The Unhappy "Happy Bubble"

[A book that I can't recommend enough right now is Out of the Salt-Shaker & into the World: Evangelism as a Way of Life by Rebecca Manley Pippert. It inspired this post! Some parts have radically changed my life. Others have reinforced what I already suspected to be true. It's strengthened my faith and my desire to share Jesus with the world. I'm not going to say "If you get a chance, be sure to read it." If you're a Christian, I recommend you go right now to your bookstore and buy it. Don't wait. Seriously. Next to the Bible, Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem and Living the Cross-Centered Life by C. J. Mahaney, this is my favorite book.]

Lots of Christians go around today in what I like to call the "happy bubble." They try to be as "holy" as possible--which means no contact with the world whatsoever. Because Jesus called us to be pure...right?

But here's a problem: Jesus LIVED in the world and stayed pure--he didn't avoid it. He lived in a world with NO Christians, NO church, NO Christian bookstores, NO Christian music, NO Christian t-shirts, NO Bibles. He lived in a world full of hate, prejudice, twisted religion, slavery, injustice, division, adultery, idolatry, greed...you name it. He talked to and even became friends with corrupt government officials, prostitutes, superficial religious fakers, hated minority groups, radical revolutionists...once again, you name it!

And we're called to be like Him.

Remember what I said at the beginning? Lots of Christians go around today in what I like to call the "happy bubble." They try to be as "holy" as possible--which means no contact with the world whatsoever. Because Jesus called us to be pure...right?

Right. But He also called us to be light and salt.

All of us "happy bubble" Christians (I know I'm included in this group) know of the verse that talks about lighting a lamp and covering it with a bowl. If that verse is completely unfamiliar to you, you probably at least know the children's song:

This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine!

...

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Hide it under a bushel--NO!

I'm gonna let it shine!

...

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

As Christians, we would object to the accusation that we are "hiding" our light from the world. But let me ask you something...

Are you hiding yourself from the world? Because YOU are carrying the light. And if YOU aren't visible to the world, then YOU are hiding the light.

I've fallen into the trap of thinking that there are a few kinds of Christians. Some, I was sure, are called to witness to nonbelievers. These Christians are great at bringing non-Christians into the church. Other Christians (like me) were called to make people feel welcome and loved within the church. Which I didn't have much of a problem with. It's easy to make your friends, who you know probably won't contradict you on your core beliefs, feel "loved" and "welcomed."

But you know what? I was wrong. We are ALL called to do BOTH! As Christians, we shouldn't be either "going forth unto all the world" OR "loving our neighbors as ourselves." NO! We should be ALL be doing BOTH. Jesus said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-45) He didn't say, "A new command I give some of you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so some of you must love one another. Others are called to show everyone that you are my disciples. They will bring to you non-Christians, and you will love them and one another." That's totally twisted. He gives us all the command to love; He gives us all the command to share.


 Now, let me ask you a question: how are you sharing?

God's directions

Can I give you a tip? If you pray for God's guidance, pursue it. Don't let your own thoughts, ideas, feelings, and hesitations get in the way. If you feel you've "heard" or "felt" something from God, pray for Him to confirm or reject it during your daily Bible time. Keep praying for His will in your life while you seek His direction. But keep your eyes open to every clue God might be sending you!

Here are some of the places I tend to get God's direction (note: these aren't foolproof or genie-like. You can't just consult one of these sources, take the teachings, and say, "Oh, well, that's what God says!" Generally, however, you're good to go if something stands out to you like an alligator would in Central Park, if you really don't like the message you're getting (that confirms that it's not YOUR voice you're hearing), if you feel like your mind was just read word-for-word, or if you feel spiritually slapped in the face. But of course it doesn't have to be as radical as that. Also, when I'm looking for God's direction, I try to not tell many people about it. That way, I know it's definitely God who coordinates the advice I get! Finally--and I know, this is a whole paragraph inside parentheses (isn't it awesome?) make sure you pursue each of these factors on a regular basis, not just when you think you need God's leading. You need God's leading ALL THE TIME.)

