"It is a safe thing to trust Him to fulfill the desire which He creates." Amy Carmichael
Lie number 9- "I need a boyfriend." rests deep within ALL our hearts. Oh, wonderful...right? Those who believe that we shouldn't 'try out' men like different ice creams struggle just as much as those who go from boyfriend to boyfriend. It really comes down to me, Faith, being content. Where is your fulfillment? I have found mine in imagination, entertainment, food, fitting in a crowd, never messing up etc..as you can imagine everything after a while failed miserably. I am now, however, filled with the Gospel. First I became more knowledgeable of God...became His friend...then my love for the cross followed and it changes my every thought and deed! Having a boyfriend is easy. Being best friends with your mom isn't. Getting married is easy. The discipline of waiting and trusting isn't.
That brings me to another point I read in the book that was wonderfully convicting! "God did not design marriage to make you happy, but to glorify himself." If I look to a relationship to make me happy I WILL BE disappointed. Let us fuel that which we know will never fail. Christ will never fail us! Actually He is full of delightful surprises. Life is never boring with our God.
Lie number 10- "It's OK to go out with a non-christian." falls hard on those of us who are more affected by 'looks' than truth. 'He' may attract you but if he doesn't give himself up for Christ then where is the purpose in interacting with except to witness? Let's be honest though, when it comes to 'cute' guys, witnessing is hardly on our minds. I cannot fuel attraction to someone whom I can never marry. It isn't fair to myself!! What happens when I give my heart away because I allowed this or that thought to come in? I think, ladies, that we must not underestimate the desires of our own hearts. No relationship that involves love/attraction should be 'just for a little while.' The Lord wants us protected and part of that comes in the form of a command-2 Corinthians 6:14-18. My friends, there is no room for compromise!
Lie number 11- "It's not really sex." continues to be convicting to me. I should not be allowing even a hint...with my clothes, my attitude, my eyes. The perfection of God's plan for us is truly intriguing! He has high standards and I can't help but be curious about His radical ideas...what will it be like to walk one way through a sea of people walking the other? God has someone saved for YOU. We will miss the beauty if we awaken either love or sexual relations too early.
Lie number 12- "I can't handle the loneliness of staying pure." will forever make my heart break. For some of us it is just a daily thing...some days we are sad and feel the longings of love and others are better and more focused. Yet, for many of us the line has already been crossed and it seems the loneliness is much, much worse. However, the wonderful, radical path of Godliness WILL surpass any lonely feelings we have now. Please don't forget, my friends, that He gave us those longings so that in fulfilling them He would be glorified! He has it all under control. I read-"The measure to which you protect the purity of your future marriage is often the measure to which you will experience true intimacy once you are married."
One last thing, for those of us that may be called to be unmarried- do not live your life as if it is less meaningful or blessed than those who are married. Everyone goes through loneliness! AND everyone can find true lasting joy in Christ. Any married woman who gave her heart to God can tell you that to put her contentment in her husband is empty and always ends up turning her back to truth. Remember that your life is for your Creator and He has nothing less than HUGE surprising twists and turns you never saw coming! Have courage and know that He is God.
I hope we can begin to see the big picture. If I could pray for anything when it comes to relationships it would be that! Lord, help me see the great scheme of your design for me. Lead me to contentment in you and show me where I can 'cut off the hand' that draws me to sin against you.
XoXo
Faith Mae
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
I have to perform to be loved and accepted.
"I have to perform to be loved and accepted." is our Lie # 8
I have learned something in the past few months that I have read, heard and studied before but never really forced it to change my thinking. I have learned that there is nothing, zero, zip that I can do to earn anything from God whether it be a smile from heaven or a specific blessing. I have spent so much time thinking I was living for God yet burdening myself because of my sin. One minute I would feel like a true child of God and the next I would say something stupid and unkind. Of course when that happened I would swoop back down into feeling rather bad about myself. The real issue was that I couldn't give my all to a God whom (or so I thought) held condemnation for me and my imperfections. You guys have heard this before...it isn't new...God LOVES us. So why aren't we living it? Why are we still stuck on being accepted when we ARE accepted?
There are 2 answers so far that I have observed in myself and others- 1 is that we don't put our value in what God thinks but in what man thinks- 2 We think we are putting our value in God but are actually asking ourselves "Am I good enough?"
Obviously the first step to achieving this truth (Your value is not determined by what you do, but by how God views you) is realizing that there is a problem and identifying where we put our acceptance. What I did from there was basically focus my attention on God. All the time. Every morning I would pull out a book, the Bible, or a study; anything to jolt myself OFF myself! ;)
This choosing to be with Him is NOT voluntary! You guys don't have to do it like me per se, but God will bring things into the light. He will bring your eyes to truth whether you choose to focus on Him in the morning or the evening, through a book or through staring out the window at His creation. I have become so desirous of His will for me that I find peace in merely doing the dishes. It's a wonderful place to be in...friends, guys, parents, ourselves...none of those can give us such a complete joy and such a complete contentment.
