holy jealousy

"He is jealous for me

love like a hurricane..."

God is jealous for His people. There is an overwhelming desire in me to learn everything I can about God: His character. One life is not enough to truly know Him. The more I know, the more He comes to me, the more I am drawn to Him with a holy love.

I can't ignore it. He is jealous for me. That's why I want to live only for Him.

He deserves my unrelenting devotion. The question remains will I give up everything to follow Him, whose name is jealous? (Exodus 34:14)

the object of Christianity

David Platt writes in the book, Radical, "the message of biblical Christianity is 'God loves me so that I might make him-his ways, his salvation, his glory, and his greatness- known among all nations.' Now God is the object of our faith, and Christianity centers around him. We are not the end of the gospel, God is."

John 3:16 says "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes will not perish but have eternal life." The object of Christianity is God incarnated in human form so I may spread His fame across the globe.

It's not about me.

So often I make it about me: what I want to do, where I want to live and where I'll end up.

That's making Christianity about me. The object is me.

I'm starting to see that is not what my beliefs are to be rooted in. Beliefs are to be rooted and founded on Him and His truth, not what is convenient for me.

That isn't saving the world.

The object of Christianity is Jesus and I want to keep it there.

weakness lets god in

i'm not one to be vulnerable before God. but i've reached a place where all my strength is drained and all I can is look up at God and all He is.

the weaknesses of this life let God in. i'm just beginning to learn this. just when I feel discouraged in faith, god shows up. i'm aware of my weakness and that lets god in.

god is beginning something in me and I invite Him into all of me. I don't know where I'm going but I'm ready to follow Him wherever He is leading me.

and I am to boast in the things that show my weakness. (2 Corinthians 11:30) I am lead to the question why is God glorified through weakness? they (weaknesses) force me to depend on God, not myself.

Weaknesses of this life let god in.

judgment has no place

I've experienced judgment among Christians more than I have among non Christians. That hurts me more than anything.

Until I'm perfect- like God- then I can start judging others. I'm not there- so judgment has no place in my life. I need to worry about my own life first- before I go around condemning people for what they do.

My opinion is that judgment has no place among the church- the community of believers.

Matthew 7:1 says, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged." This verse is saying if I judge others, I will also be judged. Why do I judge others? To make me feel superior? Whatever the reason, I am called to love others with the love of God in me. Judgment divides what is meant to be unified. I experienced judgment from those who were close to me and I felt demeaned. Then I thought about how non Christians must feel when they're judged by "Christians".

I can't judge others because I'm flawed just like the rest of the world. Judgment has no place in my life because I'm created to love others with the love of God in me.

never give up

When times are rough, my God makes a way. When I can't see the road ahead, God sees where I need to go: what direction I should go.

When I feel like giving up on myself, God is speaking into my life, saying "don't give up. I have a way for you that far exceeds the way you have for yourself."

I treasure His voice because when there is no hope left in my own humanity, God becomes my hope I cling to desperately.

Perseverance is what I am called to as a follower of Jesus. God never gives up on me so why would I ever give up and think that I'm too far gone to be rescued and changed, transformed into more of His image?

I never give up.

When times are hard, when you feel there is no way out of what brings you down, remember God made a way. Never give up.

lighting the way

Good and upright is the LORD,
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. -Psalm 25:8

As this verse states, the Lord is good and upright. Digging deeper, what does it mean to be upright? To be upright means to be moral, true and honest. And because of the nature of God, He leads sinners in His ways.

Then I ask myself what are the ways of God? I must seek Him to find them. My prayer is He would reveal His ways so I may walk in His light.