"Follow God's example in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to him.
Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God's people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is really an idolater who worships the things of this world. Don't be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the terrible anger of God comes upon all those who disobey him. Don't participate in the things these people do. For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But when the light shines on them, it becomes clear how evil these things are. And where your light shines, it will expose their evil deeds. This is why it is said,
"Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light."
Ephesians 5:1-15
Throughout the years of my Christian journey I've had friends who have stumbled and fallen, and I've stumbled and fallen. We're not perfect people, though we're striving for perfection. Throughout our journey its certain that we will fall if only for God to be glorified and pick us back up again.
We're called to be imitators of Christ. That means that though we're imperfect, we're supposed to strive for perfection. We're supposed to imitate the attributes of God much like little children often try and imitate their parents. I remember when I was little I would sneak into my mom's closet and put on her business suits and try to be just like her. I've learned throughout the years that if we imitate something long enough, we actually become like it. We actually start to exude the attributes of the subject we're imitating without even trying, they become part of us.
I've also seen people take on negative attributes. When I was starting middle school my parents warned me not to join "the wrong crowd". I didn't really know what that meant. And I was smart, I knew I wasn't going to become friends with bad people. When I got to my new school I started hanging out with the first girls I met. I didn't really notice that they had bad attitudes or were trouble makers because they were the only people I knew at the time. A couple weeks in to school I realized that my little group of friends were always getting into trouble. I had joined the wrong crowd and didn't even realize it! I had started getting in trouble with them, and picking up their attitude. I realized that I'd done exactly what my parents had warned me about, and it scared me enough to drop my friends and make new ones.
When we're striving to be like God, we're automatically walking in light. Our past is forgotten and forgiven, and the old has become new. We no longer have shame in Christ because all we're doing is for His glory, and all we've done is forgiven. And though we may feel fake at first, or not worthy of God's attributes, when we imitate Him long enough, His attributes become our own. When we're walking in light, our life is like a beacon to others. God is glorified through us and the sins of others are revealed through Christ's presence within us. Just our very presence in a room with someone else who is walking in darkness can convict that person because Christ is shining through us. His light becomes our light, and He lends His name to ours. We carry His name when we're called Christians.
However, Satan can sometimes twist truth. He is an expert at what he does. Ephesians 6:11 says, "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." The word "wiles" there in the Greek actually means "military strategies". Hell is not a disorganized place. On the contrary, it is very organized. The devil plans his attacks to the very smallest detail and is as organized in his strategies as an army, as the cleverest army. We have to remember, the devil isn't dangerous because he's obvious....he's dangerous because he's devious.
That's why it is so important, the Bible says, to put on the "whole armor of God". This includes, "having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:14-17
So how do we know if we're walking in light or if we're walking in darkness? The simple answer is: are we hiding anything? Are we ashamed of something in our lives? Are we doing something that we think God would not approve of? Does it line up with His word? The Bible is an excellent source of answers to questions that we may have. It is a very practical tool for our lives and God gave it to us for a reason and has sustained it for thousands of years in its original context for a reason. Its there so we might be able to know more of God's attributes and imitate them. God gave us the Bible so we might know Him more.
I'll leave you all with this final scripture:
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" 1 Peter 2:9
Guys, we are called to be His imitators. Imitate Him that the best might be brought out in us, that He may do through us what He wills to change the world. We were made to proclaim the praises of God, the One who has CALLED us out of DARKNESS to walk in His MARVELOUS light. He has so much more planned for us than we could ever imagine. He has so much more for us than what anyone or anything could ever offer us. Lets be imitators of Him. Lets come into our true calling as Christians.
If you're not content with where your life is, if you're feeling empty, if you feel stagnant in your relationship with God, stand up and start to follow Him. Start to imitate Him. Love others, give generously, put away sexual sins, selfish ambition. Strive for more and He will meet you.
Walk in His light.
So I found this incredible article by a woman named Paulette Arteaga about the Christian with low self-esteem. I think my biggest struggle is self worth, and not believing Satan's lies that I'm worthless. Sometimes I have days, or even weeks where it seems like every interaction I have with people lead to a negative conclusion on my part. That I either annoy them, or talk to much, or aren't cool enough to be their friend. Its always something. Also, often I find that when I'm struggling most with self-esteem, Satan will attack me through people. I've had days where people rip into me for something I didn't do right, or something I'm not doing enough of, and it makes me feel like more of a failure.
But I know down deep that these are all lies, and that Satan is threatened by the work God wants to do with my weaknesses.
Anyway, when I found this article, it really spoke to me and also put into words what I could not, so I wanted to share it.
" "Be sober, (be well balanced) be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion (in fierce hunger), walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." - Ist Peter 5:8
Some of the most powerful weapons in Satan's arsenal are psychological. Fear is one of these. Doubt is another. Anger, hostility, worry, and of course, guilt. Long-standing guilt is hard to shake off; it seems to hang on even after a Christian claims forgiveness and accepts pardoning grace. An uneasy sense of self-condemnation hangs over many Christians like the Los Angeles smog. They find themselves defeated by the most powerful psychological weapon that Satan uses against Christians. We call it low self-esteem.
Low self-esteem is a gut-level feeling of inferiority, inadequacy, and low self-worth. This feeling shackles Christians in spite of wonderful experiences, in spite of their faith and knowledge of God's word.
I believe God grieves over this. He weeps over the paralysis of our potential through low self-esteem. Jesus told a parable about the talents. The man with the one talent was immobilized by fear and feelings of inadequacy. Because he was so afraid of failure, he didn't invest his talent, but buried it in the ground and tried to play it safe. His life was a frozen asset -frozen by fear of rejection by the master, fear of failure, fear of comparison to the other two who were making their investments, fear of taking a risk. He did what a lot of Christians do with low self-esteem - nothing. And that is what Satan wants for us as Christians - that we will be so tied up that we are tied down, frozen, paralyzed, settling into life far below our potential.