1 Peter 3:3-4
Ephesians 2:9
1 Corinthians 10:31
XoXo
Faith Mae
I have learned something in the past few months that I have read, heard and studied before but never really forced it to change my thinking. I have learned that there is nothing, zero, zip that I can do to earn anything from God whether it be a smile from heaven or a specific blessing. I have spent so much time thinking I was living for God yet burdening myself because of my sin. One minute I would feel like a true child of God and the next I would say something stupid and unkind. Of course when that happened I would swoop back down into feeling rather bad about myself. The real issue was that I couldn't give my all to a God whom (or so I thought) held condemnation for me and my imperfections. You guys have heard this before...it isn't new...God LOVES us. So why aren't we living it? Why are we still stuck on being accepted when we ARE accepted?
There are 2 answers so far that I have observed in myself and others- 1 is that we don't put our value in what God thinks but in what man thinks- 2 We think we are putting our value in God but are actually asking ourselves "Am I good enough?"
Obviously the first step to achieving this truth (Your value is not determined by what you do, but by how God views you) is realizing that there is a problem and identifying where we put our acceptance. What I did from there was basically focus my attention on God. All the time. Every morning I would pull out a book, the Bible, or a study; anything to jolt myself OFF myself! ;)
This choosing to be with Him is NOT voluntary! You guys don't have to do it like me per se, but God will bring things into the light. He will bring your eyes to truth whether you choose to focus on Him in the morning or the evening, through a book or through staring out the window at His creation. I have become so desirous of His will for me that I find peace in merely doing the dishes. It's a wonderful place to be in...friends, guys, parents, ourselves...none of those can give us such a complete joy and such a complete contentment.
1 Peter 3:3-4
Ephesians 2:9
1 Corinthians 10:31
XoXo
Faith Mae
Monday, May 11, 2009
Beautiful girls are worth more.
There are, I believe, three types of girls out there. The first is a gal who blatantly tells all something about herself that she doesn't like and wishes aloud for another person's figure. The second is a gal who does her hair in the same way and is content until she lingers upon herself and when she does try something new (clothes, hair, makeup etc...) she is discouraged and upset. The third gal sees herself through God's eyes, appreciates her own beauty and longs for nothing.
Which am I? Well...the scary thing is...all three! I have drifted from contentment to disdain in merely and hour. I'm sure I'm not the only one. So what is the difference between being 'worth' something and just having a bad day? Absolutely nothing. A good day is a great time to add to our self esteem. Satan knows exactly where to hit us and I want to encourage all of us a fresh in the truth.
We've all heard that we are fearfully and wonderfully made...but who among us takes it to heart every day and lets it change our attitude every day? We ladies react in many different ways when our self esteem is low but think about when it is high! We are glowing. And for whom? Not ourselves but Him who made the glow in the first place!
God's standard of beauty can be clearly noticed when we spend time alone with Him. I find that especially when I don't feel like it, taking up my Bible study and forcing myself to invest in Him, automatically changes my view of everything.
If you guys find yourself having a hard time turn to a mentor, sister, mom, and relate the lies you can't rid yourself of. Fortunately for us, even as Satan battles against us, we can know that it is already finished. God knew when He created us that our eyes would desire loveliness.
Cool right?
Love you all!!
Faith Mae
Which am I? Well...the scary thing is...all three! I have drifted from contentment to disdain in merely and hour. I'm sure I'm not the only one. So what is the difference between being 'worth' something and just having a bad day? Absolutely nothing. A good day is a great time to add to our self esteem. Satan knows exactly where to hit us and I want to encourage all of us a fresh in the truth.
We've all heard that we are fearfully and wonderfully made...but who among us takes it to heart every day and lets it change our attitude every day? We ladies react in many different ways when our self esteem is low but think about when it is high! We are glowing. And for whom? Not ourselves but Him who made the glow in the first place!
God's standard of beauty can be clearly noticed when we spend time alone with Him. I find that especially when I don't feel like it, taking up my Bible study and forcing myself to invest in Him, automatically changes my view of everything.
If you guys find yourself having a hard time turn to a mentor, sister, mom, and relate the lies you can't rid yourself of. Fortunately for us, even as Satan battles against us, we can know that it is already finished. God knew when He created us that our eyes would desire loveliness.
Cool right?
Love you all!!
Faith Mae
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