Quotable Wisdom: Proverbs 23

"Do not let your heart envy sinners, 

   but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. 

There is surely a future hope for you, 

   and your hope will not be cut off."

Proverbs 23:17-18

What do you wish you had? Whose life do you really wish you could live? Who do you envy?

All too often it is easy to look at the world around us through lenses tainted by society's greed and mindless consumerism. We need to look at the world through Jesus' eyes... to see what really--truly-- is important. Suddenly, possessions... wealth... a nice house...designer brands...luxury vehicles, etc... won't seem quite so important anymore.

Thank God for the gifts he has given you and give generously from those gifts. Covet only God's wisdom and the fruits of the Spirit. Strive to be more like Christ... not more like Hollywood stars, corporate CEOs or even the guy down the street. 

There is hope and a future in God. Can't say the same about anything our society has to offer. 

Quotable Wisdom: Proverbs 22

"...the borrower is slave to the lender."

Proverbs 22:7b NIV

This small tidbit in a rather complex chapter in Proverbs really stood out to me. How many people in this society are living a life of slavery? This entire recession comes down to the fact that too many of us were purposely handing ourselves over to a life of slavery and oppression. It may have felt "fun" when we purchased big TVs and big houses to put them in... but it's suddenly not so "fun" when our "masters" call in the debt and we can't pay. 

I truly believe that a Christian shouldn't live in debt. Yes, a mortgage may be a necessity for home ownership... but buying a house with less than 20% down, or maxing out our approved mortgage amount is not necessary. Yes, having a big TV is nice... but we can have patience and diligently save for our luxuries rather than paying with the credit card when we can't afford it. 

God has called us to a life of freedom. He has called us to a life of generosity... to care for the poor and the needy. Yet, not only do we ignore this call, we inflict poverty on ourselves by being greedy and irresponsible. We do not want to be patient and save for the things we need/want; rather we borrow until our lenders will give us no more, and spend like we don't have to pay it back. 

It's time to break the bonds of slavery. It's time to be free from financial oppression. God should be our only master. We will never live a life of freedom if we are drowning in debt or chasing fads and gizmos beyond our financial reach. God wants so much more for us than that. 

Quotable Wisdom: Proverbs 8

Passage Highlight:

"I love those who love me, 

   and those who seek me find me."

Proverbs 8:17 (NIV)

(Subject- Wisdom)

How many of us are in the pursuit of wisdom? I'm not talking about University degrees or fun facts or knowledge of politics. I'm talking true wisdom. God-given, God-inspired wisdom. 

I find all too often I get distracted by the world's standard of "wisdom." After all, I just paid tens of thousands of dollars and invested 5 years of my life to get my B.A. and B.Ed. If I'm willing to invest that much into pursuing worldly knowledge, why am I not willing to invest the same or more into pursuing God and His wisdom? 

God isn't trying to hide anything. He will reveal himself to those who seek Him. He wants us to know what He's doing. In spite of that, though, most days I can't be bothered to seek Him or His wisdom. I'm "too busy" with "life." 

It's pretty embarrassing, really. Especially when I put things into an eternal perspective. I invest so much time in things that have no eternal value whatsoever. They are temporary. And yet those things that truly matter I put on the back burner because I am too tied up with my worldly pursuits.

I think it's time for another attitude adjustment. 

Lord,

I am so sorry for ignoring you and your wisdom. I don't spend the time with you I should. God, forgive me. Thank you for loving me even when I'm unlovable. When I'm disobedient and distracted. God, I want you to be my priority.

-Me

Quotable Wisdom: Proverbs 4

This month I'm reading through the book of Proverbs. On Monday I began the series with chapter one, and here we are three days later and on to chapter four! 

Passage Highlight:

"Above all else, guard your heart, 

   for everything you do flows from it. 

 Keep your mouth free of perversity; 

   keep corrupt talk far from your lips. 

 Let your eyes look straight ahead; 

   fix your gaze directly before you. 

 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet 

   and be steadfast in all your ways. 

 Do not turn to the right or the left; 

   keep your foot from evil."

Proverbs 4:23-27 (NIV)

Sometimes this world seems to get the best of me. I let my guard down. I say something that I shouldn't. I do something that I regret. It's difficult to keep the guard up and secure around our hearts and minds. God wants us to love and pursue Him with all our hearts, souls, and strength. If we keep our hearts brimming with love for God and overflowing with His Spirit, there will be no room for sin to creep in and gain a stronghold.