1. Daily devotional time. This is crucial. You can't just talk to God; you also have to listen. Right now, I'm going through Daily Thoughts for Disciples by Oswald Chambers. I read one Bible verse and one paragraph devotional each day, and almost every message so far has exactly pertained to what I've been going through or has been something I needed to learn. 
2. Parents. You may not like this one so much, and I would understand that. Teenagers don't always get along with their parents. But whether or not you have a good relationship with your parents, God has called you to honor them. Many times this involves obeying them even when it's really really hard...personally, I tend to get some of my clearest directions from God through my parents' rules. Trust me. They really are there for your good.
3. Between Parents and Church is another category I want to throw in here: mentors! Having Christian ladies who you can talk to and pray with is invaluable. And just 'cause you have great parents doesn't mean you don't need mentors, and just 'cause you have a mentor doesn't mean God's gonna give you just one. I have a fabulous mom, and I still know five other women at church who all are amazing, godly women (most were my small group leaders at one time or another) who will pray with me, encourage me, and support my journey with God. I didn't put this one in bold because I wouldn't say that the leaders themselves usually end up giving me direction so much as they end up supporting me and praying with me when I find and need help following God's direction.
4. Church. Wow. I cannot emphasize this one enough. Church is on par with the first two factors. If I need to hear from God by reading His word and I get some of my clearest direction from my parents, I almost always receive instruction from church exactly pertaining to what I need to hear. Yes, even when the message is something as simple as salvation. Yes, even when I already have all the Bible verses in the message memorized. Yes, even when I'm hearing a message for the second time. Go to church. GO TO CHURCH.
5. Friends.  You have to be really careful here, of course, because friends can be both good and bad influences. I don't usually specifically ask for advice from friends...rather, God's direction through friends (for me, at least) tends to be the stuff that I don't expect. Like when one of my Christian friends just randomly texted me a ton of Bible verses, which happened to be the same verses that I'd read in my devotional that morning, which happened to address my struggle with my imperfection (see this post). Or when AbiF posted song lyrics on her blog that God totally used to say, "This is you. This is you right now. Do you not get it? Have the clues in the past three days not been enough for you? Apparently I have to spell it out...so here you go." (Ironically, since I get her blog posts emailed to me, it appeared in my email inbox. I think that's the closest I've gotten to an email from God!) Build strong Christian friendships....they're beyond valuable.

One last note. God doesn't always give us what we want to know when we want to know it. I was recently asking God something, and He pretty much said, "Hey. You don't need to know." I was kinda surprised, because when I don't need to know something just yet I usually just end up with silence. And silence can be okay. Because God doesn't always give us all the answers all the time....that's what makes Him God and us human.

And sometimes we know the answers, and we're just praying because we want God to give us different answers. That's not okay. If, deep down, you know what God wants you to do, then it's time to stop praying and get to work.

There you have it. The four ways I tend to hear God's voice. God is creative, of course, so be sure to keep your eyes open in other areas too--but if you're seeking God's direction earnestly, reading your Bible, obeying your parents, talking to mentors, going to church, keeping up with Christian friends, and praying constantly for His help--whether you get a message or just silence--He's gonna direct your paths, whether or not you're aware of it.

Thanks for reading! :) God bless!

Golden Obedience

God has been teaching me a lot about obedience lately. Let me share with you a little of what I've learned.

First of all, I'm learning that God's humble outlook looks a lot different that what I'm used to. He's been showing me how to see others in humility....yes, it's easy to see someone and say, "Well, they must not love God because they just ________." But God has been using others to show me how every person falls short of His standard--including myself. Suddenly, it's easier to love others, because I see myself in them. It's also easier for me to accept that I make mistakes and don't understand everything yet, either.

