly praying this prayer, God has blessed me abundantly and has opened my eyes to all of the opportunities He has given me to glorify Him.
One group of people that God has particularly called me to minister to has been my co-workers. I just started a new job this week as a barista at a local coffee shop. I have been praying about this job for weeks now, and praying for the opportunity to be a light in this place. I started training Thursday morning, but Wednesday night I was able to go to Fusion (a Bible Study for college-aged kids at my church). We watched a video that night with a few clips from a pastor’s talk. He was challenging the audience to really take evangelism seriously. At one point in the video, he reminds the people listening, “That barista at Starbucks? The one you see every morning when you go to get your daily latte? Think about this: They have a soul. They don’t exist solely to make your coffee. They have a soul; an eternal soul.” That was such an awesome reminder to me about the importance of ministering to my coworkers! It was like God was giving me a friendly little nudge, and a gentle reminder about the importance of ministering to the people that I am going to be interacting with on a daily basis.
I had no idea about the spiritual lives of my coworkers, but I was anxious to see who God was going to call me to minister to at this new job. I was thinking that I would maybe be able to talk with one person, maybe two if God was really generous and wanted to bless me with plenty of chances to tell others about Him. Boy, did I underestimate Him! He was not kidding when He said, “Test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (Malachi 3:10).
I was eagerly praying that God would send me to the spiritually dark areas of Newport News and enable me to share the love of Christ with the people I interacted with. I have recently begun to realize how few non-Christians I hang out with on a regular basis, and it is so sad! How am I supposed to tell others about Christ if I don’t hang out with people who aren’t Christians? So I prayed that God would help me develop relationships with people who didn’t know Jesus yet. He answered quickly.
I absolutely love my coworkers. They have been so kind and encouraging as I’ve been going through training. I cannot wait to get to know them each on a more personal level as we continue to work together. In the three days that I have worked, I have learned a little bit about each of them.
And you know what I have come to realize?
My new place of employment is a very spiritually dark place.
I have worked with 7 people so far, and none of them are living for the Lord. It is kind of intimidating. Each of my coworkers has different beliefs and lifestyles. One coworker is gay, one is bisexual and currently dating two girls at the same time, one is “involved” with many different people, one frequently makes inappropriate sexual comments, one is an out-spoken agnostic, and one is involved in psychics/palm readings/tarot cards. And I already love each and every one of them. They are such awesome people! I cannot wait to get to know them better. And I hope and pray that as I get to know them, that my life can be a testimony to the saving power of Christ. I pray that when they look at me and see my life, they don’t see me, but instead see the power of Christ displayed in me. I pray they see His saving grace, His steadfast love and mercy, His sovereignty, His forgiveness, His redemptive power, and Power as Savior in my life. I pray and hope that my life would speak volumes; I pray that God would open doors for us to have honest conversations about religion and the true message of the Gospel. I pray that God would open their eyes to their need for a Savior. I also pray that God would not allow me to settle in, get comfortable, and forget the urgency to minister to those around me. We are engaged in spiritual battle here! I want to be a Spartan warrior involved in the depths of the battle, not some pansy sitting on the sidelines! Instead of being intimidated, I am going to boldly charge forward for Christ and trust that He will equip me for what He has called me to and that He will clothe me in the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). I am so thankful that He has blessed me with the opportunity to be a light in this dark place, and I cannot wait to see His plan unfold for my coworkers. Please keep them in your prayers.
Since I’ve been convicted about this, I have really been praying that God would graciously enable me to live more intentionally. I am trying to stop focusing so much on the future, but instead learning to be intentional and focused on the present and the opportunities God is blessing me with right now. Since I have started earnestly praying this prayer, God has blessed me abundantly and has opened my eyes to all of the opportunities He has given me to glorify Him.
One group of people that God has particularly called me to minister to has been my co-workers. I just started a new job this week as a barista at a local coffee shop. I have been praying about this job for weeks now, and praying for the opportunity to be a light in this place. I started training Thursday morning, but Wednesday night I was able to go to Fusion (a Bible Study for college-aged kids at my church). We watched a video that night with a few clips from a pastor’s talk. He was challenging the audience to really take evangelism seriously. At one point in the video, he reminds the people listening, “That barista at Starbucks? The one you see every morning when you go to get your daily latte? Think about this: They have a soul. They don’t exist solely to make your coffee. They have a soul; an eternal soul.” That was such an awesome reminder to me about the importance of ministering to my coworkers! It was like God was giving me a friendly little nudge, and a gentle reminder about the importance of ministering to the people that I am going to be interacting with on a daily basis.
I had no idea about the spiritual lives of my coworkers, but I was anxious to see who God was going to call me to minister to at this new job. I was thinking that I would maybe be able to talk with one person, maybe two if God was really generous and wanted to bless me with plenty of chances to tell others about Him. Boy, did I underestimate Him! He was not kidding when He said, “Test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (Malachi 3:10).
I was eagerly praying that God would send me to the spiritually dark areas of Newport News and enable me to share the love of Christ with the people I interacted with. I have recently begun to realize how few non-Christians I hang out with on a regular basis, and it is so sad! How am I supposed to tell others about Christ if I don’t hang out with people who aren’t Christians? So I prayed that God would help me develop relationships with people who didn’t know Jesus yet. He answered quickly.
I absolutely love my coworkers. They have been so kind and encouraging as I’ve been going through training. I cannot wait to get to know them each on a more personal level as we continue to work together. In the three days that I have worked, I have learned a little bit about each of them.
And you know what I have come to realize?
My new place of employment is a very spiritually dark place.
