It’s not only those outside the Church who have misconceptions about Christianity.
It’s so easy to get caught up in what we think Christianity means that we end up basing the truth on our own perceptions. Let’s see Christianity for what it really is.
This was such great read from Relevant Magazine. I encourage everyone to take a look at it too.
My new-found love for spoken word brought me to these videos. The words were gorgeously and articulately written and I commend them for having the boldness to stand before so many viewers to speak on their truth, stories, and views.
Take a few moments to watch them. They may not be your exact story but maybe you can relate to one or get advice from another. Anyway, here they are.
Spoken Word Testimony - Sheena Starks
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I Love You More - Lance Devore
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31 To Be Exact - 31 Status
"Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.’” -Luke 9:23-24
It’s a pretty tall order what Jesus asks of us. It’s not like you’re simply giving away your clothes to your siblings because you don’t fit in them anymore, or sharing the last slice of pizza with a friend. No. This is our lives we’re talking about. Jesus is telling us to drop what we’re doing to live a life for Him.
If we see further beyond our initial shock we are then able to see the greatness God has planned for us up ahead. What we usually fail to realize is that this is nothing but a win-win situation.
I saw these words the other day and oh how perfectly does it fit into what I’m writing about here today. You see, when Jesus asked us to drop our lives and pick up the cross, it was His own way of saying I have something greater for you. God created you as an individual, He created you with your own personal desires that He has not forgotten (Psalm 37: 3-4). Not only that but if you allow Him He can also give you a new desire for something you have never considered before. So whether it be your love for design, veterinary work, technology, cooking or what have you, He knows it all! The path He is leading you on is not that different from the one you currently walk on, the only maybe minor difference is that it is one billion times better (Jeremiah 29:11). He will show us how to use our passions to the fullest and not only will they better our lives but that of those around us.
Here comes the personal story:
I’m a lover of the arts. I enjoy a good design and I take delight in capturing moments with my camera - I enjoy these things so much that during my last year of college I even started a small business and it did pretty well. However, following my move from Oregon to Sydney I found it difficult to start it up again. Fortunately Jesus came in and blessed me with a job where I could do just that but on a more selfless level. Sure it was a weird transition but what stage in life isn’t? I now work for my church and in all honesty, I am so grateful. Once I got past the sting of losing my business to help others I found more joy in doing what I now do. Through that, God has given me more opportunities to design and photograph different things. Additionally, the people I have been lucky enough to call co-workers are people I can also call my friends. When God wants to bless you, with Him it’s either a “Go big or go home”
type of thing.
Just remember:
YOU WERE MADE FOR THE PLACE WHERE YOUR REAL PASSION MEETS COMPASSION BECAUSE THERE LIES YOUR REAL PURPOSE.
magazines won’t do it. merits won’t connect you. even your friends and family won’t fulfill you. it’s that connection. in that grace it’s Him connecting with you! saying hey! i’m here no matter what you’ve done -no matter what you are doing. you push me away but I sent my Son to die on that cross that connects you to me. connect with me. identify with me. allow yourself to be with me. it’s the most natural thing to do.
so blessed to be broken and yet I still get to be a part of amazing things like this!!! Yes Lord.
In these past two weeks my life has become a messy puzzle of spontaneous meetings, never-ending projects, poorly-planned itineraries and things of the sort. All that withstanding, I do not think I would have it any other way. In all of it I have learned to turn to God in everything - and I mean everything. When it was me who procrastinated on an assignment and had one hour to get it together, God was there to give me the ideas to execute it; because I chose to take the later bus I missed my connecting train, but God was there to help me find an alternative and shorter route to class. There were just so many little things that turned into bigger problems but He was there to guide me through it all. It’s amazing when and how grace abounds.
Oh how He loves us. Through all that self-inflicted stress He was still there to remove it all for me. It’s love like that that makes me need and want Him all the more. It’s love like that that makes it so incredibly difficult to wrap my head around.
So, with that said, I just want to share this with you all:
"The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads" Psalm 7:16.
However, Psalm 8: 4-6 later says, "What is mankind that you are mindful of them? Human beings that you care for them?"
Oh how He loves.