Before I started this blog, I talked more about God and faith on my other Myasthenia Gravis blog. So for anyone just reading this blog or didn't tune in until after those posts, I am linking them right here for you to read. Thank you to everyone who's been so supportive to me through this struggle. I appreciate you.
Appreciate
Random Optimism
Unclutter
God Speaks
Expanding on My Thoughts
PE Update
Thankful
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Repentance
Repentance. What does this mean? We're all told to repent and be forgiven, but do we understand what we must do? In the Christian definition it is to turn away from sin.
To repent you should first recognize that which you did wrong and admit it, own up to it. More so, you should self reflect on how this hurt another including God, how it made them feel by the action you did wrong. You should truly feel sorrow and regret for that which you are sorry for. Otherwise saying sorry is simply put, a lie.You should apologize to the other and to God, and ask for forgiveness. But it's not just saying sorry, it's having actions to defend your words. That involves a pivot 180 degree turn and walking in the opposite direction, no longer doing that which is wrong but doing that which is right. You are making a deliberate choice to say no to evil, no to the devil, no to the sin, and yes to Jesus- the way, the truth, the life.
In doing that you are on your way to accepting Jesus if you haven't already. You are admitting that in being human and imperfect, you are a sinner. You are admitting the sins you have committed and asking for forgiveness for them. You are choosing then to walk in the way of Jesus. In that you then must commit to Him, believe in Him, and invite Him into your life.
This doesn't mean, hey God make my life better now I believe in you. Think about it- put into a form we can understand, if we have 10 people interviewing for a job and 9 of them who showed they worked hard and were good employees and then 1 who just showed up for the pay check, would we even consider that 1? Probably not. Now God wouldn't want to turn away from anyone but why should He want to give you blessings when all you give him is disgust? Sadly, I think the world today is more like 9 who do nothing and 1 who does something, and even that something is probably far less than it could be. So basically if you want God to answer your prayers, be a part of your life, bless you- you should absolutely show Him you mean it, that you are serious about following Him and living for Him. Read your Bible, if you don't have one go get one. There are actually plenty you can request online for free so money can be of no excuse. Pray. Praying can be as simple as having a conversation with God like you do with a friend. Surround yourself with believers and join a church and church groups to educate yourself on Jesus and what it means to be a Christian.
So next time you say you're sorry, do you really mean it? Did you do all of that which is involved for repentance? Furthermore, what is floating out there in your life that you have yet to repent? Why not make today the day that you settle that matter? W hy not make today the day you welcome Jesus into your life if you haven't already? It's not too late no matter how far off track you strayed. It's not too late no matter how much you did wrong. God would LOVE for you to own up to those sins and turn your life over to Him to a life of love and joy.
Sin is of the devil and the devil is full of lies. What appears enticing is nothing more than a trap to get you far off down the wrong path. What seems easy will only be much harder in the long run. Nothing that is worth it is simple. What may bring a moment of joy is nothing more than false fulfillment that ends in regret. True joy only comes from Jesus. Don't let the devil win. Jesus is the way, the TRUTH, the life. And the truth will set you free.
The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 1 John 3:8
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17
To repent you should first recognize that which you did wrong and admit it, own up to it. More so, you should self reflect on how this hurt another including God, how it made them feel by the action you did wrong. You should truly feel sorrow and regret for that which you are sorry for. Otherwise saying sorry is simply put, a lie.You should apologize to the other and to God, and ask for forgiveness. But it's not just saying sorry, it's having actions to defend your words. That involves a pivot 180 degree turn and walking in the opposite direction, no longer doing that which is wrong but doing that which is right. You are making a deliberate choice to say no to evil, no to the devil, no to the sin, and yes to Jesus- the way, the truth, the life.
In doing that you are on your way to accepting Jesus if you haven't already. You are admitting that in being human and imperfect, you are a sinner. You are admitting the sins you have committed and asking for forgiveness for them. You are choosing then to walk in the way of Jesus. In that you then must commit to Him, believe in Him, and invite Him into your life.