I have worked with 7 people so far, and none of them are living for the Lord. It is kind of intimidating. Each of my coworkers has different beliefs and lifestyles. One coworker is gay, one is bisexual and currently dating two girls at the same time, one is “involved” with many different people, one frequently makes inappropriate sexual comments, one is an out-spoken agnostic, and one is involved in psychics/palm readings/tarot cards. And I already love each and every one of them. They are such awesome people! I cannot wait to get to know them better. And I hope and pray that as I get to know them, that my life can be a testimony to the saving power of Christ. I pray that when they look at me and see my life, they don’t see me, but instead see the power of Christ displayed in me. I pray they see His saving grace, His steadfast love and mercy, His sovereignty, His forgiveness, His redemptive power, and Power as Savior in my life. I pray and hope that my life would speak volumes; I pray that God would open doors for us to have honest conversations about religion and the true message of the Gospel. I pray that God would open their eyes to their need for a Savior. I also pray that God would not allow me to settle in, get comfortable, and forget the urgency to minister to those around me. We are engaged in spiritual battle here! I want to be a Spartan warrior involved in the depths of the battle, not some pansy sitting on the sidelines! Instead of being intimidated, I am going to boldly charge forward for Christ and trust that He will equip me for what He has called me to and that He will clothe me in the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). I am so thankful that He has blessed me with the opportunity to be a light in this dark place, and I cannot wait to see His plan unfold for my coworkers. Please keep them in your prayers.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
"Ask and I'll give the nations to you." Oh Lord, that's the cry of my heart.
I recently listened to this song, “You Said” by Shane and Shane. I instantly fell in love with it. I heard it right before I left for the mission trip to Toronto, and it was such an encouragement to me. It was also my prayer through out the trip. The lyrics are simple and strongly rooted in Scripture. The part that really resonated with me was
“You said, ‘Pray and I’ll hear from heaven,
and I’ll heal your land.
You said, Your Glory will fill the earth,
Like water the seas.
You said, ‘Lift up your eyes,
The harvest is here. The kingdom is near.
You said, ‘Ask and I’ll give the nations to you.’
Oh Lord, that’s the cry of my heart.
Distant shores and the islands will see Your Light,
As it rises on earth.”
I love this song for so many reasons. One is that is reminds me of God’s promises to us. His Word tells us these things! We can cry out to God, knowing with full confidence that He has told us that His Glory will eventually fill the earth, that He will give the nations to us. His Word also calls us to GO and be Christ’s ambassadors, His messengers, to GO and make disciples of ALL nations/people groups.
When we were in Toronto, I got to see the urgency to go and preach the Gospel to all nations. It was such an eye-opening trip for me! We got to learn about such diverse cultures and various religions. One day we visited a Hindu temple. I wasn’t very familiar with the Hindu religion- I only really knew what I had been taught in my history classes. We learned that Hindus have over 330 million gods. I can’t even grasp how big a number that is! When we visited the temple, I got a taste of just how many gods that is though. The walls were all intricately hand-carved and shipped in from India. There were carved figures of gods covering the walls, from floor to ceiling, all the way around the temple. Everywhere you looked there were idols. People were praying to them, admiring them, and worshiping them.
It may be easy to just quickly pass over that thought, but as I was surrounded by all of this, I was suddenly struck with the truth of this. I was standing in the middle of this temple, surrounded by people who were worshiping millions of gods in vain, because they were devoid of the one true God. You guys- I can’t even articulate how important and urgent it is for us to go out and boldly proclaim the Gospel! This is real. Without God, people are going to hell. I don’t always see it so clearly. I often try to sugar-coat is as much as I can so that it is “less offensive.” But when I look at Scripture, it is very clear that Jesus is the only way to know God and get to heaven. I just hate to sound so “exclusive” and “judgmental.”
But as I was surrounded by all of these false gods, it really struck me. I might be afraid to boldly preach the Gospel, but we are all called to boldly preach the Gospel, to all peoples. Even if it is offensive. Even if they don’t believe me. Because, frankly- it’s not about me. It’s not about you. It’s about worshiping the one true God and giving Him the Glory that He is due.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYuWOx2pp38
“You said, ‘Pray and I’ll hear from heaven,
and I’ll heal your land.
You said, Your Glory will fill the earth,
Like water the seas.
You said, ‘Lift up your eyes,
The harvest is here. The kingdom is near.
You said, ‘Ask and I’ll give the nations to you.’
Oh Lord, that’s the cry of my heart.
Distant shores and the islands will see Your Light,
As it rises on earth.”
I love this song for so many reasons. One is that is reminds me of God’s promises to us. His Word tells us these things! We can cry out to God, knowing with full confidence that He has told us that His Glory will eventually fill the earth, that He will give the nations to us. His Word also calls us to GO and be Christ’s ambassadors, His messengers, to GO and make disciples of ALL nations/people groups.
When we were in Toronto, I got to see the urgency to go and preach the Gospel to all nations. It was such an eye-opening trip for me! We got to learn about such diverse cultures and various religions. One day we visited a Hindu temple. I wasn’t very familiar with the Hindu religion- I only really knew what I had been taught in my history classes. We learned that Hindus have over 330 million gods. I can’t even grasp how big a number that is! When we visited the temple, I got a taste of just how many gods that is though. The walls were all intricately hand-carved and shipped in from India. There were carved figures of gods covering the walls, from floor to ceiling, all the way around the temple. Everywhere you looked there were idols. People were praying to them, admiring them, and worshiping them.
