One of the things I think most people have in common is a desire for a close intimate relationship with someone. Whether is be a romantic relationship or a peer to peer relationship, we all desire to be important in someones eyes.
So we have this desire, and as a result we seek out a relationship with people. The first question we should ask is who should I seek relationships with? The bible deals with this question specifically in 2 Corinthians 6: 14-18. It says:
"Don't become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That's not partnership; that's war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God's holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way:
"I'll live in them, move into them;
I'll be their God and they'll be my people.
So leave the corruption and compromise;
leave it for good," says God.
"Don't link up with those who will pollute you.
I want you all for myself.
I'll be a Father to you;
you'll be sons and daughters to me."
The Word of the Master, God.'"
If you think about it, this passage makes complete sense. When entering a relationship with anyone, dating or friendship, wisdom says to only seek close intimate relationships with those who also seek God. Closely pairing yourself with someone who rejects God makes no sense when you consider that you have the holy spirit living inside of you. We don't understand the influence that those who reject God can potentially have over us. God himself warns us not to place ourselves in a position in which we could become polluted by the lies of Satan.
Does this mean we never associate with non-Christians? Not at all. In fact if we didn't our calling to continue to spread God's message would be pointless. However what this passage is saying is that we should't link ourselves (standing arm in arm) with those who will not walk in the same direction we are walking in. Consider it this way, if we want to go east and the person we are arm in arm with wants to go north then there will be some struggle and chances are depending on your own strength you probably will not be able to stay directly on the path you know you need to be taking.
My challenge to you is to ask yourself who you are walking through life with. Are they people who are walking the same path and pulling you through toward God, or are they people who reject God and therefore have to potential to detour you from your journey?
"Don't link up with those who will pollute you.
I want you all for myself.
I'll be a Father to you;
you'll be sons and daughters to me."
~Catie
Monday, October 31, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
"Though it costs you all you have, get wisdom."
I think all of us at some point in our lives search for wisdom, yet rarely do we really know where to begin. Proverbs 4:7 says this "the beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom!" (Amp). How is that really much of a help? When seeking for wisdom get wisdom?
In order to first understand how to get wisdom we must first understand what wisdom is. Throughout Proverbs King Solomon tell his son to listen to his teachings along with the advice of those older than him. He tells him also to be aware of sin traps and to seek the knowledge of God. How is this helpful? Firstly, seeking the wisdom of those older than you is wise because the truth is they have experience more and have lived life longer than you have and have a much different perspective on things. They can look back and relate to your situation however they know that breakups won't kill you, they know that school problems are part of life and overcomable, and they know that relationships with parents ease with time.
Secondly, Solomon tells his son to be aware of sin traps. Now this is very hard to do without self-evaluation. So I would pose that having a knowledge of yourself and who you are is essential to gaining wisdom. Without it you won't know why you do what you do, in fact you won't even be able to understand the consequences whether they be good or bad. Knowing yourself will give you insight into where you fall victim to temptation and sin. In addition, seeking the advice and wisdom of those older than you will enlighten you on potential sin traps that you might face or the ones you are currently facing.
Finally, in order to gain wisdom you must first seek the knowledge of God. I found this a very interesting thing. Solomon separated knowledge and wisdom. Why? Upon further examination into Proverbs I began to see that knowledge was just information; understanding of events and actions. Wisdom on the other hand was knowing why; why we should follow in Gods plan, knowing why you react the way you do to things and why other people react or act the way they do. Then, apply it. If you know why you need to do something then it is still simply knowledge, but when you understand it with both your heart and mind and put it into practice, that is when you begin to demonstrate wisdom.
This is what Solomon says about the benefits of wisdom:
"Then will you understand what is right and just and fair - every good thing. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you and understanding will guard you." (Proverbs 2: 9-11)
I love this verse because it wraps wisdom in beauty. When you seek to understand, when you seek to gain knowledge of who God is, rejecting your own understanding, it's beautiful. Seeking wisdom means rejecting your own pride and accepting humility, rejecting your own understanding and seeking that which is not your own, and rejecting passivity and finding strength in the Lord to give you the strength to develop your character.
So begin this journey of seeking wisdom with me. The first step: ask God what he wants to teach you and then listen! He has something for you because he longs to teach you, he longs to walk with you. Join this journey as I seek wisdom. I'm going to be starting a little mini series on this topic so expect more from me about what I've been learning and what I have found about wisdom and the knowledge of God.