This doesn't mean, hey God make my life better now I believe in you. Think about it- put into a form we can understand, if we have 10 people interviewing for a job and 9 of them who showed they worked hard and were good employees and then 1 who just showed up for the pay check, would we even consider that 1? Probably not. Now God wouldn't want to turn away from anyone but why should He want to give you blessings when all you give him is disgust? Sadly, I think the world today is more like 9 who do nothing and 1 who does something, and even that something is probably far less than it could be. So basically if you want God to answer your prayers, be a part of your life, bless you- you should absolutely show Him you mean it, that you are serious about following Him and living for Him. Read your Bible, if you don't have one go get one. There are actually plenty you can request online for free so money can be of no excuse. Pray. Praying can be as simple as having a conversation with God like you do with a friend. Surround yourself with believers and join a church and church groups to educate yourself on Jesus and what it means to be a Christian.
So next time you say you're sorry, do you really mean it? Did you do all of that which is involved for repentance? Furthermore, what is floating out there in your life that you have yet to repent? Why not make today the day that you settle that matter? W hy not make today the day you welcome Jesus into your life if you haven't already? It's not too late no matter how far off track you strayed. It's not too late no matter how much you did wrong. God would LOVE for you to own up to those sins and turn your life over to Him to a life of love and joy.
Sin is of the devil and the devil is full of lies. What appears enticing is nothing more than a trap to get you far off down the wrong path. What seems easy will only be much harder in the long run. Nothing that is worth it is simple. What may bring a moment of joy is nothing more than false fulfillment that ends in regret. True joy only comes from Jesus. Don't let the devil win. Jesus is the way, the TRUTH, the life. And the truth will set you free.
The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 1 John 3:8
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17
Friday, June 21, 2013
Love
God wants me to write and today the theme shall be love.
When you think of the word love what comes to mind? Probably your significant other, maybe other family, maybe friends... then your mind drifts to flowers, chocolate, teddy bears and cuddling? What that describes is not the truest of true love. There are multiple types of love but I'm going to talk about one, the highest, most important one.
True love comes from God for "God is love." This type of love is Agape love. It is a selfless, sacrificial, unconditional type of love. It is the highest form of love you can have. I believe in order to have this love, God needs to be a part of your life, for again, God is love. Without God, how can you have a sacrificial love? God shows this love to us constantly, because no matter what, He will love us, He will forgive us, He will carry us through. And that, is how we are supposed to act towards another. Turn to God and strive to live as Jesus lived.
I believe this to be a verb rather than a noun. You are giving the gift of oneself to another no matter what, not dependent on how the other treats you, not dependent on your feelings, not dependent on any outside circumstance, argument, anything. True, unconditional love never fails. Never. You are making the choice to love.
So what if God is not the center of your life, or even a part of your life? Can you have this type of love? I have to believe not. If you say you are "in love" you are most likely referring to the romantic, physical type of love. If you say you love a person, you are probably referring to a friendship or brotherly type of love. But without God there will not be Agape love, and without Agape love, something will always be missing... and you might not even know it until it happens. And if you think about it, if you lack the unconditional part of love what is the foundation? Feelings are fleeting and that foundation perhaps without agape love may crumble. You can tell someone "always and forever" but that forever is the part is one only God can bring. What you really should say then is "until I decide otherwise."
What I'm getting at is if you want true love, accept God into your life. It's never too late. The door to God is always open and He wants to invite you in. He wants to transform your life. He wants to make it better. He wants to forgive you. He wants to love you and send forth His love through you to others. What if He treated you the way you treat Him... and thus forgot about you, ignored you, hurt you, rejected you, yelled at you, pretended you didn't exist? Ouch. That would be one rough life. Life is rough enough as it is. But instead He loves you unconditionally. Love Him unconditionally, and in return you can love others unconditionally. And let me tell you, what a joy it is to have a heart that can do that.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8
When you think of the word love what comes to mind? Probably your significant other, maybe other family, maybe friends... then your mind drifts to flowers, chocolate, teddy bears and cuddling? What that describes is not the truest of true love. There are multiple types of love but I'm going to talk about one, the highest, most important one.
True love comes from God for "God is love." This type of love is Agape love. It is a selfless, sacrificial, unconditional type of love. It is the highest form of love you can have. I believe in order to have this love, God needs to be a part of your life, for again, God is love. Without God, how can you have a sacrificial love? God shows this love to us constantly, because no matter what, He will love us, He will forgive us, He will carry us through. And that, is how we are supposed to act towards another. Turn to God and strive to live as Jesus lived.
I believe this to be a verb rather than a noun. You are giving the gift of oneself to another no matter what, not dependent on how the other treats you, not dependent on your feelings, not dependent on any outside circumstance, argument, anything. True, unconditional love never fails. Never. You are making the choice to love.