It may be easy to just quickly pass over that thought, but as I was surrounded by all of this, I was suddenly struck with the truth of this. I was standing in the middle of this temple, surrounded by people who were worshiping millions of gods in vain, because they were devoid of the one true God. You guys- I can’t even articulate how important and urgent it is for us to go out and boldly proclaim the Gospel! This is real. Without God, people are going to hell. I don’t always see it so clearly. I often try to sugar-coat is as much as I can so that it is “less offensive.” But when I look at Scripture, it is very clear that Jesus is the only way to know God and get to heaven. I just hate to sound so “exclusive” and “judgmental.”
But as I was surrounded by all of these false gods, it really struck me. I might be afraid to boldly preach the Gospel, but we are all called to boldly preach the Gospel, to all peoples. Even if it is offensive. Even if they don’t believe me. Because, frankly- it’s not about me. It’s not about you. It’s about worshiping the one true God and giving Him the Glory that He is due.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYuWOx2pp38
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Nih'na Kulu Murasala
Nih'na kulu murasala ---> "We are all missionaries" in Arabic.
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”
-Acts 17: 24-27 (NIV)
God really showed me the truth of this verse while I was in Toronto. I was really convicted of my failure to live missionally in my daily life. I find it so much easier to pay money to travel hundreds or thousands of miles to share the Gospel with complete strangers, but I fail to see my daily life as an opportunity to share God’s love with others. 2 Corinthians 5: 20 tells us that we are Christ’s ambassadors. I am the worst ambassador ever! I am supposed to live each day as a representative of Christ- that is definitely sobering. I should live each day knowing that my surroundings are my mission field! We are all missionaries- not just those who serve in other countries. Some are called to international missions, but we are ALL called to be ambassadors right where we are. This passage in Acts tells us that God has placed us all somewhere for a purpose. Do we realize that? I don’t live like I know that. I waste my time while I’m at college. It is so easy to get caught up in planning for the future, but that leads me to waste the present! God has called me to CNU for a purpose. I may not know specifically what purpose that is- but God does.
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”
-Acts 17: 24-27 (NIV)
God really showed me the truth of this verse while I was in Toronto. I was really convicted of my failure to live missionally in my daily life. I find it so much easier to pay money to travel hundreds or thousands of miles to share the Gospel with complete strangers, but I fail to see my daily life as an opportunity to share God’s love with others. 2 Corinthians 5: 20 tells us that we are Christ’s ambassadors. I am the worst ambassador ever! I am supposed to live each day as a representative of Christ- that is definitely sobering. I should live each day knowing that my surroundings are my mission field! We are all missionaries- not just those who serve in other countries. Some are called to international missions, but we are ALL called to be ambassadors right where we are. This passage in Acts tells us that God has placed us all somewhere for a purpose. Do we realize that? I don’t live like I know that. I waste my time while I’m at college. It is so easy to get caught up in planning for the future, but that leads me to waste the present! God has called me to CNU for a purpose. I may not know specifically what purpose that is- but God does.
God Bless the Canadians.
For those of you who don’t know, I recently went to Toronto on a mission trip. I cannot even describe how awesome the trip was! I learned SO much. So, since I haven’t blogged in a while, I decided to try to write some blogs about it ☺
I’m sure you guys have figured out by now that I have been praying for a CNU hockey player (Ryan Dove, #9) for a few months now. God has been teaching me a lot, and one thing that He has been stressing recently is unshakable faith. I am so easily discouraged, y’all! I’ve only been praying for 6 months, and I’m already losing hope, wondering if Ryan will ever come to love the Lord. Shortly before I left for Canada, I was praying to God, wondering if my prayers were even doing anything. I know that God hears our prayers, but sometimes He says “no.” I know that He is sovereign and His plan is perfect, but I still hope that Ryan is saved. I don’t want God to say “no”! Anyway, I was praying a lot about whether or not my prayers really meant anything, if they were really doing anything. It’s hard to pray for someone you don’t know and can’t talk to! I have no idea where he’s at spiritually! So I was getting very frustrated.
But that does not justify me losing faith. I may not know where Ryan is at with his faith; but I do know how big my God is. I know that God is mighty to save, willing that none should perish, and sovereign over all creation. So why am I worried? If He wants to save Ryan, He will- I just need to be obedient in my call to pray for him.
Still, God knew that I was getting a little discouraged, and starting to doubt if I was even still being called to pray for Dove. So He gave me a little push in the right direction. He’s pretty great like that. ☺ On the ride up to Canada, I had been praying for Ryan a lot. The next day, we had to exchange our money over to the Canadian currency. I’m not sure how familiar you are with Canadian bills, but you should check out the $5 sometime. If you flip it over, you’ll notice that there are hockey players on the back. One of the hockey players has his back to the viewer, and he’s wearing a number on his jersey. What’s his number, you ask?
9. The same as Ryan Dove’s.
It may sound stupid, but that was so encouraging to me! I felt like God was confirming that I was still called to pray earnestly for Ryan, and that He was hearing my prayers. I may not know what’s going on in his life; I may not be able to talk to him, or invite him to church; but I can always be praying for him. And I know that God hears me. He may not answer the way I want him to, but He will hear me. And His answer will be perfect.
I’m sure you guys have figured out by now that I have been praying for a CNU hockey player (Ryan Dove, #9) for a few months now. God has been teaching me a lot, and one thing that He has been stressing recently is unshakable faith. I am so easily discouraged, y’all! I’ve only been praying for 6 months, and I’m already losing hope, wondering if Ryan will ever come to love the Lord. Shortly before I left for Canada, I was praying to God, wondering if my prayers were even doing anything. I know that God hears our prayers, but sometimes He says “no.” I know that He is sovereign and His plan is perfect, but I still hope that Ryan is saved. I don’t want God to say “no”! Anyway, I was praying a lot about whether or not my prayers really meant anything, if they were really doing anything. It’s hard to pray for someone you don’t know and can’t talk to! I have no idea where he’s at spiritually! So I was getting very frustrated.
