Ebb and Flow

I have a theory that, as believers, we go through an ebb and flow in our relationship with God. I also think this ebb and flow is specific to each person. Some of us are closer to God when everything seems right in the world, we are on top of everything, and nothing seems to be able to get us down. That is when we worship the loudest, pray the most, and find ourselves in the Word the most.

Then there are those of us who move closer when the going gets tough. When everything goes wrong, our car breaks down, our finances seem to be coming up short, the whole world becomes a scary place and sends us running back under the cover of our Father. We seek Him out to make sense of the world and our problems. We read the Word trying to find solutions and we pray constantly, asking for answers and help and giving thanks when we feel the need to remember that things aren't so bad.

While being closer to God is good, why don't we stay close all the time? When we are at our most thankful and also when we are at the bottom of the pit and need a hand? Why do we struggle to see God in the good? Or struggle to seek Him in the dark?

Priority check.

Cell phones, the internet, TV, Facebook, Twitter, work, relationships. There is so much going on in life right now. Our focus doesn't stay in one place for very long. We don't do the same task for very long, or make sure it has slight variations, with a few exceptions. We as a society like to be stimulated and often. I myself find this true. I get bored easily, but am luckily easy to entertain.

With all of the stimuli we have in our lives, it is so easy to become distracted. Lose focus on things that matter (or at least should matter) and focus on such mundane and trivial things. Family can take a back seat. Our faith can take a back seat. Where do we place importance? Is it on the small things we do that we won't remember in a week from now? Or is it on something that will make an impact years from now? I've been struggling to stay focused and remember what my priorities are and I took a minute on my lunch break today to look at some verses I had written down over time. Colossians 3:2 "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things." Caught my attention. Time for a priority check, how about you?

Why Follow the Bible??

For some people, it is hard to understand why I (and probably the majority of Christians, though I can only speak for myself) follow the Bible. If I claim to not be religious (I'm not), then how do I follow this book? The Bible isn't religious, it is how people use the Bible that becomes religious. When you begin to use what is in the Bible to condemn people, or to persecute people, or to exclude people from your fellowship, then you become religious. If you use the Bible and your own actions to adopt a "holier than thou" attitude, then that is religious. Using the Bible to judge people is religious. 

I follow the Bible, I tithe, I go to church, I worship, I pray, I serve all because I love God. I don't do it out of condemnation. I don't do it because I want to impress people. I don't do it because it brings me favor with people (it really doesn't. Quite the opposite really). I do it because I love God. It's natural. When you love someone (God) you do everything you can to keep that person happy. You do everything possible to make them proud. You go out of your way for them. This is how our relationships should be with Christ. When that changes, we need to change something (just had a realization there for myself). 

John 14:15 states "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." and 2 Corinthians 9:7 "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

I love God. Serving Him and following His Word make Him happy and make me feel fulfilled. 

Being Yoked: Friends, Dating, Relationships.

I've been encountering something that I never thought would be such a big deal to me. As a Christian in the dating world, I never thought that dating an unbeliever would be an issue. I can understand that some people have an issue with God or are angry at Him or haven't encountered God in a real way yet. The closer I get to  God, and I believe the closer anyone gets to God, the more important this detail becomes. The main verses people use when referring to this are 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. To sum it up, a believer cannot be yoked equally with a non believer. Light has no reason to fellowship with the darkness. When you aren't fully leaning on God, this doesn't seem to make a difference. The more you lean on Him, the more these words make sense.

Another verse I found that makes sense for the dating world of Christians as well as all kinds of friendships and relationships; 1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be deceived, "Bad company ruins good morals."" Doing what is wrong or bad is always easier than doing what is right and good. Even being friends with or dating someone who goes to church but isn't saved can be a problem. 2 Timothy 3:5 addresses this. Having a form of godliness but denying the power is to be avoided. Being choosy about who we keep close is good. This isn't to say that you can't have friends that aren't saved or who believe differently, otherwise how would you show the world the light? But the emotional investment you make in people is important to pay attention to.

Lastly, and this is something I don't want to address, but that is so important it really needs it's own post, but I want to be able to dedicate more attention to it later. So in passing, 2 Timothy 2:22 "So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." This is a call to both pursue the fruits of the spirit instead of your own desires and to look for people who do the same. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5. We are to control our bodies and use them for honor. (Summing up here.) And lastly to address this. 1 Corinthians 6:18, "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body." This should hit home so hard for us. The harm is done to ourselves. Not to someone else. In a world and time where sex is everywhere we look, it is in the TV shows we watch, the movies we see, the music we hear on the radio, and in commercials, we are so numb to these verses. They seem almost irrelevant to us. What is the big deal? We don't take responsibility for our sexuality. We see it as something fun. We see it as something that is expected by society. Something that is part of being in a relationship with someone. It is seen as normal to not be married and be having sex. As children of God, it should bother us more than it does. 

I'm not claiming to be perfect or to have all the answers or to be any better than anyone reading these words. But I know that I want to change. When you love God, you want to please God. Not disappoint Him. I want to please my God.

(Adding this in) I will mention that I'm dating someone who is not a believer and have many friends who don't believe as well. It hasn't affected the fact that I'm madly in love with Christ. I can't say they are always the easiest relationships to have or that we always agree on everything.