In a world that thrives on gossip, can we keep our mouths shut and walk away from the conversation?

In an overly sexualized society, can we avert our eyes and keep our thoughts pure and lust-free?

In a materialistic world, can we be thankful for our blessings and curtail envy and jealousy? 

In a volatile age, can we keep our faith steadfast and our actions righteous? 

I often have to remind myself that this world is ruled by sinful people and a clever enemy. Everyday brings temptations and pitfalls. I will be tested. I will have difficulties. Will I lean on God and prevail? Will I turn away from the glamorous lifestyle sin so tantalizingly offers? 

It's so easy to just "go with the flow" and try to "fit in." But the fact of the matter is, in this world the "norm" is a slippery slope to hell. The general society that we live in promotes selfishness and sinful actions. We're in a fight. Don't let your heart's guard down. 

Quotable Wisdom: Proverbs

I love the convenience of Proverbs. Every verse seems to pack a punch. Bite-sized morsels of wisdom. Not to mention the added bonus of the book having 31 chapters---like it was designed to be read daily for a month! Anyway, I am going to be exploring this beloved book for the next little while. Before we delve into it, here are some quick facts about the book.


Author: King Solomon
Date: Approx 900 BC
Purpose: Imparting wisdom


Chapter One


Passage Highlight: 

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7 NIV)

I think this passage is a fantastic introduction to the book of Proverbs. It doesn't matter how smart a person is... how eloquent... how knowledgeable; true wisdom is rooted in knowing, pursuing, and fearing God. God wants to make his children wise. He wants to share his ways, plans, and wisdom. All we need to do is be receptive to him. 

All too often I forget about God in my pursuit of counterfeit "wisdom." I get wrapped up in GPAs, textbooks, and debate. I forget that wisdom has to be tested against God's standard... not human standards. I am excited to dive into Proverbs again. It has always been one of my favorite books in the Bible, but it is so easy to get distracted by eloquent words and forget to truly apply the rich wisdom contained within this book. 

Looking forward to reading along with you! 

Ruth 4: Faithful Heritage

"So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son...  And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David."

Ruth 4:13,17 (NIV)

God takes pride in his people. The Bible traces long lines of faithful people--from Adam to Jesus. It makes me wonder when and why we stopped caring about our heritage?

People are proud of their money... their possessions. They may be proud if they have a close relative or friend who is/was a celebrity. Why is it that we are not proud of the Christian heritage in our lives? It is something we should be truly grateful for! After all, a Christian heritage---the faithfulness of our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and so on--is one of the greatest gifts God could have given us in encouraging our first steps towards Salvation. 

Now, having a Christian family doesn't guarantee a child will become a Christian... nor does coming from a non-Christian family guarantee a child won't become a Christian. However, having a heritage of Christian faithfulness certainly puts a child on the right track to Salvation. A heritage of faithfulness is an eternal legacy. It is worth more than a prestigious surname or a hefty inheritance. A family that has stored up mountains of heavenly riches has something worth more admiration than those with earthly riches or fame! 

I often fall into the trap of feeling proud of the things I accomplish. I become prideful and puffed up over my accomplishments, my success, my awards and accolades. But, really, what does all that really matter in the grand scheme of things? I should be cherishing my parents who always pointed me towards God and tried to live as daily examples of Christian faithfulness. My grandparents who live and have lived Godly lives in pursuit of God's will. All my relatives before them who pursued God, lived their lives as Christian examples and raised their children to do the same. Without this heritage of faithfulness, I have no idea where I would be. I thank God for my heritage. Not out of selfish pride, but out of humble gratitude.

But what of those who do not have a long line of Christian relatives? Well, every legacy, every heritage has to start somewhere. I am hoping that my heritage does not end with me. It is my utmost goal to continue the legacy of faithfulness. To live as an example of faithfulness. To guide my future children to God and to pray that they continue onward in faithfulness after I've gone. We each have a Christian heritage to either uphold or begin. 

Like an Olympic torch relay, we each carry a Light through our lives to pass onto the next generation. If there have been many before us, we can thank God for blessing us with a momentum set by the previous generations. If we are first, we can thank God for blessing us with the opportunity to begin the race; to have the honour of lighting the first torch to hand off to the next generation. 