But that does not justify me losing faith. I may not know where Ryan is at with his faith; but I do know how big my God is. I know that God is mighty to save, willing that none should perish, and sovereign over all creation. So why am I worried? If He wants to save Ryan, He will- I just need to be obedient in my call to pray for him.
Still, God knew that I was getting a little discouraged, and starting to doubt if I was even still being called to pray for Dove. So He gave me a little push in the right direction. He’s pretty great like that. ☺ On the ride up to Canada, I had been praying for Ryan a lot. The next day, we had to exchange our money over to the Canadian currency. I’m not sure how familiar you are with Canadian bills, but you should check out the $5 sometime. If you flip it over, you’ll notice that there are hockey players on the back. One of the hockey players has his back to the viewer, and he’s wearing a number on his jersey. What’s his number, you ask?
9. The same as Ryan Dove’s.
It may sound stupid, but that was so encouraging to me! I felt like God was confirming that I was still called to pray earnestly for Ryan, and that He was hearing my prayers. I may not know what’s going on in his life; I may not be able to talk to him, or invite him to church; but I can always be praying for him. And I know that God hears me. He may not answer the way I want him to, but He will hear me. And His answer will be perfect.
Friday, May 7, 2010
So...let's read our Bibles :)
I finished classes a few weeks ago, so I’ve had a lot of free time recently. I’ve been reading through a few books recently, namely The Pleasures of God by John Piper, Crazy Love by Francis Chan, and Too Busy Not to Pray by Bill Hybels. They’re definitely worth reading if you ever get the chance. In reading the books, I noticed first off the different tones of the writers. John Piper is very heavily soaked in deep theology, while still grounded deeply in Biblical truths. Francis Chan and Bill Hybels seemed to focus more on applying Biblical themes to life, and are also deeply rooted in Biblical truths. However, the books are all challenging in different ways.
Piper’s The Pleasures of God was VERY intellectually challenging. It is definitely something that needs to be read and reflected upon. It takes a lot of mental concentration and dedication. It is by no stretch of the imagination “light reading.” Francis Chan and Bill Hybels, on the other hand, are not quite as strenuous to keep up with; they are challenging in different ways. Piper challenges how we view God and uses TONS of Scripture to support what exactly God takes pleasure in. It was a book that was amazing at shaping doctrine and one’s perception of God. But it was definitely very saturated with deep theology and requires a great deal of commitment to pondering the doctrine contained in the chapters. Chan and Hybels present readers with a more elementary message, but a message that is nonetheless equally as eye opening and challenging.
Crazy Love holds Christians accountable to the Biblical standards of love. He simply presents Scripture and lets it speak for itself. He looks at what the Scripture honestly says, and doesn’t try to explain anything away. But it is still so challenging! It forces the reader to really evaluate how we are letting our lives be shaped by the Gospel, how we are obeying Christ’s commands. Hybels does much of the same thing. He challenges the reader’s view of prayer. He presents Scripture on how we are called to pray. He also offers practical steps that Christians can take to improve their prayer life.
While these two books may not be as soaked in deep theology, they are still deeply challenging. They call one to examine their life and see how exactly it lines up with the Scripture they preach. It is definitely humbling to read through some of these books and the Scripture passages the authors present and compare it to our lives. Jesus’s simple command to love seems easy enough to follow- but I fail to do it so often! Likewise, Scripture is very clear that we should pray, but I have only really started to pray constantly and earnestly recently. And I’m still learning about prayer- how God calls us to pray, why He calls us to pray, etc. These books are so helpful with providing me with a sobering view of myself, as well as an honest look at what Scripture says.
It is so amazing how simply Biblical truths and commands can sometimes be so enlightening to us, when we just take the time to actually look at them! Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love has become so popular recently! I know SO many people who have read it and loved it. However, is he really saying anything amazingly enlightened? I’m sure he would be the first to tell us that he has simply presented us with Scripture! Why is it that we have had these commands for centuries, yet we are still so amazed when we read them? We are so challenged by these commands! I am so grateful for authors like Chan who will honestly present the Scripture’s commands, and challenge us to live in light of them. I must also wonder though- what would happen if the Church actually started to read our Bibles with as much conviction? Instead of reading books about Scripture, why don’t we read the Scripture itself? That is where all of these challenges are coming from! Why don’t we go straight to the source of living water? I wonder how different the body of Christ would be if we took an honest look at Scripture, and strived to live in light of its commands?
Piper’s The Pleasures of God was VERY intellectually challenging. It is definitely something that needs to be read and reflected upon. It takes a lot of mental concentration and dedication. It is by no stretch of the imagination “light reading.” Francis Chan and Bill Hybels, on the other hand, are not quite as strenuous to keep up with; they are challenging in different ways. Piper challenges how we view God and uses TONS of Scripture to support what exactly God takes pleasure in. It was a book that was amazing at shaping doctrine and one’s perception of God. But it was definitely very saturated with deep theology and requires a great deal of commitment to pondering the doctrine contained in the chapters. Chan and Hybels present readers with a more elementary message, but a message that is nonetheless equally as eye opening and challenging.
Crazy Love holds Christians accountable to the Biblical standards of love. He simply presents Scripture and lets it speak for itself. He looks at what the Scripture honestly says, and doesn’t try to explain anything away. But it is still so challenging! It forces the reader to really evaluate how we are letting our lives be shaped by the Gospel, how we are obeying Christ’s commands. Hybels does much of the same thing. He challenges the reader’s view of prayer. He presents Scripture on how we are called to pray. He also offers practical steps that Christians can take to improve their prayer life.