"Let your eye's look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only the ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left, keep your foot from evil." (proverbs 4:25-27)
~Catie
In order to first understand how to get wisdom we must first understand what wisdom is. Throughout Proverbs King Solomon tell his son to listen to his teachings along with the advice of those older than him. He tells him also to be aware of sin traps and to seek the knowledge of God. How is this helpful? Firstly, seeking the wisdom of those older than you is wise because the truth is they have experience more and have lived life longer than you have and have a much different perspective on things. They can look back and relate to your situation however they know that breakups won't kill you, they know that school problems are part of life and overcomable, and they know that relationships with parents ease with time.
Secondly, Solomon tells his son to be aware of sin traps. Now this is very hard to do without self-evaluation. So I would pose that having a knowledge of yourself and who you are is essential to gaining wisdom. Without it you won't know why you do what you do, in fact you won't even be able to understand the consequences whether they be good or bad. Knowing yourself will give you insight into where you fall victim to temptation and sin. In addition, seeking the advice and wisdom of those older than you will enlighten you on potential sin traps that you might face or the ones you are currently facing.
Finally, in order to gain wisdom you must first seek the knowledge of God. I found this a very interesting thing. Solomon separated knowledge and wisdom. Why? Upon further examination into Proverbs I began to see that knowledge was just information; understanding of events and actions. Wisdom on the other hand was knowing why; why we should follow in Gods plan, knowing why you react the way you do to things and why other people react or act the way they do. Then, apply it. If you know why you need to do something then it is still simply knowledge, but when you understand it with both your heart and mind and put it into practice, that is when you begin to demonstrate wisdom.
This is what Solomon says about the benefits of wisdom:
"Then will you understand what is right and just and fair - every good thing. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you and understanding will guard you." (Proverbs 2: 9-11)
I love this verse because it wraps wisdom in beauty. When you seek to understand, when you seek to gain knowledge of who God is, rejecting your own understanding, it's beautiful. Seeking wisdom means rejecting your own pride and accepting humility, rejecting your own understanding and seeking that which is not your own, and rejecting passivity and finding strength in the Lord to give you the strength to develop your character.
So begin this journey of seeking wisdom with me. The first step: ask God what he wants to teach you and then listen! He has something for you because he longs to teach you, he longs to walk with you. Join this journey as I seek wisdom. I'm going to be starting a little mini series on this topic so expect more from me about what I've been learning and what I have found about wisdom and the knowledge of God.
"Let your eye's look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only the ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left, keep your foot from evil." (proverbs 4:25-27)
~Catie
Monday, October 17, 2011
Faces hidden behind the masks of Ideal Christianity
What exactly is Christianity? What exactly does it look like to walk, talk and behave as Christ did? We have so many "answers", explanations, and methods for how to be the "ideal" christian. As young adults in an ever changing, tolerating world we are often torn between two paths: the worldly path and the one God has laid for us.
Somewhere in this battle we place masks over our faces, one for Sunday morning, one for school or work. Often times we further divide these masks between us and our family, certain groups of friends, coworkers etc. These masks become walls that we use to shield ourselves, hide us, and protect ourselves from the world.
My question is really, why do those in the body of Christ wear masks? Are we ashamed, embarrassed or guilty? In Christ there is no condemnation. Just take one look at Jesus's life and you will see that. He chose to hang around prostitutes, cheaters, liers, and adulterers and he loved them entirely without any hint of judgement. Rather, he spoke truth into their lives with acceptance, compassion and love.
So why do we feel condemned, judged or unaccepted by those in our own church? Personally, I find it much easier to love those far from God then I do those close to him. I think the reason for that is because we believe Christians should just "know better," and so we justify ourselves in judging them.
At times I can be a very judgmental person. It's not just with other people though, I judge myself very harshly too. I know that I'm not a perfect person. My life has not been characterized by good choices. When I first started addressing those areas in my life where I had messed up I was so hard on myself. I thought, "I should know better." My idea of perfection was shattered and I realized I wasn't even a generally good person. Talk about a reality check.
I remember about a year ago I was sitting with one of my best friends, smoking some cigars elbows deep in a theological discussion, and suddenly it hit me. My friend of ten years was sharing his heart in a way I had never heard before. He shared his hurts, his struggles and fears with me in a very vulnerable way. For that brief moment he took off his mask and I saw him for who he truly was. It was at that moment I came face to face with the reality that I too had been wearing a mask. Mine was the mask of self-assured confidence.