Ruth 3: Love and Respect

^{She said, "I am Ruth, your maiden; take me under your protecting wing.}

^...

He said, "God bless you...Everybody in town knows what a courageous woman you are— a real prize! ... As God lives, I'll do it. "

Ruth 3:9-13 (The Message)

Being a young, widowed woman in Old Testament times was a scary and dangerous thing. A woman had no way to support herself or protect herself without having a man in her life. In this chapter, Ruth's widowed mother-in-law encourages Ruth to go out and find a man suitable for marriage. Naomi is too old to get married, but Ruth is a beautiful and vibrant young woman. Naomi encourages Ruth to seek out Boaz for marriage.

There is a lot to be learned in the relationship dynamic of Ruth and Boaz. Ruth praises Boaz for being kind, generous, and protective. Boaz praises Ruth for being courageous, godly, and loving. With all of the push in these modern days towards gender equality, I think roles are being blurred that we are doing a great disservice to our relationships and marriages. Women need and want their men to be protectors. Men need and want their women to be godly and courageous... to do what's right.  

Ruth honoured Boaz and respected him by being humble and quietly lying at his feet and waiting for him to make the decision to marry her. Boaz was loving towards Ruth by protecting her and treating her kindly.

My husband and I are currently studying Dr. Emerson Eggerich's Love and Respect, so I have been reading the book of Ruth with Eggerich's ideas in mind. As I journey through the book of Ruth, I'm realizing just how important the love and respect model for relationships is. God designed men and women differently. Everyone knows this... and yet we still try to treat one another exactly the same. 

The story of Ruth and Boaz is a story of love, a story of respect, and a story of obedience. Keep this dynamic in mind as we continue to follow their story this week. 

Ruth 2: Perseverance Rewarded

¹⁰ At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?

I would encourage you to read through the book of Ruth with me as I explore it. Today I read through Ruth 2 and had a difficult time picking out a verse or two to share with you. You really must read the whole book and chapter to get the proper context.

However, today as I read Ruth 2 I was struck by Ruth's perseverance and Boaz's generosity. Ruth was literally picking up the scraps that the other harvesters left behind in order to feed her mother-in-law and herself. She was a foreigner and had no hope of getting a job working the fields when there were locals who needed work. But she didn't let this stop her. She risked being harassed, abused, and perhaps even killed to find food for her mother-in-law, who was too old to work.

This courage and perseverance caught Boaz's eye and he specifically told his workers to leave Ruth alone and even leave a few extra scraps for her to take along the way. He invited Ruth to stay on his field so that he could ensure her safety and comfort. 

I pray for both Ruth's perseverance and Boaz's kindheartedness. I pray that God would give me the strength to brave life's hardships and to keep working hard for the important things in life. And when my life is going well, I pray that God would give me Boaz's eye for those in need of a kind heart and a generous hand.

Thank you, God, for being there for me. Thank you for picking me up when I start stumbling. Help me to keep persevering like Ruth, Lord. God, I also ask that you'd open my eyes to my fellow stumblers on Life's road. Help me to take the time to help them as Boaz helped Ruth. 

Thank you, God.

-Me.

Ruth 1: Spunky for the Lord

^"16 But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. ¹⁷ Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." ¹⁸ When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging"

Ruth 1:16-18

Meet Ruth. She is one of only a handful of faithful women discussed in the Bible. She was fiercely loyal, she was strong, she was a woman to be admired. 

She was also not a Jew. She was a Moabite--a people who, in that time, were hated and in a bitter rivalry with the Jewish people. However, she did not let her cultural differences separate her from the one true God, nor did she let her culture keep her from being a faithful and loyal companion to her Jewish widowed mother-in-law. 

Ruth was also going through a difficult time. Her husband had also passed away. But there was a significant difference between her and her mother-in-law: age. Ruth was young! She would likely have no problem getting remarried and find a life of relative security in her own homeland. However, Ruth refused to be sent away. She decided she would not leave her mother-in-law to fend for herself. She would accompany her and support her.

We can all learn a thing or two from Ruth. This girl knew how to be loyal. She had spunk. She knew how to be faithful. This was not an easy thing for her to do. She could have had a much easier life back home. However, she did not let difficulty stand in the way of being faithful to her mother-in-law and, also, faithful to her God.

I pray that God would give me the strength, confidence, and resolve of Ruth. She is truly inspirational. 

