Being Faithful

"We are not called upon to be successful, but to be faithful." 

~ Mother Teresa

It has been quite some time since I have written a blog. Enough time for me to go on a few missions trips, move to a different state, and complete my BA. All of these are big and exciting events in life. However, what about the in between events? The mundane tasks that we stumble through, as we daydream of something bigger and better. I admit I am guilty of this "daydream living," as I go through the day to day, wishing for something else. But when we are absent in mind, are we being faithful where God has us? Are we serving Him with our whole being?

This is not to say that we should not set goals and look forward to the adventures that life has for us. However, we must realize that while we may long for changes and the completion of goals, nothing on earth will satisfy our deepest desires. And when we seek the things of this world as an end unto themselves, we find ourselves echoing the Qoheleth of Ecclesiastes:

"Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 1:2, ESV).

Truly, unless everything we do is for the glory of God, then all is vanity. Our efforts keep us occupied, yet they offer no lasting satisfaction. But what if in every area of our lives, we sought to bring glory to God?

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31, ESV).

I present the challenge not to just daydream of the big, but to be faithful in the present. No matter our age, gender, location, occupation, relationship status, etc. God can use each of us where we are at for His glory. But He calls us to be faithful. It is not always easy, but we can trust Him. And He will lead us where we need to be, when we need to be there, and who we need to be with.

Pure: Mind, Body and Spirit

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things"

- Philippians 4:8

     As followers of Jesus Christ, we are told to dwell on good, honest, noble and pure things. Are we dwelling on pure things? In Rebecca St. James' book "Pure," we see that purity is not only physical, but something that we should also strive for spiritually and mentally.

"Striving to live a pure life physically is obviously a huge goal, but in addition, the way you turn over your fears and priorities to God, the way you forgive others, the way you think about every subject in your life --and your life to come-- are also part of living a pure life before your Father."

- Rebecca St. James, Pure

     Purity starts from the inside out. What we think about and what we let into our minds will be reflected in our words and actions. So what are we allowing our minds to dwell on? What are we allowing to seep into our souls? When we have the choice of exposing ourselves to something wrong (e.g. through movies, music, etc.), which choice are we making? Of course, somethings we cannot really help; we are constantly exposed to stuff, so something is bound to make an impression. But are we dwelling on it?

"We all face times in life when we find that we, in our humanness, are not sufficient for the task at hand. That’s when we also have the opportunity to discover firsthand that in our weakness, God is strong" (ibid.).

     God knows the intentions of our hearts, which we, being human, are not always the purest. But He is strong and He can make us clean; God can make us pure. How wonderful is that? When we accept Christ into our life, God begins to clear the cobwebs of sin from our spirit. And then when we begin to delve into His word and seek His will, we find our minds dwelling on pure things. And then it is reflected in the way we live.

"There are many reasons why I believe purity is so important. I am passionate about purity because it works. I am passionate about purity because it protects me --and my future husband and kids. I am passionate about purity because it is romantic and beautiful. And I am passionate about purity because it makes my Father smile. Many people think of being pure as an action --something they must do-- rather than approaching it as something they can be" (ibid.).

If I Only Had a Brain

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt."

- Mark Twain

     You find yourself in a conversation about your Christian faith, your beliefs upon various subjects, etc. When all of a sudden the person you are with asks, "Why do you believe that?" Caught off guard you might timidly say, "Because the Bible says so." "Where?" He/ she counters.  And you freeze. Where does the Bible say that?

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

- 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

     The Bible tells us to always be prepared to give an answer for the reason we believe what we believe. God gave us a brain to think and reason with; we can't effectively be His ambassadors, if we don't take the time to learn about what and Who we are representing. Now obviously we are not going to have the answer to everything; sometimes we'll just have to say, "You know what, I don't know" (and that can be really hard to say). However, we need to study God's word and seek answers.

     Below are several suggestions to help you "renew your mind" and find answers.

               - As you are reading your Bible, and doing your devotions, keep a notebook by you. List the categories that you want to find verses on. Each time you find a verse, write it down.

              - Listen to theology podcasts (ask your parents or someone at church what they recommend).

