Christ Like Social Media

Hey y’all!

Yes. I’m alive! 😂

This is going to be a pretty casual piece.

I am in Louisiana for the month, visiting my sweet grandparents, but they don’t have WiFi…..So blogging has been cut way down. I’m typing this on my phone.(shout out for WordPress making an awesome app!) 

 My heart is heavy. 

This is totally focused on the ones who consider themselves Christians, if you don’t believe in Jesus and Him crucified and risen again, this post isn’t pointed at you. 

GUYS! 

The church isn’t being the church!! People know who is a christian and who isn’t, you don’t have to tell them, they know WHOSE you are. They feel it. 

And what breaks my heart, is to see Christians attacking each other on social media, because of a differing opinion. 

I absolutely understand the reflex to defend when someone verbally attacks you and your character. I’m pretty quippy and sarcastic at times and it is hard at times to keep my tongue Christ like. 

But then this verse came to mind, and just squashed that sarcastic, “Bless her little pea-picking heart” out of my mouth.

This broke me.

Who am I? Who are any of us? 

Nothing but unworthy sinners saved by Grace and called out of darkness into this marvelous light. Now I don’t know about you, and as much as sometimes I’d like to forget… I remember where I was before Christ! 

We must keep in mind that we are all just sinners saved by Grace. There is an old hymn that has a lyric, it says:

“So I then shall live as one who is forgiven.”

If we live our lives focused on the fact that we are here today not by our own strength but by Gods Grace, and that we are no longer our own, but God’s. How does that change how we relate to other Christians and church members?

Consider Paul’s words:

1Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,6and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.

Ephesians 4:1-6 NLT

Sound back!

Have you ever struggled to remain humble in the face of a trial or conflict? What verses encouraged you? 

Callings

(Just a couple thoughts I had tonight..)

When God places His hand in the middle of your life and changes you forever.
That’s where a calling begins.

When one thing so consumes you that nothing other than that singular goal will satisfy.
That is passion.

When you find that one thing that you do the very best.
That is purpose.

Where purpose and passion collide: That is what a calling is.

Love Never Fails.

There was once a person I thought would be in my life forever, This person just ‘got’ me. We could talk about anything and everything. They knew my deepest secrets and fears, and also what made me the happiest. They were a marvelous person in my love-struck eyes.

Love-struck is a dangerous place to be. It blinds you to any and all red flags and, at times, even Gods voice telling you it isn’t right.

One thing I have learned in life is this: Humanity’s version of love is not an equal or even a second best to Gods love. Without Gods love, I cannot love people in the way I should.

When we try to love out of our own strength, it fails or becomes lustful and carnal or morphs into a ‘give-to-get’ mentality. Human love says ‘If you love me, you will do this, even though it’s wrong’. Human love says “You owe me this.” Human love is egocentric and self-seeking.

But when we are truly in tune with God and allow Him to be the center of our life, our relationships show that. God’s love gives, just to give. Godly love isn’t carnal and doesn’t seek physical satisfaction, but instead seeks to build up and encourage and to show Christ to the other person. God’s love says “You are enough as you are.” God’s love says “Let’s not go there, I value your soul more than my own satisfaction.”  Godly love is Christ-centric and selfless.

An excellent litmus test for a relationship, is this verse:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

How are you loving today? How are you being loved?                                                                            Do your relationships point towards Jesus and His love and mercy? Or do they point back to self-seeking purposes?

 

Note: For those of you reading who might not know Jesus, or feel far from able to be saved, know that Jesus loves you. Right where you are, right now, in this moment. No matter where you have been or what you have done. All you have to do is reach out to Him, talk to Him like you would a friend, and begin your journey with Him. Feel free to comment. ❤

Blessings,

Christiana

 

 

 

Mornings

I am NOT a morning person! I am a total night owl. I do all my best work, and have all my best creative moments late at night while the house is still and quiet, and the low roar from the highway is floating in my open window with the cool night air. I thrive on those peaceful moments. But by morning, I am absolutely dreading leaving my bed! Heaven forbid trying to have a conversation before my daily IV of caffeine!

But this is something that has been on my heart lately.

As Christian’s under the new covenant of Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection, we are called to be “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9 KJV). No matter where we are, or what we are going through, we are still God’s kids, and are called to live out daily our identity!

“A royal priesthood”

If we are called to be in a priesthood relationship with our Creator, that doesn’t mean that we can never get married, or can’t eat pork, etc. That is a priest under the Law. We are under grace, thank God! However, when reading about the Levites and their call to priesthood, something stood out to me, that is repeated throughout the bible. Morning praise and prayer. “They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD. They were to do the same in the evening” (1 Chronicles 23:30)  Every morning. Rain or shine. Coffee or no coffee. They got up out of their beds every morning and praised the LORD! Only after they had praised Him for who He is, did they go about their regular prayers and offerings.

This is what we are called to! To be the modern day priests of Jesus Christ. To live our lives with Jesus at the forefront of all we do, and how we start our day.
Powerful, right?

This concept is something the author of Psalms was well versed in.

Psalm 56:19 But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble

Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O LORD, hear my voice. In the morning I lay my needs in front of you, and I wait.

Psalm 143:8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life

He is truly worthy of our praise! A song comes to mind by All Sons & Daughters called “Great Are You Lord“. If nothing else is going right in your day, remember that it’s His breath in your lungs, and He loves you! If nothing else, that alone is worthy of thanksgiving.

 

Immutability

 

I love the Old Testament. It is so powerful and alive! Everywhere you look, you see more of the plan that Jesus and the New Testament fulfilled! It’s awesome.

Habakkuk in particular has always been of interest to me. It’s such a little book, but so powerful! Basically, Habakkuk is talking to God about how the people in Israel were lost and had become very corrupted and worldly, instead of acting like God’s people.

God gives him a vision of what will happen because of the people’s actions and it shakes Habakkuk to the core. “I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled…” ( Hab 3:16 NIV) It absolutely scared the stuffing out of him! And rightly so!

However, what I love about Habakkuk, is that in the midst of this intense fear, he doesn’t turn from God. He could have very well said “This is too much! I’m out of here!” But he doesn’t. Instead of running, or giving in to fear and allowing himself to be depressed and discouraged, he worships God!

“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines, even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!  The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19 NLT)

Happiness and Joy are two different things. You never read about the “happiness of the Lord” anywhere in the Bible. Happiness is an emotion based on feeling and outside influences. Joy, however, is all over the word of God.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12                           “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

Joy and God’s presence and guidance go hand in hand. When we are living for God, no matter the situation, we can find joy in His strength and salvation in our lives!  As Nehemiah, an encouraging leader, put it: “…Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” Nehemiah 8:10.

This is what Habakkuk knew, and what I am learning day by day, that, though life has it’s victories and defeats, God does not change. Joy in God is never out of season, so that when we come into trials or loss of physical ‘stuff’, our hearts delight isn’t wrapped up in the things that are going to inevitably pass away. We have a steadfast source of peace and joy in God. He is not man that He should lie. Oh, what I owe to his immutability! He truly is faithful to take care of His kids!