So what if God is not the center of your life, or even a part of your life? Can you have this type of love? I have to believe not. If you say you are "in love" you are most likely referring to the romantic, physical type of love. If you say you love a person, you are probably referring to a friendship or brotherly type of love. But without God there will not be Agape love, and without Agape love, something will always be missing... and you might not even know it until it happens. And if you think about it, if you lack the unconditional part of love what is the foundation? Feelings are fleeting and that foundation perhaps without agape love may crumble. You can tell someone "always and forever" but that forever is the part is one only God can bring. What you really should say then is "until I decide otherwise."
What I'm getting at is if you want true love, accept God into your life. It's never too late. The door to God is always open and He wants to invite you in. He wants to transform your life. He wants to make it better. He wants to forgive you. He wants to love you and send forth His love through you to others. What if He treated you the way you treat Him... and thus forgot about you, ignored you, hurt you, rejected you, yelled at you, pretended you didn't exist? Ouch. That would be one rough life. Life is rough enough as it is. But instead He loves you unconditionally. Love Him unconditionally, and in return you can love others unconditionally. And let me tell you, what a joy it is to have a heart that can do that.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Better or Best
It has become more and more apparent to me how others talk to and treat another. It's astonishing actually. But in noticing others, it is a must that we examine ourselves. By changing ourselves, improving the way we talk and act, we will in return outwardly exist to better the lives of others. Ripple effect, or so that is the hope.
Why do we point the finger? Why are we SO quick to pass judgement on another, to blame another, to compete and be better than another? Why do we together discuss, more so gossip, about another's life instead of working on our own? Furthermore, why is it at another instead of inward upon ourselves? Why do we find the need to change everyone before changing the only person we actually have the power to change, ourselves?
I will focus in on one reason I feel this is...My thought is in the human realm we want to feel better and how do you get to the word better.. by comparing to something that is worse. For you can't have "better" without having "worse" just like you can't have light without having darkness. And so we resort to putting others down, whether intentional or not, in order to be at that "better" status. What does this come down to? Pride, pretty much. And pride is a root sin through which other sins are derived. We want to be proud, sitting atop this mountain of accomplishments saying "hey look what I did! look at me look at me!" even if just saying that to ourselves to make ourselves feel better. Even if that mountain is nothing more that a compilation of lies.
But that mountain of accomplishments beneath you- is it really an accomplishment? Is it a solid ground or base to stand on for the rest of your life? Think about it. You feel pride or accomplishment or "better" because you have a home, a car, a high paying job, "things." Guess what. Every single bit of that can be taken away in an instant. And then what do you have left? That mountain is nothing more than a little raise in flat ground that you can trip over. And trip over you will when you lose all that and realize you have no grounds to stand upon.
The mountain we should stand atop is the mountain of faith in Christ. Turn over pride to instead take on humbleness. Turn over all of the deadly sins in return for God's great blessings. Make that your mountain to stand on. God can raise you higher than any earthly matter. In losing you will gain and in gaining you are on the way to eternal life. There is no need to compare ourselves to another, to put down another, to compete against another. All we must do is turn ourselves over to Christ and instead of being "better" be the "best" we can be with His spirit shining through us. The good news is we can all do this, we can all be our best version of ourselves. We can ALL be the BEST all at once!
We can all do this now. It doesn't matter if you're 16, 30, 60 or God bless you 100. You still have the opportunity to make your life what God intended it to be. As life goes on and the years go by we see it as less time, less opportunity, no point in starting now or starting over. But there is every reason to, right now no matter what your age, no matter what the time, no matter anything. Everything is on God's time and since God is forever, I don't think time really matters to Him. He'd love for you to turn to Him no matter what and no matter when. He'd love for you to express your sins, ask for forgiveness and trust in Him as your Lord and Savior. In being human, we all sin, but we are given this amazing blessing of forgiveness if we can just hand over that pride and say let Your will be done Lord. There is no better time than now, for now is the only moment we know we have.
So, stop competing, stop hurting others, stop pointing the finger, stop judging, stop gossiping, stop anything that is putting others down instead of raising them up. Then work on raising yourself up in Christ. And when others do these hurtful things to you, forgive them for they know not what you know now. Love them anyways. Pray for them.
(I feel the need to apologize that this post is very all over the place, but at the same time felt compelled to get this out, and thus you have it- a raw but honest message.)
There are six things the Lord hates—
no, seven things he detests:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill the innocent,
18 a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong,
19 a false witness who pours out lies,
a person who sows discord in a family.