               - Read theologically sound books

     By studying God's word and learning more about Him, the next time we encounter a conversation about our beliefs, we will be able to discuss our views intelligently and in a way that is glorifying to God. And who knows, maybe the answers we give can help bring someone to Christ. God gave us brains, it is time we used them for His glory.

"The mind of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning and persuasiveness to his lips."

- Proverbs 16:23 (AMP)

You Don't Define Me

"Put on the new self, which is being renewed in the image of its creator."

-  Colossians 3:10

     What are we reflecting? What/who do we turn to for our definition? Our culture has set up an image of what we are supposed to be like. We are told we have to act, think and dress a certain way. This is what we call expressing our individuality (although we're being like everyone else). But we aren't called to conform to the world's image; we are called to conform to God's image.


     This is a pretty hard task for all of us to tackle, especially when we are constantly told the exact opposite (e.g. you must watch this movie, everyone else is; you must look this way, everyone else does; you must do this, everyone else has). Plus, we are only human, reflecting God doesn't come easily to us. However, instead of being a reflection of the world, we should pray that God will help us to reflect Him. Our definition should be found in God.


     We can try to look for meaning elsewhere, but it will never satisfy us. One fad leads to another, and we are just left wanting more. So we may not watch what everyone else is; we may not look like super models; and we may not be cool. But God doesn't call us to be cool; He calls us to be faithful. It is time that we stood up, and looked at the image the world wants us to model and say, "You don't define me." We are created for so much more, than just to fit in. And we will never fulfill our calling, until we let God define us, and we put on the image of our Creator.

"Every one of us... is deeply longing for something on the inside... Every one of us is unhappy, and nothing can make us happy until we find God... God has made us so that we're not complete until He has His place in us."

- The Iron Lady (Gilbert Morris)

Guarding Your Mind

"Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think of these things."

- Philippians 4:8 (KJV)  

     Today, we have fallen into the habit of thinking that we can allow anything into our minds and it is "okay." When watching a movie with a "bad" scene, we often hear, "I am an adult, so I can watch it," or "my parents don't care, so I can watch it." But some things just shouldn't be in anyone's mind. Period! 


     We need to guard our minds from those things that are corrupt, and focus on pure and virtuous things. But today, in every store that we walk into we are bombarded with trash. Magazines, movie titles, CD covers: they all are filled with profane, pornographic, unwholesome content. And we don't bat an eye! Why? Maybe, it is because we are taught that it is alright, and that there are no moral absolutes. But just because everyone else thinks it is acceptable, it doesn't mean that it is right.

"To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it."

- G. K. Chesterton

     I am not trying to be judgmental or condemning of others, but I think that we should not be afraid to speak the truth. How is it alright to allow these things in our mind, when they cause women to sell themselves, men to struggle with pornography, and young children to hear and see things that no one should? Instead of accepting these things, it should break our hearts. 

 "God is trying to raise up a generation dedicated to purity.  It's time we stop trying to get as close to the line as we can. We need to challenge ourselves and not just get by doing what everyone else is doing. God's standards should be our standards. Not stupid Hollywood standards. You were created for so much more than to just fit in."

- Lauren Barlow

     We aren't called to follow the crowd! We aren't called to mimic the world! We are called to stand firmly upon God's word, even if the rest of the world thinks we're nuts. We are called to "be transformed" by God's standards. No one has ever changed the world, by looking and acting like everyone else.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

 - Romans 12:2 (ESV)

A Mouth for the Speechless (Part 2)

"The greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion, which is war against the child. The mother doesn't learn to love, but kills to solve her own problems. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want."

- Mother Teresa

     Abortion: a branch of what started as something called eugenics. Its primary purpose: to make a super human race - a Utopia. But until Roe v. Wade abortion was illegal. 
     