While these two books may not be as soaked in deep theology, they are still deeply challenging. They call one to examine their life and see how exactly it lines up with the Scripture they preach. It is definitely humbling to read through some of these books and the Scripture passages the authors present and compare it to our lives. Jesus’s simple command to love seems easy enough to follow- but I fail to do it so often! Likewise, Scripture is very clear that we should pray, but I have only really started to pray constantly and earnestly recently. And I’m still learning about prayer- how God calls us to pray, why He calls us to pray, etc. These books are so helpful with providing me with a sobering view of myself, as well as an honest look at what Scripture says.
It is so amazing how simply Biblical truths and commands can sometimes be so enlightening to us, when we just take the time to actually look at them! Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love has become so popular recently! I know SO many people who have read it and loved it. However, is he really saying anything amazingly enlightened? I’m sure he would be the first to tell us that he has simply presented us with Scripture! Why is it that we have had these commands for centuries, yet we are still so amazed when we read them? We are so challenged by these commands! I am so grateful for authors like Chan who will honestly present the Scripture’s commands, and challenge us to live in light of them. I must also wonder though- what would happen if the Church actually started to read our Bibles with as much conviction? Instead of reading books about Scripture, why don’t we read the Scripture itself? That is where all of these challenges are coming from! Why don’t we go straight to the source of living water? I wonder how different the body of Christ would be if we took an honest look at Scripture, and strived to live in light of its commands?
Monday, April 12, 2010
Will you let Jesus spit on you?
A few nights ago I read through Mark 7-8. I’ve heard these stories quite a few times, but God really opened my eyes to some new lessons from these two chapters. There are two stories in particular that stood out to me. In Mark 7:31-37 Jesus heals a man who was deaf, and in Mark 8:22-26 Jesus heals a man who was blind. In both stories, Jesus leads the men away from the crowd, then spits on them somehow, and heals them. These similarities really opened my eyes to what is sometimes necessary in the process of healing. These miracles of healing that Jesus performed signify more than simple physical healing; they speak to a much deeper truth of eternal salvation. Jesus touches our lives, and we are never the same. We are saved from sin, and made alive in Christ.
When we look at these healing with that deeper implication in mind, it is quite humbling. Sometimes, Jesus has to lead us away from the crowd and spit on us in order to open our eyes and ears to the power of the Gospel. Many people aren’t saved when they are doing fine on their own- it’s when we are in need, when we feel alone, that we often turn to Christ. We have to constantly be reminded that we are dependent solely on Him. A lot of times in the Gospels, when someone is healed, it is also a humbling experience. The man with the withered hand was forced to expose his shame- he had to extend his withered, deformed hand in order for Christ to heal it. Additionally, many people were declared “unclean”, but Jesus touched them anyway. The priests declared Jesus “defiled” because of his interaction with people who were affected by diseases such as leprosy.
But Jesus still healed them! Even though our sin is so disgusting, that does not deter Christ from interceding on our behalf. He longs to save us from our sin. But first, we have to recognize our sin, and repent. We must extend our withered and diseased hand out to Christ so that He can heal us. Sometimes, in order to save us, he must gently lead us away from the crowd and out of the village. Once we are away from all of our comforts and alone with God, it is much easier for us to be healed. Often times, that healing doesn’t take place in the way we expect it to, either. In the stories found in Mark, Jesus spit on both of the men he was healing! I imagine that being spit on, in any culture, is typically insulting; it would definitely have been a humbling experience. But sometimes Jesus just has to spit on us to bring us healing! That spit could represent many things; the first thing that comes to my mind is trials and hardship. Many people are saved when they are going through a hard time and feel alone. But sometimes suffering is necessary! It isn’t that God is sadistic! It’s just that we learn certain lessons best through suffering. Scripture tells us to rejoice in our suffering! We have to trust that ultimately, God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). These men mentioned in Mark’s gospel were desperate for healing. They were willing to be led away from their comforts, willing to be spit on in public. Are we willing to do that? Or do we freak out whenever God asks us to step outside of our comfort zone? I certainly hope that I would trust in him enough to let him lead me away from the crowd, and to spit on me if necessary. Following isn’t always easy- but in the end it brings healing.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
HUGE NEWS.
You all know that I’ve been praying for the hockey team and for Ryan for a few months now. Recently, I decided to take a more active approach…
I may have anonymously mailed him a New Testament. :D
They’re passing out New Testaments at my church as a way of encouraging us to witness to our friends. It’s really cool! I got this Bible a few weeks ago, and decided to send it to Ryan. It has this 30-day reading plan to provide a “quick look” at the New Testament and its general messages. I also sent Ryan a notebook with notes on some of these passages, helping explain some of the deeper theological applications. I wrote a note, explaining that I just really wanted him to have the opportunity to read the Bible. If I believe what the Bible says is true, then why wouldn’t I be sharing that with others?! I explained that I wasn’t trying to pressure him, but I really wanted to at least give him the chance to read through the New Testament, and the opportunity to hear about what Jesus did for him. In the notebook, I went through the crucifixion and just explained some of the basics as to WHY Jesus had to come, and the symbolism and significance behind His death on a cross. I just want him to have the chance to hear the Gospel!
I also gave him an email address to email me if he had any questions. I didn’t want to just send him this Bible, then leave him to explore on his own; that would be lame. Well- he emailed me! You guys- I cannot even BEGIN to tell you how excited I am!!! He said that he really appreciated the prayers and the Bible. He also said that once his schedule lightens up a bit, he is going to start reading through everything, and that he’s really excited to start reading through it!!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE continue to pray for him! Pray that God would open his eyes to the mystery of the Gospel; that he would be saved; that God would transform him in to a man of God; that He would bless him with a powerful ministry. Pray that God would help him to live out the Scriptures, especially 1 Timothy 6:11-12, 1 Kings 2:2-3, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, and Ephesians 6: 10-20.