Proverbs 6:16-19
Why do we point the finger? Why are we SO quick to pass judgement on another, to blame another, to compete and be better than another? Why do we together discuss, more so gossip, about another's life instead of working on our own? Furthermore, why is it at another instead of inward upon ourselves? Why do we find the need to change everyone before changing the only person we actually have the power to change, ourselves?
I will focus in on one reason I feel this is...My thought is in the human realm we want to feel better and how do you get to the word better.. by comparing to something that is worse. For you can't have "better" without having "worse" just like you can't have light without having darkness. And so we resort to putting others down, whether intentional or not, in order to be at that "better" status. What does this come down to? Pride, pretty much. And pride is a root sin through which other sins are derived. We want to be proud, sitting atop this mountain of accomplishments saying "hey look what I did! look at me look at me!" even if just saying that to ourselves to make ourselves feel better. Even if that mountain is nothing more that a compilation of lies.
But that mountain of accomplishments beneath you- is it really an accomplishment? Is it a solid ground or base to stand on for the rest of your life? Think about it. You feel pride or accomplishment or "better" because you have a home, a car, a high paying job, "things." Guess what. Every single bit of that can be taken away in an instant. And then what do you have left? That mountain is nothing more than a little raise in flat ground that you can trip over. And trip over you will when you lose all that and realize you have no grounds to stand upon.
The mountain we should stand atop is the mountain of faith in Christ. Turn over pride to instead take on humbleness. Turn over all of the deadly sins in return for God's great blessings. Make that your mountain to stand on. God can raise you higher than any earthly matter. In losing you will gain and in gaining you are on the way to eternal life. There is no need to compare ourselves to another, to put down another, to compete against another. All we must do is turn ourselves over to Christ and instead of being "better" be the "best" we can be with His spirit shining through us. The good news is we can all do this, we can all be our best version of ourselves. We can ALL be the BEST all at once!
We can all do this now. It doesn't matter if you're 16, 30, 60 or God bless you 100. You still have the opportunity to make your life what God intended it to be. As life goes on and the years go by we see it as less time, less opportunity, no point in starting now or starting over. But there is every reason to, right now no matter what your age, no matter what the time, no matter anything. Everything is on God's time and since God is forever, I don't think time really matters to Him. He'd love for you to turn to Him no matter what and no matter when. He'd love for you to express your sins, ask for forgiveness and trust in Him as your Lord and Savior. In being human, we all sin, but we are given this amazing blessing of forgiveness if we can just hand over that pride and say let Your will be done Lord. There is no better time than now, for now is the only moment we know we have.
So, stop competing, stop hurting others, stop pointing the finger, stop judging, stop gossiping, stop anything that is putting others down instead of raising them up. Then work on raising yourself up in Christ. And when others do these hurtful things to you, forgive them for they know not what you know now. Love them anyways. Pray for them.
(I feel the need to apologize that this post is very all over the place, but at the same time felt compelled to get this out, and thus you have it- a raw but honest message.)
There are six things the Lord hates—
no, seven things he detests:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill the innocent,
18 a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong,
19 a false witness who pours out lies,
a person who sows discord in a family.
Proverbs 6:16-19
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Miracle Testimony
This post is a slightly different one. What I'm about to share here will end up being another's story but ties in with my own. I am sharing this with her permission as I feel it is powerful and speaks volumes of God's saving grace, love and healing.
Last night, I was researching about spiritual gifts, pondering what mine is, when I felt a voice interrupting that thought process to tell me that my overall purpose is to call others to Christ. I know as Christians we should all be doing this, but this was instructed to me with such conviction, and I've felt this same calling before, almost like an epiphany of my true purpose in life. Furthermore, it was then said to me that right now I am supposed to call one specific person to Christ. one specific person and I was told who that person was. I kind of shrugged it off almost feeling like I made it up because it was too crazy of a thought to be of real intent. And I went to sleep.
Fast forward to this morning... I'm going through my morning as I normally do and eventually sign on to facebook. I received a message from a friend. She was recently in a car accident and I knew about the car accident. What I did not know about the car accident and what she proceeded to tell me out of the blue was this...
This message from her said that the seat belt for the seat she was in was broken... it was broken before the accident, it was broken after the accident.. it wouldn't lock into place. But she said at that moment of the accident, the seat belt worked. She said by all facts she technically shouldn't be alive right now... but that seat belt, the broken seat belt, for an instant was no longer broken and saved her life.