      "Besides being immersed in eugenics, Roe v. Wade was founded on lies. 'Jane Roe' was really Norma McCorvey. This single, pregnant woman was used by two lawyers to legalize abortion. She never knew anything about the case or its proceedings except that she could get an abortion when the case was over. She never went through with the abortion. The first thing she heard about the case was on the news when Roe v. Wade was decided and abortion was made legal.
     "Roe v. Wade’s companion case, Doe v. Bolton, which made abortion legal in all three trimesters of pregnancy for virtually any reason, had a similar situation. 'Mary Doe’s' real name was Sandra Cano. Her husband was in jail, her kids had been placed to foster care, and she was pregnant at the time the lawyers approached her. When she agreed to be Doe, she thought it was to get a divorce and to get her children back.
     "They tried to convince her to have an abortion, but she wouldn’t agree to one because she believed abortion was wrong. She had no idea that her case would become the infamous Doe v. Bolton. Now both women are followers of Christ and are trying to reverse their cases (Cavanaugh-O’Keefe, The Roots Chapter Thirteen)." But until the abolition of abortion, many innocent children are dying.

To read more on the history of abortion CLICK HERE.

     Abortion was legalized in the U.S. in 1973, so for the last thirty-eight years women have had the choice to get rid of their "little problems." But exactly how many have made that choice? Below are the statistics (taken from  http://bound4life.com/statistics which based their statistics upon "the most-cited sources regarding abortion").


Abortions worldwide: 46 million babies are aborted ever year (approximately one baby is aborted every two seconds).


Abortions in the United States: since the legalization of abortion in 1973, approximately 50 million children have been aborted (one third of all pregnancies end in abortion).


Causes for abortion: 
98% personal choice (AKA: it was inconvenient).
1.7% the health of the mother or child was at stake.
0.3% (3 out of every one thousand) rape/incest.


     Only 2% of abortions are actually due to a difficult situation. But just because there was a difficult situation, does it make abortion any better? 

"Repay no evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable." - Romans 12:17 (ESV)

     480 physicians signed a public statement that abortion is never necessary to save a woman's life. They stated: "I agree that there is never a situation in the law or in the ethical practice of medicine where a preborn child's life need be intentionally destroyed by procured abortion for the purpose of saving the life of the mother" (http://all.org/article.php?id=10682). 

     Furthermore, "a child conceived through rape or incest does not deserve the death penalty for his or her father's crime...research shows that the victim of either crime is likely to suffer more if she resorts to abortion." (Pro-Life Action League, Sharing the Pro-Life Message, p. 34).

     The founders of our nation said that we are all created equal, and that we should all have equal rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Abortion takes away these rights. Abortion is the depravity of life from a baby, but no innocent human should be killed. It does not matter what title you give it; murder is murder. And it is our duty to stand for the innocent, to help those in need and to be a "mouth for the speechless."

"When my bones were being formed, 

carefully put together in my mother's womb, 

when I was growing there in secret, you knew that I was there- 

You saw me before I was born."

- Psalm 139:15-16 (GNT)

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you."

- Jeremiah 1:5 (ESV)

"The more that you read, the more things you will know."

"I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! ...When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library."

           - Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

     The novel is almost a lost form in our society. Yea, we read what we absolutely have to for schoolwork, but the line is drawn there. Many can graduate high school and never read a full book. Those who do read for fun stick to "Twilight," "A Diary of a Wimpy Kind" and other "popular" books (but hey, their making movies of them so why bother? :P ). But what about Jane Austen, C. S. Lewis, Charles Dickens and the other great authors of past generations? It used to be that every young man and woman would have to have a thorough knowledge of classic literature, and now many do not even know the names of these authors.

     On The Rebelution an article was recently published, called "Boys Who Read," which explores the decline of literacy in America. “Throughout history more lives have been changed through books than by any other means," They begin. "Books are important. Reading is important. Charles Spurgeon, the prince of preachers, wrote: 'The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains, proves that he has no brains of his own.' If that is true are generation is largely brainless. We don't read."

Click here: to read the full article, "Boys Who Read."

     The founding fathers of America made sure that everyone could read, because they didn't want anyone getting swindled by the authorities. It happened to the people of Europe, and the pilgrims didn't want this to happen to America. But our nation has moved from being one of the most literate countries in the world, to one of the most illiterate. And without the ability to read and discern documents for ourselves, we can be easily manipulated.

     So what was the last book you read? Did it "renew your mind?" Read much, so that your mind can learn and think and grow. In the wise words of Dr. Seuss, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."