Please continue to pray for him you guys. We’re talking serious prayer-warrior style here. If you have to write it on your hand, set a reminder on your phone, wear a rubber band around your wrist- whatever you have to do to remind yourself to send up a prayer for him! I am not messing around with this. This is something that is constantly on my heart and in my prayers, so PLEASE join me by committing to pray for him for at least a few minutes each day. I pray that God would be glorified through Ryan’s salvation and through our prayerful battle on his behalf.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Are you strong?
“Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn…”
-1 Kings 2:2-3
I stumbled upon this passage one day….and I’m a big fan. It has been great to apply this to my life and to pray that God would transform me in to this type of person. It is also so cool to see how the Bible defines “showing yourself a man.” Masculinity has nothing to do with weight lifting, sports, burping, or fixing cars. It has to do with keeping the commands of the Lord! How awesome is that?! I mean, not that I am masculine or anything, but it is really eye opening to see how the Bible defines strength. It isn’t someone who displays physical strength- it is someone who is deeply rooted in Christ. So, this verse is particularly applicable to men; this is one way the Bible defines a strong man.
Ladies- now I’m going to speak to you. This verse isn’t dismissible for us! Just because it says to “be strong and show yourself a man” doesn’t mean that we can stop reading and say, “OK, this one doesn’t apply to me. Next!” Proverbs 31 describes a woman of God. In verse 25, it tells us that “strength and dignity are her clothing.” This verse in 1 Kings applies to us too! We are called to be strong in the Lord. This verse is not only describing strength for men; it is describing strength for all Christians. Ephesians 6:10 tells us something similar: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”
As Christians, we are all called to be strong in the Lord! Do we live like that? Do we know that our strength is in Christ? Do we really rely on Him to strengthen us when we feel weak? Do we expect Him to come through for us?
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Armor of God. Oh yeah- I'm ready to fight.
In the past few weeks, I have been going through Ephesians 6: 10-20. This is the section that discusses the armor of God. What awesome imagery! We so often forget that we are caught in a battle! I am usually so content to just sit by and watch life happen; I am so hesitant to jump in to the battle and fight boldly for God!
I recently went to an Admirals hockey game. The game went into overtime, then to a shoot-out. They played this epic video compilation of movie clips from these inspiring pre-battle speeches. They used movies like Braveheart, The Gladiator, 300, Lord of the Rings, etc. It definitely made you eager to go into battle and fight for something! It was awesome! It was meant to get you geared up for battle; that is what this passage of Scripture is intended to do too.
This passage of Scripture tells us to find our strength in the Lord and to put on the whole armor of God so that we will be able to stand firm again our Enemy. Paul reminds us that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against enemies that are not tangible- the “spiritual forces of evil.” Therefore, we must take up the armor of God. I love that he explains why we need the armor of God before explaining what exactly the armor of God is.
When he starts to explain what exactly comprises the armor of God, I noticed something. We are only given one offensive weapon- everything else is defensive! We are given the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” That is why it is so essential that we read our Bibles! That is the only weapon that we have to wound the devil! When Jesus is tempted by the devil, He uses Scripture to rebuke him (Luke 4:1-13). Guys, it is imperative that we study Scripture!
The other thing that really stuck out to me was the shield of faith. It reminded me of three movies scenes. The first one was from Lord of the Rings. In one of the movies, enemy troops are attacking a city. The city was surrounded by walls, so the enemy troops were trying to infiltrate the city by breaking through its walls. As they were approaching, they held their shields around them, as a protective barrier. Some guys held their shields above their heads, protecting the top, and the guys around the perimeter held their shields beside them, protecting their sides. The soldiers from the city tried to take out the enemy troops as they approached the walls of the city, but they could not break through the shields. They were shooting flaming arrows, but they would simply be deflected off the shields.
The second scene was from 300. The Spartans were battling the Persian army, and they were vastly out-numbered. The Persians tried to take out the Spartan troops by firing arrows at the troops. There were so many arrows that they blocked out the sun! That is a lot of arrows! But all the Spartans had to do was kneel behind their shields. Their shields were able to block all of the arrows. The Spartans literally just laughed at the Persian’s attempt at attack. We can rest securely behind out shield of faith and simply laugh at the devil’s attempts at attacking us. We know that our strength lies in Christ.
Another scene that I thought of from 300 was when King Leonidas is explaining the battle strategy of the Spartan army. Each man holds up his shield at shoulder height; if one man cannot hold up his shield, then the battle line is broken, and the entire unit is now vulnerable to attack. The shield is an essential part of the battle strategy! We must take our faith seriously; it is so important to our defense against the devil’s attacks.
Paul also mentions being constant in prayer. I rejoice to think that even if I am simply praying in my room, I am fighting in the battle against the Enemy. In praying for Ryan’s salvation, I could be a warrior for Christ! I desperately hope that in all these prayers for Ryan, we are robbing the devil of one more soul that he thought he had. I pray that God would make Ryan a mighty warrior for Christ; that God would give Ryan a powerful ministry and would speak powerfully through his testimony one day. I long to see him join the battle for Christ against the “cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil.” I pray that one day, Ryan would understand the “mystery of the Gospel of Christ.” Not only that, but I pray that one day, he would also boldly declare this Gospel.