Of course, it's hard to obey when you're so aware that you don't understand everything and that no one can ever be perfect...which leads to the next point! :)

God has been teaching me that obedience to Him is something that, even when I don't completely understand it, is worth seeking after. I usually try to have everything figured out before I start obeying, but I'm learning that I don't have to "know it all" before I start out. I know enough to start in my journey of obedience, I can read my Bible and take God's cues each day, and pray for wisdom; and, hopefully, a month from now I'll be much closer to Jesus' plan for my life than I am today. But I don't have to have everything 100% figured out in every moment.

For example, I am still unsure as to how much Taylor Swift is okay for me to listen to in an effort to understand the things my friends value (while still using my time wisely and not falling into some of the less-than-godly attitudes expressed in her music). But I can take each moment and ask God how I can maximize it to His glory, whether that's learning about my friends' points of views or memorizing a Bible verse.

I'd like to finish with a passage from the NCV that really hit me today. Matthew 13 really spoke to me, and I think it could encourage you as well.

Enjoy your journey with God :) and thanks for reading!

Is this all you have to give?

I take ballet. And it's hard.

Yesterday, ballet class was especially difficult. I hadn't danced since before Christmas, I was feeling under-the-weather (I hadn't eaten as much as usual either), and was just in general not wanting to give 100%. In fact, during the first part fifteen minutes or so, I was content to give 40% or 50% and just float through, enjoying the mild physical exercise, music, and social time.

After that, I started thinking about what it meant to give time to God. And I started praying, "God, this time is for you. This exercise is for you." I then proceeded to simply sort-of do the exercise--trying, of course, as hard as I could, without causing myself too much pain.

I felt like Jesus said to me, "I died for you. I gave you everything. And this is all you have to give me in return?"

I was shocked. Suddenly, I realized my error: Yes, my ability to dance, my dance classes, my love of dance, even the exercise we were doing were predestined, but God had given me the semblance of free will so that I could genuinely give Him everything. Not out of repayment, of course, since salvation is a gift, but out of gratitude. Shouldn't I be willing to go through a little pain so that I could perform better for my Savior, who was crucified for me? Since this is all I have to give, even though it is painful (and especially because it turns out to be), shouldn't I give it all?

After all, if your best friend saved your life from a man with a gun who was trying to kidnap you, wouldn't you want to give her your best? I'm pretty sure you would.

And if you suddenly found yourself in the golden courts of God in heaven, with thousands (or millions?) of angels all praising the Almighty Creator and millions (or billions?) of Christians joining in the praise, where everything is holy--and you were told that you would get to perform, on your own, for your King--wouldn't you do your absolute best?

Of course. And the same goes for our everyday lives. Performing arts, yes, but everything.


School.

Relationships.

Work.

Facebook.

How much effort would you put into these things if you were doing them in the presence and for the Lord Almighty?

Because you are, whether you realize it or not. Your chance is right now.....and it's real.


1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

Here's the divine paradox, however: As long as we are giving 100% and trying our best to do God's will, it's okay if we fall. He expects us to. We can never truly be perfect, but we must never be content with living in imperfection. We must learn to fight for God's best in every area of our lives, but remain constantly dependent on God's strength to do so. All along, we must be at peace with and overjoyed of the fact that God came to save us--that we could never, ever, ever attain perfection.

That's a lot to absorb.

Back to how this applies to giving 100%...

If you found yourself in God's heavenly courts, performing just for Him, and you made a glaring mistake, do you think He'd ask "Is this all you have to give Me?"
NO!
He would know that you were doing your best, and He would be overjoyed. He loves the "perfect" performance just as much as He loves the mistake-riddled, as long as both are equally earnest. The one shows His glory and holiness just as the other shows His grace and love.

So next time you do something (anything, according to Colossians 3:23), work at it "with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
And next time you make a mistake on something you've done your best to prepare for, remember that God's power "is made perfect in weakness." (1 Corinthians 12:9)

One final warning: an over-focus on perfection can lead to a worship of perfection instead of worship of God. Your motivation and driving thought should always be Jesus at the cross, because there it is near impossible to be imbalanced. At the same time you see Him on the cross and want to thank Him, you realize your inability to ever repay Him.