She is an atheist and I knew this already... but she proceeded to tell me that I am the only person she is sharing this part of the car accident with because she feels no one else would understand. She said she doesn't believe in God, but, in that moment... she wondered...
And how could you not? Praise God for such an amazing miracle and saving her life!
Now, this is the part that really brought chills to my spine, in a good way... At the moment of reading this message she sent me, I remembered my night last night, and my instruction of calling one specific person to Christ. Guess what? That person was her. Wow. Absolutely wow. I don't think I can portray how amazing this is through written word here. I was instructed to call her to Christ, knowing she is not a believer, and here I receive a message from her with this amazing story, almost feeling like it was an invitation to do just that- call her to Christ.
So I told her all this and invited her to open her heart to God. Now I don't know what will become of it and I am learning myself what it means to call others to Christ without being overbearing or pushy, so I need to be careful in how and what I do and say. But the joy I felt from sending this invitation is amazing. The joy I felt from this miracle of God through her is amazing. I know God is calling her, I know God wants her as one of His own and I pray she will open her heart to Him. And until then I will be here however I can for her, especially to be used as a vessel for God's love.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20
Last night, I was researching about spiritual gifts, pondering what mine is, when I felt a voice interrupting that thought process to tell me that my overall purpose is to call others to Christ. I know as Christians we should all be doing this, but this was instructed to me with such conviction, and I've felt this same calling before, almost like an epiphany of my true purpose in life. Furthermore, it was then said to me that right now I am supposed to call one specific person to Christ. one specific person and I was told who that person was. I kind of shrugged it off almost feeling like I made it up because it was too crazy of a thought to be of real intent. And I went to sleep.
Fast forward to this morning... I'm going through my morning as I normally do and eventually sign on to facebook. I received a message from a friend. She was recently in a car accident and I knew about the car accident. What I did not know about the car accident and what she proceeded to tell me out of the blue was this...
This message from her said that the seat belt for the seat she was in was broken... it was broken before the accident, it was broken after the accident.. it wouldn't lock into place. But she said at that moment of the accident, the seat belt worked. She said by all facts she technically shouldn't be alive right now... but that seat belt, the broken seat belt, for an instant was no longer broken and saved her life.
She is an atheist and I knew this already... but she proceeded to tell me that I am the only person she is sharing this part of the car accident with because she feels no one else would understand. She said she doesn't believe in God, but, in that moment... she wondered...
And how could you not? Praise God for such an amazing miracle and saving her life!
Now, this is the part that really brought chills to my spine, in a good way... At the moment of reading this message she sent me, I remembered my night last night, and my instruction of calling one specific person to Christ. Guess what? That person was her. Wow. Absolutely wow. I don't think I can portray how amazing this is through written word here. I was instructed to call her to Christ, knowing she is not a believer, and here I receive a message from her with this amazing story, almost feeling like it was an invitation to do just that- call her to Christ.
So I told her all this and invited her to open her heart to God. Now I don't know what will become of it and I am learning myself what it means to call others to Christ without being overbearing or pushy, so I need to be careful in how and what I do and say. But the joy I felt from sending this invitation is amazing. The joy I felt from this miracle of God through her is amazing. I know God is calling her, I know God wants her as one of His own and I pray she will open her heart to Him. And until then I will be here however I can for her, especially to be used as a vessel for God's love.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
False Disciples
Old me was negative, critical, judgmental. I also had good qualities but for the sake of this post I'm focusing on the not so good ones. Well there were some who would only focus on those not so good ones as well. They would not notice, bring forth, or care about the good qualities. They were always telling me whenever I did something wrong or bad, even if that was only due to their perspective without knowing the full story. They were very quick to point out everything wrong about me, but no where to be found if I did something well or said something positive.
New me is much more positive, uplifting, loving and clearly focused on God and Jesus. And now these same people somehow manage to turn that into a negative. "Give it up." "Let it go." "Focus on something else." etc. etc... about my relationship with God! You would think those who wanted me to be more positive would be incredibly happy that I listened to their advice (though that is not at all how it came to happen) and be happy for me. But it's entirely the opposite.
Worst of all, these people claim to be Christian. That's hard to swallow. And, I used to fall into that group. Proclaiming to be something I was not in my words and actions. And that's one big proclamation to make right there. Christian. God loving person. Follower of Christ. Not being Christian is one thing, but calling yourself one and then living in a way that in no way demonstrates that is another.