This particular passage has really encouraged me to become more active in my faith. I want to be a serious threat to the Enemy; I want to be a threat in the battle! I don’t want to just sit by and wait for others to fight for me. I want in on the battle! We know Christ has already won! What could we possibly be afraid of?! So I pray that I would “keep alert with all perseverance,” and that I would “boldly proclaim the mystery of the Gospel.” Care to join me in the battle? God doesn’t promise an easy fight, but He has already guaranteed a victory.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Trying to keep things in perspective
God has been convicting me of a lot of different things lately. It has been very eye opening. I’ve definitely been learning a lot about myself that I was previous unaware of. One thing that God has really been showing me is that I have a very selfish, short-term view of things. I typically only focus on the hardships that I am going through, or only really care about how something is going to affect me. I have really been working to fix that about myself in the past few months. I have definitely noticed a difference in how I react to situations. I am much more willing to help people now; I am focused more on their needs. I am not perfect (not even close!), but I can tell you that I have definitely noticed an improvement in my attitude since I have stopped focusing on myself so much. It doesn’t seem quite so inconvenient to help someone, once I have put things in perspective. Christ has called us to love and serve others (John 13:34-35). He tells us that when we serve others, it is like we are serving Him (Matthew 25:35-45), that we should do all things for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31), as if we were serving Him and not man (Ephesians 6:7).
I have really started to realize how spoiled I am. I live in this amazing apartment where I have my own bedroom and my own bathroom. I have running water, electricity, air conditioning, heating, a kitchen, a washer and a dryer. I live right next to a grocery store, where I can go any time of day, to buy any amount of food I want. I get to be picky about if I want white rice, or brown rice; whole wheat bread, or white bread. But I will still get upset if the store is out of the particular brand or type I wanted! But I have food. Everyday. I get to choose what I eat, when I eat. People in other countries don’t know IF they get to eat! The kitchen light in our apartment went out a few weeks ago, and housing still hasn’t fixed it. I wish I could say that I had kept a positive attitude about it. I have definitely tried to. I try to remind myself that people in other countries don’t even have electricity. Fortunately, I have gotten a little bit better at keeping things in perspective, but I still have so much room for improvement. It is amazing how quickly I feel like I am entitled to something. It has been so humbling to have God open my eyes to how selfish I really am.
I have also started to really realize how selfish I have been with the Gospel. I hardly share my faith with people! I am so ashamed to say that. I really need to work on that. If I really believe in the Bible, then why would I not be sharing my faith?! The Bible tells us that people who aren’t believers are going to go to hell. Do I really realize how serious that is? Apparently I don’t, because I am still silent. That just sickens me. Why am I not bolder? I need to be sharing the Gospel with urgency, with persistence! Please pray that God would give me (and you) more opportunities to share my faith. I pray that He would give me the words and the courage to boldly share the Gospel with others. I am so thankful that God is starting to convict me of this. I never really realized the urgency, because I have always grown up around other Christians. So I was never close with any one who would have been going to hell. If someone died, people would always be comforted by the fact that they were in heaven with Jesus.
Then, two years ago a girl that I was on cheerleading with committed suicide. She was not a Christian. It totally shook me. She was the first person I knew well who had died. We weren’t best friends or anything, but it was so sobering! I had interacted with her everyday, and hadn’t shared my faith with her. What if I had? Would she have become a Christian? Would she still be alive today? I think of her whenever I am too afraid to share the Gospel with someone. It definitely helps put things in perspective. What do I have to loose by sharing my faith with someone? They might think I am weird. But compared to the eternal life they could gain if they decide to put their faith in Christ- it isn’t even comparable.
God has really been convicting me of this using Ryan. I don’t know this guy, but I can’t bear the thought of him going to hell! That is why it is so imperative to share the Gospel! If we aren’t sharing, how are people supposed to hear? (Romans 10:14) I pray that God would give me opportunities to tell others about him; I especially pray that He would put people in Ryan’s life who would point him to Christ; that God would open his eyes to the mystery of the Gospel (Ephesians 6:19-20), that God would give him eyes to see and ears to hear (Matthew 13:16), that Jesus would intercede on his behalf (Romans 8:34). In praying for Ryan, God has really started to show me how important it is that we are sharing our faith with others. It is essential, not optional. I cannot even begin to tell you how grateful I am that God has blessed me abundantly with the burden to pray for Ryan. Through this prayerful battle on his behalf, God has really started to give me a heart for those who are not saved yet and has taught me that evangelism is essential. Praise God!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Romans is not exactly what I would call "light reading"!
In studying Romans, specifically Romans 8, 9, and 10, I have been working hard to stay true to Scripture, to comprehend what it is saying, and learn to rejoice in the Truth that it reveals. But it has been so difficult! It is so hard for me to picture God rejoicing in His wrath (Romans 9:22, Luke 19:27). If He truly desires for everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4) and delights to show His mercy (Exodus 34:6, Micah 7:18, Matthew 9:13), then how can He also rejoice in sending His creation to hell? I have had SUCH a hard time wrestling with this portion of Scripture! I don’t want Ryan to be lost/dead in sin. That brings me such pain, you guys. To know that Ryan is blind to the Truth right now… that's not fun for me to think about. I mourn his sin (and my own) everyday and long for him to be saved and come to love Christ as his Lord and Savior.