Romans 15: Are You an Encouragement?

 "¹ We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. ² We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. ...

 ⁵ May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. ⁶ Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 ⁷ Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory"

(Romans 15:1-2,5-7 NASB)

I sometimes find it really difficult to have the patience and perseverance to always "live in harmony" with those around me. Sometimes people really get on my nerves. Other times I genuinely disagree with them. It can be hard to help others "do what is right" and "build them up" in Christ. I mean, it's hard enough to just concentrate on my own spiritual well-being... never mind having to look after someone else's!

But this passage makes it clear. Looking out for #1 --even in spiritual matters-- is selfish. After all, what does it really matter if we have the best prayer life or devotional time if we don't use it to help others? How good of Christians can we possibly be if we are always pursuing our own interests and fighting with those around us?

People on the outside looking in often look disdainfully on Christians because of the amount of in-fighting that can occur in our churches. Just like any other institution involving people, our churches are still (sadly) prone to bickering, gossip, and grumbling. We speak poorly of our churchmates, we bicker over the small things, and we are never satisfied with how the church is run. 

In reality, however, this is not at all how a Christian church should be. If we truly were all led by the Holy Spirit 100% of the time, we would be of one mind in the Spirit and trekking onwards to the common goal of Salvation and spiritual nurturing of all people. We should be helping people become better Christians, rather than just fighting over logistics. We should pick people up, rather than push them away.

I don't know about you, but it is so easy for me to get lost within myself in regards to spiritual growth. I focus inwards, get lost in my own prayers, get fired up in my own worship... and I begin to shut the world out. It's so easy for me to try to reap all the inward benefits of my relationship with God, and forgo any outward expression of this inner change. It's so easy to get caught up in the institutionalized church and forget about the Community of Believers. We might be getting warm-fuzzies from the worship one minute, and criticizing a brother or sister in Christ in the next minute. This isn't right. 

We need to make sure we're keeping each other spiritually healthy for the glory of God. We're all part of one Body and being selfish and critical of others is no more helpful than using your left hand to put out cigarette butts on your right arm. Protecting one part of the body while harming another is not going to result in a Healthy Body. All parts must work together for a common edification. 

Romans 14 (revisited)

I actually wrote a Sunday Sprint a couple weeks ago based on Romans 14. Because of this, I will just link you to that post today and move onto Romans 15. Enjoy "Don't Judge Me!"

Romans 13: Have You Been on Your Best Behavior?

"9Love your neighbor as yourself."¹⁰Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

 ¹¹And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹²The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. "

What's the worst thing you've ever done or said to someone? How would you have felt if the Rapture had happened at that particular moment? If Jesus caught you at your worst? 

This chapter in Romans made me reflect on that possibility. I know I've said and done some pretty cruel things to friends and family members. I get caught up in my anger and let it boil over--treating those closest to me with malice rather than the Christ-like love I've been called to demonstrate. What if Jesus had walked through the door at that moment?

I don't know about you, but I would be pretty ashamed. I'd probably try to make some lame excuses (before remembering that Jesus is God and He knows all). I'd then hang my head in shame and beg for forgiveness. 

The End of Days could be right around the corner. For all we know, Jesus could be paying us a visit tonight. However, the fact is... that doesn't really matter. All too often we forget that God is always watching. We don't need Jesus to walk through the door to have our sins discovered and known by God. Why, then, don't we act in a manner that reflects the knowledge that God is indeed omnipotent and omni-present? Why do we so quickly forget and let our sinful actions get the best of us when we foolishly think no one is watching?

Loving people all the time isn't easy. That's why Paul calls us to "put on the armor of light." Living a life of Love is a fight. Not a fight with others, but a fight within ourselves. We must protect ourselves from sin and fight to live a Christ-led life. Our sinful nature wants us to look out for #1... to do what feels good, what is selfishly advantageous to us.... however, our Christian nature, led by the Holy Spirit, demands us to be stronger than that. We are to love those who are hateful. Be kind to those who are cruel. Be helpful to the selfish. 

It's not easy--boy, do I know it's not easy! All too often I relax my guard... take my armor off....and faster than a flash, sin takes over and I'm lashing out and behaving badly. I need to stay focused and always remember that God is watching. I shouldn't need Jesus walking in through the door to keep me on my best behavior. I should be living a life of Love in honour of God daily. That way, I can be assured that when Jesus does come back I won't be put to shame by sinful behavior. I will be confident in the life I've led up to and including that final moment. I will be rewarded for my life of Love, rather than judged for my sinful actions. 