(for a good book on that, read The Cross-Centered Life by CJ Mahaney)

:)
Thanks for reading! God bless!

Focus

.Inside my head is a little voice.

And it never. shuts. up.

(for those of you who are already sick of my incessant talking...try living in my head for a day!)

Often, it's an autobiography voice (example: "When I stepped into my room that day, I was hoping to smell the sweet aroma of the candle I'd bought earlier that week."). Sometimes, it's a blogging voice (such as "Now, if any of you were thinking of buying candles from Wal-Mart, don't. You might expect to smell them, but at $1 apiece, they only look pretty...no good smells involved.")


I don't always think about what I'm doing at that moment, but many times I will. And trust me, this little voice never shuts up! I've tried talking to it, I've tried sitting quietly, I've tried ignoring it--everything you would do to get an annoying sibling to stop. Maybe I was meant to be a twin?


I don't know. I've tried to channel it into prayer, but the fact is that this little voice is pretty sub-consious. I still work at using the little autobiography/blogger voice to pray, of course, but often it's talking while I'm praying (very rude, by the way).


But there are two times that it cooperates: when I'm driving my myself and when I'm playing piano. It doesn't stop talking, but it willingly becomes my prayer voice. That is, by the way, a large part of why I love playing piano and driving myself places.



Well, anyway, guess what...I'm not the only one. I've heard it called having a two-track mind, (great for multitasking, by the way!) and to some extent (from what I heard) it may be a girl thing.

If you have that "issue," I have a study suggestion...

For Bible study, don't run music while you're trying to read your Bible or pray. Also, make sure you have a blog or some sort of outlet for your ramblings. If you start to process them by writing them down in a blog or journal, they can sometimes lead to study focus (that's what I've found).

Memorize verses! This is a great way to start controlling the annoying little voice. Start with 2 Corinthians 10:5: "...we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." Recite these verses whenever the little voice starts talking. When you have something "scripted" that you give that little voice to say, especially a Bible verse, it's much easier to start focusing on God :)

And when you're studying for school, try running an old cartoon or movie in the background. Pick one you've seen a thousand times. Your little voice will happily sing along to the Lion King--while you get that seven-page essay polished up.

Hope these help :) Feel free to add suggestions in the comments!

Perfection

 I was playing piano at church today and talking to God. As I plunked out my melody on the keyboard...well, more about that. The pieces just weren't "clicking" this week. I'd practiced, of course (perhaps not as much as I should have, considering the results), but at home I'd been fine. I'd even memorized my pieces! And now, my fingers were...well, plunking instead of gliding. To add to the issue, they often plunked out the wrong notes as I squinted at the music I thought I had memorized.
So. Talking to God. Well, I was getting kinda upset, to tell the truth. I was like, "God, why do you have me up here at all? Look at me! I tried. And I can't even play the notes. Everyone must be wishing I wasn't even up here. I'm here to help people worship, and I can't even play the right chords."

But you know what God helped me realize? If I were perfect, I wouldn't need to be at church. I wouldn't need God's saving. I was are supposed to be there, at church, playing piano, at that moment. God had picked me to be playing for church, as He had picked each member of the band. And no, I'm not perfect, especially not when I play like that. But that's okay--actually, it's on purpose. It's God's purpose. When God picked the band for that service, He'd known I would miss a lot of the chords. But it still brought Him glory, because "[God's] power is made perfect in weakness."

Now, don't take this the wrong way. Don't go lounge around on the couch, fail your next Calculus test, and tell your mom that you did it to glorify God. But do accept that, when you work for God and give Him your best, you will still sometimes make mistakes. You will fall. And it's okay! No matter what you're doing.

As long as your heart is pure and you've been seeking God (in day-to-day actions as well as daily reading your Bible and praying), you can be assured that mistakes are God's way of working sometimes.

They teach us humility.

They teach us that God is holy and perfect (and we are not).

They remind us to not take Christ's sacrifice for granted.

They remind us that we, on our own, are weak.

They bring us closer to God.