My Faith

Friends and Family,


Recently, I had a former friend tell me that 'religion' is to be something that guides you, not your entire life... I frankly do not agree with this statement. Granted, I know I have to consider the source of the comment, but still, I think it's time for me to enlighten all my friends on my view of "religion".

So I'm going to start off with a few definitions. Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. Faith is allegiance to duty or a person. Relationship is a state of affairs existing between those having relations or dealing.

This being said, it bugs me when people use the word religion to describe what I believe, because it's SO much more than just a religion. I firmly believed that I am called to live my life for Christ, meaning he is my everything. He is more than just my "guide". Sure, I have the Holy Spirit dwelling in me, which means I have a constant guide to life, but my faith in God, is so much more than allowing Him to guide me, it's allowing him to break me, mold me, and sustain me.

I may not always do my best allowing Him to have total control over my life, but that's okay, He knows I'm an imperfect human. He sent Christ, the only perfect being to ever exist, to give me the model to try to make it to. Although, He knows I never will be able to be He grants me grace beyond my wildest imagination. Grace I don't deserve, could never be "good" enough to deserve.

I know what I believe and why. No matter whether you agree with my beliefs or not, at least respect them. If you have any questions for me whatsoever, please feel free to ask. I'll do my best to answer them.

All my love and His,

Beloved

When

When will the wounds quit getting torn open? Wounds that I thought to be healed years ago. Through one conversation, one topic, they got opened again. I'm sure they're used to remind me of something, but of what? Maybe it's to remind me of how His wounds get reopened when we do something against Him. If so, why now? Maybe it's because I never completely worked through them all. How not? Maybe it's because my heart/guard needed torn down to help others see something. But what?

It's not clear to me now, it might not be clear to me tomorrow, or this weekend, but hopefully over the course of the next few weeks, my eyes will be opened to the reasons.

All I can cling to is the promise I have that He will work all things to benefit me in the end. He's got a plan for reopening these old, festering wounds that I thought were closed up. Even though I can't see what it is, or why right now, I know beyond a shadow of doubt that He will prevail in this. He will allow healing and understanding. I just have to trust Him to lead me to the answers.

Here it is

A duty, engagement, guarantee, must, need, pledge, promise, responsibility, undertaking, vow, word; what do these words have in common? It's simple, they all have been used to define commitment. Perhaps the most common way someone defines commitment is by using the word promise.

Commitment is by definition the state of being bound emotionally or intellectually to a course of action or to another person or persons. This sort of commitment is something that is virtually non-existent anymore. Commitment can be to anything, whether it be a job, a loved one, consequences, whatever. There's no need for anyone to commit to anything or anyone anymore.

In a world that is all about me, making myself better, ensuring that I'm taken care of, why should we be asked to commit to anything? Our world today is made up of broken promises, people in denial about everything, and the refusal to do anything. It's no wonder that since, that is the world we live in, that no one would be able to commit to anything wholly. Why would be be able to? We've learned how to do everything that is the very opposite of commitment.

Commitment is something that is very overlooked in our world today. In fact, we find every way imaginable to get out of the commitments we've made. We have a system of getting out of everything, from marriage, to debt, to events, to consequences of actions, to pregnancy, everything. Anything that the word commitment can be tied to, we've found a way to "get out of it".

With this being said, in a world where commitment is nonexistent, how do we teach ourselves the true meaning of commitment, and how to commit to something? The only way I've been able to grasp how to do this, is by turning to the very One who created commitment. When God promised something to one of His people, He followed through on that promise. I know what you're saying, God is incapable of breaking his promises, and you're right. This being true, if we are to strive to be like Him, then we are to strive to be a person who keeps promises.


One thing most of us tend to forget, is that if we make a commitment to something, or someone, we're not only making a commitment to that. We're also making a commitment to God. Since He will NEVER break his commitment to us, how do we think we can get off breaking a commitment to Him.

Where's grace fit in to this? If we break a commitment (whether intentionally or not) and we bring our transgression to God, with a repentant heart, in His word, we are told that He will be faithful and just to forgive us.


Growing up, I may not have had the best examples of commitment, but somewhere along the line, the power and meaning of commitment was instilled within me. I can only credit God with placing this within me. When I see a majority of the people around me taking commitment lightly, it upsets me. It's been upsetting me for several months now, and I needed to let people know how I felt.


So here it is.

Tired....

God,

I'm tired of being insecure.
     Give me your security.

I'm tired of being afraid.
     Give me your confidence.

I'm tired of being stagnant.
     Give me a passion for You

I'm tired of being doubtful.
     Give me firm faith in You.

From,
     Your beloved.

Cracked pottery

Are you sure you're only....[insert age here]? I'm pretty sure this is the most common question I am ever asked. All I can say is "yes, I'm sure...unless my birth certificate was forged."......which with my parents....who knows.... Just kidding. I know it's real. :)

My life has made me seem older than I actually am. In some ways, when I look back, I'm like wow...how did I end up here? In a good sense. All I can think is...only by the Grace of an all knowing-all powerful God am I where I am today. I still have A LOT of things that I'm working on. After all, like everyone else, I'm a work-in-progress...if I were a completed work, I wouldn't be here anymore.

The things I've gone through, do I wish they wouldn't have happened? Not in the least. Unlike a lot of people, when I look at all the tough stuff I've been through, I realize that it was only to make me stronger, to help me learn who my Father is, who I am through Him. Without the hardships, without the uncertainty (which I hate), without the instability (which I also hate), I wouldn't have seen the need to reach out to the Creator. I wouldn't have known what it is like to have to rely soley on Him and His promises. In the end, that's all that matters. You and Him and your relationship with Him is all that matters.

Do I completely understand who I am in Him? Not yet, but by the time He takes me to be with Him, I want to know who I am in Him and who I can be by living as He did and searching His Word for the answer to the question, Who am I in You, Lord.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.     ~2 Corinthians 4:7-12 

This passage is one that I've been taught for a long time. Each and every one of us can relate to this passage at one time or another. We are only made perfect through His sacrifice. As it says in here, we carry Christ's sacrifice with us. The trick is to live as though we believe that He is capable of forgiving. How many times can we ask for forgiveness of something, only to keep kicking ourselves over it?

One of the great things about this passage is to show us that we weren't meant to be perfectly molded, perfectly shaped. We should be rejoicing over our imperfections, not trying to hide them. We were made to have cracks. We were made to be imperfect so that our exposed weak points are where God can shine through the brightest!

Matthew 3:7-10

"But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

My question is this: how many times do we rely on where we came from, who we know, and the things we learn to sustain us in our faith and assurance for where we are going? I know for me personally, it's far too often. I get distracted in things that essentially good, yet once I get distracted by them, they take my focus off of where it should be. The only One that deserves it.

How often do we rely on our stature to be enough proof of our faith, when it should be our deeds and actions that do the talking? Thank God for his never-failing love and grace. Without it, I would be worse off than I actually am. Thank God that He looks at the place where no one else does...the heart.