Unfortunately there are many people like this out there. But it is the job of us as Christians, saved followers of Christ, to strive to live like Jesus- lose more of ourselves and become more like Him. It is our job to always strive to act and talk the best we can, be a disciple of Jesus. It is our job to put Jesus first, before spouse, before family, before friends and especially before anything material or worldly. It is our job to spread the good Word, spread God's love. It is our job to live in a way that draws more people to Jesus. Do not mistaken, we ourselves cannot save the unsaved. God's saving grace alone can do that. But we can invite people in to the way, the truth, the life and help them develop a relationship with Jesus.
Unfortunately, there are some people out there that no matter what you say or do they will take the opposite stance, similar to the example above. If you say black, they say white. If you say go, they say stay. Realize that if you are living in a way that is Biblical and portraying of God's love, you are not doing wrong in this and the problem is not with you even if they try to convince you otherwise. If you are living for Jesus, stand your ground and do not be moved. Stand strong and stand tall for God is your refuge and strength. "If God is for us, who could be against us." You still have the job of spreading God's love, no matter how much others continue to bring you down and tell you you are wrong. Living in a way that is Biblical is not wrong. It is right, no matter what others try to convince you of. Don't let the way of the devil draw you in through others false proclamation or sinful ways of living. What may be attractive or immediately rewarding is no reward in the long run. The way of the Christian isn't said to be easy, but it is said to be worth it.
Don't give up on anyone. Live by example and pray for them regularly. There will always be those who take the opposite stance no matter what the stance is, those who seem to want you to be as far away as possible from anything good while saying otherwise. Those who convince themselves they are doing what is good and right, but blind to the truth. If their actions don't match their words, don't believe their deceitfulness. The devil is always trying to pull us his way and don't think he won't use your closest friends and family to do just that. Just live in the way you know is right, no matter what. Always live for Jesus.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" Matthew 7:21-23
New me is much more positive, uplifting, loving and clearly focused on God and Jesus. And now these same people somehow manage to turn that into a negative. "Give it up." "Let it go." "Focus on something else." etc. etc... about my relationship with God! You would think those who wanted me to be more positive would be incredibly happy that I listened to their advice (though that is not at all how it came to happen) and be happy for me. But it's entirely the opposite.
Worst of all, these people claim to be Christian. That's hard to swallow. And, I used to fall into that group. Proclaiming to be something I was not in my words and actions. And that's one big proclamation to make right there. Christian. God loving person. Follower of Christ. Not being Christian is one thing, but calling yourself one and then living in a way that in no way demonstrates that is another.
Unfortunately there are many people like this out there. But it is the job of us as Christians, saved followers of Christ, to strive to live like Jesus- lose more of ourselves and become more like Him. It is our job to always strive to act and talk the best we can, be a disciple of Jesus. It is our job to put Jesus first, before spouse, before family, before friends and especially before anything material or worldly. It is our job to spread the good Word, spread God's love. It is our job to live in a way that draws more people to Jesus. Do not mistaken, we ourselves cannot save the unsaved. God's saving grace alone can do that. But we can invite people in to the way, the truth, the life and help them develop a relationship with Jesus.
Unfortunately, there are some people out there that no matter what you say or do they will take the opposite stance, similar to the example above. If you say black, they say white. If you say go, they say stay. Realize that if you are living in a way that is Biblical and portraying of God's love, you are not doing wrong in this and the problem is not with you even if they try to convince you otherwise. If you are living for Jesus, stand your ground and do not be moved. Stand strong and stand tall for God is your refuge and strength. "If God is for us, who could be against us." You still have the job of spreading God's love, no matter how much others continue to bring you down and tell you you are wrong. Living in a way that is Biblical is not wrong. It is right, no matter what others try to convince you of. Don't let the way of the devil draw you in through others false proclamation or sinful ways of living. What may be attractive or immediately rewarding is no reward in the long run. The way of the Christian isn't said to be easy, but it is said to be worth it.
Don't give up on anyone. Live by example and pray for them regularly. There will always be those who take the opposite stance no matter what the stance is, those who seem to want you to be as far away as possible from anything good while saying otherwise. Those who convince themselves they are doing what is good and right, but blind to the truth. If their actions don't match their words, don't believe their deceitfulness. The devil is always trying to pull us his way and don't think he won't use your closest friends and family to do just that. Just live in the way you know is right, no matter what. Always live for Jesus.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" Matthew 7:21-23
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