But, God’s glory is the most important thing; whether He is glorified through Ryan’s salvation, or if He is most glorified through what I’m learning through this prayerful battle. God’s justice means that He must be wrathful (Romans 9:19-24). But if He weren’t just, He wouldn’t be God, He wouldn’t be worthy of our worship. I’m still working through this, trying to wrap my mind around all of it and learn to rejoice in this part of God’s character. Obviously, I’m not quite ready to rejoice in it yet. I can worship Him in that, but I just can’t find joy in His wrath right now. I’m beginning to understand it mentally, but it is still so hard for me. I can’t imagine rejoicing in the fact that Ryan (and everyone else who isn’t saved) is going to be sent to hell. It’s even harder because the God that I worship and adore is the One sending him there. And it is so that I will know the riches of His glory (Romans 9:22-23). I deserve hell! Why would God save some, but not others? Why me and not Ryan? I know that it is to display His glory, but how does He choose? Do my prayers for Ryan mean anything? Will he ever be saved? Can I really influence God in that way, like Abraham did in Genesis 18? Or is this just a way to teach me more about God’s character? (ß Not that that’s a bad thing! That’s awesome, and I am so thankful to be learning so much about God and His character. It is just so painful to think that Ryan wouldn’t be saved through this!)
I’m trying to trust God’s sovereignty in this, and I’m trying so hard to learn to be okay with His plan, no matter how different His plan is from mine. Even if that means that Ryan is never saved, but is instead sent to hell to remain separated from God forever. That is SO unbelievably hard for me to accept. Just the thought of Ryan being sent to hell is so upsetting to me.
But that is the God that we serve. This is His character. It is laid out for us plainly in His Holy Word. This is Scripture, and it cannot be ignored. I am going to serve and worship God- ALL of God. Not just the parts of Him that are easy for me to accept. I just pray that God would open my mind and change my heart so that I can really continue to learn more about His character- His entire character-and that I would learn to rejoice in it.
...That I may declare it boldly, as I should...
Recently, I’ve been struggling to reconcile the command to tell others boldly about Christ, what He is doing in my life, and how the Gospel is true and powerful in my life (Ephesians 6:20, 1 Thessalonians 2:2, Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 4:5-6) with the command to pray/do good in secret (Matthew 6:1-6).
I have been striving to speak boldly about God’s power and sovereignty in my life, to live affected and transformed the Gospel. That is why I have asked so many people to partner with me in praying for Ryan. I want God to be glorified through this. God has been teaching me so much and has been moving in such powerful ways- it would just be wrong to keep it all to myself. How would He be glorified through that? I need to proclaim the Gospel boldly- not just Christ crucified, but also what Christ is continuing to do! The Gospel is not dead! Why do I live like it is? Why do I act like I serve a dead, uninvolved God? He loves us like children (1 John 3:1)! Do we live like that? Do we really believe and hope that God will answer our prayers? Do I pray boldly? Or do I ask for the small things, not wanting to dream too big for God? God wants us to be bold, to be confident (Hebrews 4:16)! The apostles, the prophets, even Jesus Himself- they were not timid men. They boldly proclaimed God’s Name. Scripture was constantly on their lips and in their hearts (Luke 6:45, Romans 10:8). Is that true of me?
The habit I have gotten in to now, however, is simply blogging about it. I don’t often talk about it. I need to speak!! (Romans 10:14, 17). Please hold me accountable in that!
But then there’s also the issue of the command to pray in secret. I also need to be sure that my motive is pure. This is something that I usually try to be very cautious of; I want to be sure that my actions are coming from a pure heart that desires the glory of God, not my own glory. But that is hard to do sometimes! I want others to see Christ through me, not see me. But does that mean that I should keep all of this to myself due to the fear of falling into pride? NO! Friends- I have come to realize that is the Enemy trying to convince me to stay silent. He doesn’t want me boldly declaring what my God has done in my life! Because that is powerful. When people see how God is actively working, they might be interested in learning more.
The point Jesus is making in Matthew is that our actions should stem from a desire to please and glorify God, not man. If I am praying and acting like a “good Christian” to impress my friends- that is not pleasing to God. He desires my heart, not just my reputation. My actions should be genuine. Would I do them if no one were watching? Or do I do them because people are watching? Whose glory am I working for?
Under Pressure
“It is God who justifies.” –Romans 8:33
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” –Romans 8:37-39
“’Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord of Hosts.” –Zechariah 4:6
In reading through these passages of Scripture, I have been so humbled. I understand the doctrine of grace, but sometimes, I just don’t live in light of it. I try to earn things by God- like I can be “righteous” enough to earn His favor! I am still a sinner! With out the atoning blood of Christ- I am nothing! I am separated from God; unclean; a vessel of wrath; a child of darkness; I am lost. But I still get stuck in the mindset of having to “earn” things with God. I think, If I’m a good Christian, then maybe God will answer my prayers. Maybe He will reward me for “good behavior.” How ridiculous is that?
And yet- I have been doing this as I pray for Ryan’s salvation. I catch myself thinking, If I just pray long enough, often enough, hard enough- then God has to save him. Like God owes ME something! Sometimes, I really need to learn to view myself in light of Ecclesiastes 5:2- “God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.” God knows everything. He has planned everything. Nothing happens that He doesn’t know about, and consent to (Hebrews 2:6-8). He already knows how all this is going to turn out. He knows if Ryan will be saved. I don’t, but I need to be confident in God’s sovereignty, in His omnipotence. He knows what is best.
Not only that, but if Ryan will be saved one day, Scripture tells us that nothing can separate him from the love of Christ! Nothing can separate any of us from the love of Christ! Scripture also tells us that it is God alone that saves. We can see both of these points illustrated in the Scripture quoted at the beginning of my post. So Ryan’s salvation (and my own) doesn’t depend on how badly I want it, how often I pray for it, how many people are praying for it- those are all wonderful things; but those are not what will be responsible for someone’s salvation. It is definitely Biblical and good for us to be praying for the unsaved, to surround them with the prayer of many believers; but we are ultimately saved by God’s grace, not the works of man (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is not my prayers that will save Ryan. It is the God who hears those prayers who will save Him. To Him be the glory. Not me.
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