God, 

Help me to keep my armor on, my guard up, and standing strong in a life of Love. I am sorry for my past bad behavior. Please help me to always choose loving actions and reactions. I don't want any regrets or shame in my life when it's my time to stand before you and answer for my actions.

Thank you,

-Me

Romans 12: Welcome. Here is Your Course Outline.

"2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

"5 in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us."

"9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."

"21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Romans 12 is a fantastic chapter. I would encourage you to go read the entire chapter, but above I have quoted a few of its many gems. Overall, the theme I get from this chapter is "Welcome". Welcome to a life in Christ. You belong. You have a role. Be welcoming to others.

This chapter has good timing in my life. This week is Back-To-School week for me and my students. In a couple days my classroom will be filled with unfamiliar faces and it will be my job to make them feel welcome. It will be my job to treat them with love and respect--even when they don't always return the favor.

The first day of class I usually put on a stern face and go through the rules and expectations of my classroom. My students are expected to live by these rules. It doesn't matter what they are allowed or not allowed to do in other classrooms or at home: when they enter my classroom, they enter my world. They are expected to adhere to the "house rules." As the semester progresses, I expect I'll have to make some exceptions and get students back on track. However, I know that if my students follow the rules I've set out for them they will succeed. My rules are not meant to be mean or limiting, but rather set my students up to achieve the most they can in my class.

I find it's the same way in my faith in Christ. God initially put on a stern face in the Old Testament. He laid out the rules for us to adhere to and had strict consequences if we rebelled. In the New Testament, God sent Jesus to mediate for us and to forgive us for our mistakes and help get us back on track. The rules God set out for us are meant to help us live the best life possible... not to hinder or limit us.

My students will find my class challenging at times. Some may choose to walk away from it completely by dropping the course. However, those who adhere to my expectations and work diligently until the end will be rewarded with success. God also designed life to be challenging at times. Some of us will choose to walk away from God's plan for our lives, however sticking with His plan until the end will have its rewards.

I find the most difficult thing for me to do as a teacher is to respond out of love and patience when a student is being obnoxious or defiant. However, God has put up with me through all my obnoxious and defiant moments, so why shouldn't I do the same with the people in my life? Christ is my role model, my teacher. He's given me the Course Outline (Bible) with all the rules, expectations, and other important information to live by... but it's up to me how I choose to navigate this Course called Life. I can be a straight-A student and live my life striving to live as closely to His expectations as possible... or I can be a disengaged student--disobedient, defiant, and sleeping through most of the Course. Which one do you think will bring me the most joy and success?

Romans 11: Can I Mess Up So Bad God Won't Take Me Back?

"11Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! 

...

²²Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.²³And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again."

In this passage Paul is talking about the Jews and Gentiles. He speaks of the mistakes the Jews have made and the blessings the Gentiles have received. The Jews messed up. They were God's chosen people, but they turned away from Him, rejected His Son, and got caught up in rituals and failed to truly live a godly life. However, Paul insists that they are not beyond recovery.

We all mess up. God is both kind and stern when He deals with us. He is kind and blesses us for our obedience, offers forgiveness when we seek it, and invites us to receive eternal life. However, God is stern with those who are disobedient. He is angered by sin, and will condemn those who reject His free gift. However, even the worst, most disobedient people are offered the chance to turn their life around and find favor with God. Paul illustrates this through the metaphor of a tree having diseased branches cut off and healthy branches grafted in. God has no choice but to cut off those who are "diseased" with sin, lest they infect the entire tree. However, people who seek forgiveness and turn their lives around are welcome and "grafted" onto the Tree. 

I am a frequent Stumbler. I mess up. Does this mean I'm a "diseased branch" to be "cut off"? Not necessarily. I rest assured that I am not because I choose to "continue in God's kindness", seeking forgiveness and trying to live a life guided by the Holy Spirit. I have declared my belief in Jesus and I seek forgiveness. The "branches" that God cuts off are those who choose not to believe. Those who don't seek forgiveness. 