We wrap our fears in morbidly sanctified self-belittling. Self - crucifixion. What happened to our dreams? Where is the vision God put before us? What wrecked it? Our sins and transgressions and bad habits? I doubt it. Probably our dream has been delayed or destroyed because Satan tricked us into thinking of ourselves as grasshoppers or worms. And as a result we never realize our full potential as a son or a daughter of God. We are filled up with fears and doubts, inferiority, and inadequacy. Think about our relationship with God. It follows quite naturally that if you consider yourself inferior or worthless, you will think that God really must not love and care for us. Such thinking often leads to those inner questions and resentments, which begin to foul up our relationship with God. After all, isn't it somewhat His fault that we are this way? He made us as we are. He could have and probably should have done it differently. But He didn't. And then we become critical of our design, and it isn't long before we blame the designer. This is how our concept of God becomes contaminated and our perception of how He feels about us gets all mixed up, finally ruining our relationship with Him.
And last but not least low-self esteem sabotages our Christian service. What is the biggest obstacle that prevents members of the body of Christ, (metaphor of the community of Christians) from functioning as parts of the body? What is the first thing people say when you ask them to do something in the body of Christ? "Teach a Sunday school class? I can't stand up in front of people." "Share at the next ladies's meeting, or men's conference? Oh, I couldn't do that!" "Go knocking on doors? That would scare me to death."
Pastors are nearly drowned in the torrent of downgrading that pours over us in excuses for not doing God's work. "Pastor, I'm tongue-tied. Public speaking is not my gift, but I can do something else." You know everybody can do something and function as a give of his gift in the body of Christ.
Did you ever notice that God doesn't choose superstars to do His work? For example Moses - who lost no time in telling the Lord about his stuttering, to Mama's boy Mark - who, ran out on Paul and Barnabas. Paul was right when he said that not many wise and noble, neither many supermen nor many wonderwomen, are on this team (go to Corinthians 1:26-31).
The trouble with our low-self esteem is that it robs God of marvelous opportunities to show off His power and ability through our weaknesses. Paul said, "Therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities." Why? Because they gave God such a wonderful chance to show off His perfection (2nd Corinthians 12:9-10). Nothing sabotages Christian service more than thinking so little of yourself that you never really give God a chance.
We must never forget who we are, what we are and how much God loves us. We must give God a chance to shine his perfection through us."
Source: http://www.inspiredchristian.org/cyber/012901pa.html
Hey Everyone!
Okay, I'm like the worst secondary blogger in the world! Ah! I'm sorry I haven' written on this thing in awhile.
I wanted to talk a bit about bondage tonight. I love a Christian walk. I love the term, "Christian walk". I think it so perfectly defines life and our relationship with God. In my own life I certainly have had major ups where I just coast through life and my relationship with God is strong and unwavering, and I've had downs where I've had to really climb hills and mountains and struggle to maintain my relationship with God. There have been times where I've fallen into sin, or depression and I've had to make a conscious decision to get back up and follow God.
I have so many wonderful friends that God has blessed me with, and I've seen them go through trials and be enslaved to some sort of bondage in their lives. I've also had the privilege of walking with my friends through their struggles and seeing God do amazing things in their lives.
Bondage can be anything that is keeping you from feeling God's joy. It can stem from bad relationship, downheartedness, brokenness, legalism, and also from sin. I've seen a lot in my life, and in other's lives that particularly past sin can keep someone in bondage. Even after you've repented and asked God's forgiveness and moved on, the memory of the past can keep you down. It can keep you from God's joy.
I've found that the only way I can bring myself out of bondage is to first recognize that I'm in bondage. I have to pray sometimes and ask God to search me. My first hint is if I'm feeling depressed or discouraged about something. Depression and discouragement have no part with God. Once I realize why I'm depressed or discouraged I have to make a decision to give whatever it is that is bothering me to God. Sometimes, surrender can be the hardest part of our relationship with the Lord. I think its flawed human nature that makes us want to hold on to things and stay in complete control. God should be in control, that is His nature. But that means that we open ourselves up to vulnerability when we allow God to be in control of any situation. I'm learning as life goes on that everytime I give something to God, in the end He totally blesses it.
So I challenge everyone to take a look at their life and see if you're in bondage to anything. Ask God to reveal to you if anything is keeping you from His joy. Then I encourage you to surrender it. Jesus came to set the captives free, and He will always be faithful to fulfill His promises to us.
So, a new blog! Surprise! This one is quite a bit different from my other blog, I really want this blog to focus on improving the health of our souls.
Goodness that sounds a bit strange. The title of this blog sounds a bit morbid too. Its really not. What I mean by "Breaking the broken" is, breaking the spirit of brokenness upon a person. The Bible says,
"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, because the LORD has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD's favor has come, and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the LORD has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory." - Isaiah 61:1-4
Jesus came to set captives free. I've learned that someone in captivity is a person who is being kept from life's fullness. Brokenness, being broken by anything, keeps us from life's fullness.
And sometimes, brokenness can lead to life. God can use it to lead us back to Him. One thing I know for sure is, if His plan does include allowing us to be broken, He'll restore us more abundantly than we can ever imagine.
I can't wait to start writing more! Hopefully we'll have some good discussion, and really draw close to God through what we talk about!
So, as this new chapter of my life is openend, and this new blog is started, I pray that people will be freed from their brokenness in their lives, and, if anyone encounters brokenness along this journey of life, that this blog will help put things in perspective a bit more.
Blessings!
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