When you've been hurt throughout your life, it gets to the point where you don't want to hurt again so you build up a wall and put on a mask to protect yourself.
But in this moment, as my friend was sharing, I realized it was okay. it was okay to let down your mask and to genuinely live out your life. However the thought of "what will others think," soon popped into my mind.
As brothers and sisters in Christ we are called to come along side each other to encourage and support one another. We become useless and ineffective witnesses when we reject or condemn our brother or sister because in doing so we portray judgement and condemnation to the world, the exact opposite of what Jesus was communicating on the cross.
Now this doesn't mean that we can let our brothers and sisters do whatever they want. There are consequences for actions, however our attitude should be one of humbleness rather than shamefulness. There is a significant difference between the two. Conviction comes from the Lord and he uses it to humble us. However we can easily fall into a pit of shame in which the devil fills with concrete making us unable to move. We become stuck in our own shame and guilt thinking that we can never escape. This thought completely discounts the word of God. He promises if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sin. Humbleness on the other hand, is where you accept your inadequacy and the consequences of your choices along with Gods plan over your own.
My challenge for you is that you open your eyes and look into people rather then just at them. Everyone is broken, some in small ways some in huge ways. Realize that they don't need another judgmental person in their lives. Swap that for love and acceptance with the realization that you to belong in the the group of broken people. It's a strange thought, but it's okay to be broken. It's the only way we can be made new.
"my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." - 2Corinthians 12:9
~Catie
Somewhere in this battle we place masks over our faces, one for Sunday morning, one for school or work. Often times we further divide these masks between us and our family, certain groups of friends, coworkers etc. These masks become walls that we use to shield ourselves, hide us, and protect ourselves from the world.
My question is really, why do those in the body of Christ wear masks? Are we ashamed, embarrassed or guilty? In Christ there is no condemnation. Just take one look at Jesus's life and you will see that. He chose to hang around prostitutes, cheaters, liers, and adulterers and he loved them entirely without any hint of judgement. Rather, he spoke truth into their lives with acceptance, compassion and love.
So why do we feel condemned, judged or unaccepted by those in our own church? Personally, I find it much easier to love those far from God then I do those close to him. I think the reason for that is because we believe Christians should just "know better," and so we justify ourselves in judging them.
At times I can be a very judgmental person. It's not just with other people though, I judge myself very harshly too. I know that I'm not a perfect person. My life has not been characterized by good choices. When I first started addressing those areas in my life where I had messed up I was so hard on myself. I thought, "I should know better." My idea of perfection was shattered and I realized I wasn't even a generally good person. Talk about a reality check.
I remember about a year ago I was sitting with one of my best friends, smoking some cigars elbows deep in a theological discussion, and suddenly it hit me. My friend of ten years was sharing his heart in a way I had never heard before. He shared his hurts, his struggles and fears with me in a very vulnerable way. For that brief moment he took off his mask and I saw him for who he truly was. It was at that moment I came face to face with the reality that I too had been wearing a mask. Mine was the mask of self-assured confidence.
When you've been hurt throughout your life, it gets to the point where you don't want to hurt again so you build up a wall and put on a mask to protect yourself.
But in this moment, as my friend was sharing, I realized it was okay. it was okay to let down your mask and to genuinely live out your life. However the thought of "what will others think," soon popped into my mind.
As brothers and sisters in Christ we are called to come along side each other to encourage and support one another. We become useless and ineffective witnesses when we reject or condemn our brother or sister because in doing so we portray judgement and condemnation to the world, the exact opposite of what Jesus was communicating on the cross.
Now this doesn't mean that we can let our brothers and sisters do whatever they want. There are consequences for actions, however our attitude should be one of humbleness rather than shamefulness. There is a significant difference between the two. Conviction comes from the Lord and he uses it to humble us. However we can easily fall into a pit of shame in which the devil fills with concrete making us unable to move. We become stuck in our own shame and guilt thinking that we can never escape. This thought completely discounts the word of God. He promises if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sin. Humbleness on the other hand, is where you accept your inadequacy and the consequences of your choices along with Gods plan over your own.
My challenge for you is that you open your eyes and look into people rather then just at them. Everyone is broken, some in small ways some in huge ways. Realize that they don't need another judgmental person in their lives. Swap that for love and acceptance with the realization that you to belong in the the group of broken people. It's a strange thought, but it's okay to be broken. It's the only way we can be made new.
"my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." - 2Corinthians 12:9
~Catie
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