In fact, the Bible says "³¹every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven" (Matthew 12:31 NIV). What does this mean? This means that every single horrible thing anyone has/will do can be forgiven. The only exception is "blasphemy against the Spirit", which I believe is cursing the Spirit and choosing not to listen when the Spirit tries to guide us to the Truth. In essence, the only sin you cannot be forgiven of is being hostile and abusive towards the Spirit... which means you likely can't be forgiven because the one who commits it would never seek forgiveness. They hate God, they do not believe, so why would they seek forgiveness?

As a person with a long track record of mistakes--big and small--I am so grateful that God will always forgive me for my shortcomings. God expects me to be obedient and try my best to live a perfect life (after all, Christ is my role model), however when the inevitable mistake happens, I only need to turn to Him in sincere repentance and I'll be forgiven. The slate will be wiped clean. 

We need to make sure we aren't so embarrassed of our sin that we hide from God. We're all shameful. We're all undeserving of forgiveness. However, it is necessary we seek forgiveness so that it can be given to us. We don't need to live under the weight and shame of our sin. There is freedom in belief in Christ. 

God,

Thank you for being so forgiving. I am so sorry that for all the times I messed up in the past... and I apologize now for all my future mistakes. I would ask that you please forgive me and give me the faith and perseverance to avoid future pitfalls. Help me to resemble my Role Model more and more everyday.

Thanks,

-Me

Romans 10: Being a Voice for Christ

"8 'The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,' that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: ⁹That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. ¹¹As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame...¹⁴How can [non-believers] call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"

It's relatively easy for me to write about my faith in God. It's also very comfortable for me to discuss the finer points of my faith with other Christians. However, it can be incredibly difficult for me to discuss my faith with those who are not Christians. Yesterday, I had an anonymous person post a couple comments on various blog posts (Hello, Mr/Ms. Anonymous! I prayed for you this afternoon!). This person is, presumably, an atheist... or at least not a Christian. They questioned my faith. They questioned my integrity. It gave me pause.

At least here I have the luxury of taking my time to respond. I can read and re-read comments and monitor my response before proceeding. I can take the time to make sure I answer in love. Or, alternatively, I can simply delete an offensive comment and put it out of my mind. I, however, do not have this luxury out in the "real" world. 

In the real world I don't always have the option to think over my responses for a couple hours. I often have to respond within a few seconds, and make sure that not only do I say the proper words, but that I say those words properly. I need to keep my emotions bridled and respond out of love... even in the heat of the moment. I don't have the protection of time, distance, and relative anonymity the internet offers. 

Witnessing, as we Christians call it, has become a very difficult thing to do in this New Age Millenium. We can share some of our beliefs with relative ease (with the exception being in the presence of those who love being argumentative or hostile towards the faith), as most agree that we are all entitled to our own opinions. However, it gets difficult when our beliefs go against the "norm" set by the secular world. It gets even more difficult when we have to tell people they're wrong. 

I find myself living in fear of the reactions of others when it comes to bringing up my beliefs. However, I have come to realize, it's not up to me to make people change. That's God's job. My job is merely to offer those around me the opportunity to hear and understand the Truth. If they are hostile towards it, or would really rather not hear it... then there isn't really anything I can do. My duty is to continue loving that person and showing them what a Christ-led life looks like... but it's not my place to "convince" anyone. God saves people. 

However, I try never to hide my beliefs. Most people know I am a Christian within a week of knowing me. From there I seek to build a loving and sincere relationship with those around me so that we can get to the point where I can bring my faith into the conversation. The first time this opportunity arises is always scary. I know that what I need to say will likely make the listener uncomfortable. I just have to pray that God speaks to their heart through my words. God's Holy Spirit needs to be acting as a liaison between a Christian and a non-Christian before anything miraculous happens. If God is not directing the conversation, it won't matter how eloquent or convincing I think I am... I'll be speaking to the person's mind, rather than their heart. 

God,

Thank you for being there for me. I publicly acknowledge You as my God, my Lord, and Jesus as my Saviour. I understand that it would be incredibly insulting to Your Son and the sacrifice He made if I kept quiet and failed to tell others about the Gift You gave me. I also understand that it would be incredibly cruel of me not to tell others about You and give them the opportunity to accept Your gift as well. Replace any fears or trepidation I have with faith and confidence. Please tell your Holy Spirit to act as a liaison in all my conversations. I don't want to be speaking to people's minds... I want you to speak to people's hearts.

Thanks

-Me