Love Solves Problems

I oftentimes wonder if people are being real with me. Okay I’m a skeptic. But how can I trust that this salesman is telling me the truth about this product? How do I know it’ll last 3 years and not 1 year and a day (just to be sure it’s not covered by the warranty.) How do I know that this person who says they care about me isn’t lying and just trying to score brownie points with me.

But then I look at myself and see that I don’t want to be real either. Do I want to open myself up to most likely get hurt in the end? Do I want to show people who I really am? The sinner who doesn’t do things perfectly and fowls up more then anyone would ever want to admit? How about if I say something and then everyone despises me? I look at the world around me and see cruelty and unkindness. I see people constantly talking behind their “friend’s” back. Why would I want to open myself up?

But can you really ever be close to someone if you don’t every truly know them? Will someone ever be able to help you, pray for you, cry with you, and love you if they don’t know the real you? Do you want a friend who doesn’t even know and love the real you?

I want to meet the person I’m talking to. But then I wonder if I’d like people if they were being totally real. Maybe they would shoot me if I met the real them.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

On the other hand we shouldn’t be sharing things that are evil. There are two sides to being real. If you utter gross and unhelpful things all the time and excuse it by saying, “well it’s the real me, so people should suck it up and just know this is me.” Well number one, there should be repentance there. We should be one to speak the truth and say what we’re thinking but do it in the way that Philippians 4:8 directs. Of course a true friend will hopefully see that what you are sharing is evil and will lovingly reprove you. But we should never excuse the evil we think and utter by saying it’s who we are.

To make this brief, let’s go out and be real and not be offended easily when others do and say stupid or hurtful things. Our friendships will grow so much more and if Christ is the center of the friendship it will blossom.

It seems that whenever someone bursts out in song they’re happy. You generally don’t see someone angry singing. So when you feel down, sing!

Proverbs 25:11 – A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

Do we really consider what we say? I think much of what we say will be forgotten. On Facebook and Twitter I oftentimes see many quotes from great men of the past. These are those words that were fitly spoken. They’re those words that are worth framing up and putting around our house.

Our conversations will most likely prosper if we spend the time to formulate our words rightly and speak those words that will encourage and lift up.

An interesting thought hit me today. I was reading several blog pieces by people who were probably in their 20s to 40s about how they got saved again. They thought they were saved before, but then figured out they weren’t really saved. If I was paid a dollar for every time I heard that I’d be worth about thirty bucks.

As a young Christian you need to be fed milk. You aren’t able to handle the meat of the Word. 1 Corinthians 3:2 – I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

So, are these people who keep on getting saved over and over again really growing in faith? I question some of the messages that ask you to question your faith (maybe not directly, but hints of it). Should I be doubting the grace of Christ in His salvation of me? Am I really going to grow this way? Or is my Christian walk going to be reduced to wondering if I’m saved over and over again? Asking myself am I on the right road, am I on the right road? And I’ll end up not ever starting down the road.

Sure, I can see a point to looking at the Word of God and then looking at your life and if they don’t match up changing things and repenting of your sins.

But, when we’re laying on our death bed are we going to be biting our nails not knowing if we’re saved or not? Not knowing if our last salvation took? I hope not.

Sometimes the best thing you can say is goodbye. Just as Christ left us, so must we do to our friends.

Wait, what?

😀

You’ll have many friends over your life. Possibly a few really good friends. Someday we’ll find someone to be our best friend to spend the rest of our lives with. (Unless of course you already have. 😀 )

But, in the end only Christ is the one we can truly depend on and will help us through and with all our other friendships we have.

Haha, 12 minutes of breathing room.

My laptop screen is dead.. Yargh!

Psa 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

Holiness is a beautiful thing. People who put a major emphasis on external beauty and not their spiritual beauty are trying to put makeup on themselves while they’re bleeding to death.

Something I’m curious about is, why is this physical beauty so important? I think it’s because it’s our God. Clothing, makeup, accessories, etc can be overly important in our lives because the stuff we have is our God. (I’m sure there are other reasons as well.) We feel that if one is more beautiful, they will have more things and a better life. But, it just doesn’t work out that way. At some point, say bye to the good looks and you become wrinkled and hunched over and then that’s when a truly beautiful spiritually healthy person blossoms and shines. Plus, you’re going to die at some point so your stuff isn’t going to help you either.

But, we can’t be gnostic here. We can’t separate these issues completely. Taking care of yourself in a physical sense (i.e. cleanliness, exercise, wearing clothes that match, etc.) are important. I mean, face it a guy/girl isn’t going to want to marry someone who doesn’t take care of themselves. (Okay, I know there are “special” people out there for other “special” people, but that’s going to be an exception.) It has to do some with character. If you’re overweight (and it’s not some genetic/disease symptom) it’s going to say something like this person loves food, doesn’t take care for their body through exercise. And, maybe it’s true maybe it isn’t but that’s the message that’s being communicated. Plus, guys aren’t going to be completely utilitarian. There’s still physical attraction and maybe putting makeup on is going to help people see past your physical blemishes and meet the real you without being put off by your appearance. But, do you want to attract someone who’s just attracted to you because of your makeup?

It comes down to a balance. Everybody’s going to have a slightly different balance in life.

We’re being told things constantly through the media, advertisements, people, and peers. Compare what you’re told through God’s Word and He will direct your path in all things.

In a culture where every woman/man in film and advertising is airbrushed and photoshopped to look like perfection it’s easy to fall into the trap of being unsatisfied with your body, especially as a woman. When we’re so steeped in a culture that says beauty is perfect cheekbones, someone who fits a size 0, and blah, blah, blah it’s easy to fall into this wanting a perfect body as defined by the media. In the time that we live, many people have a distorted view of seeing beauty as a skin deep thing. But, looks fade quickly and the lipstick, foundation, etc. is only going to keep the wrinkles away for so long. At some point we have to come to recognize the fact that beauty is of the heart. Sure, a physical beauty is a good thing, and just as God dressed Israel in beautiful clothing and jewelry there’s some value to physical beauty. But at the point where beauty is all seen as an outer beauty and not as honoring God with the temple that he gave you its going down the wrong track…

I’ll continue this tomorrow, otherwise I’m going to run out of stuff to write by the end of the year. 😉

Time doesn’t wait on you. Every second is precious. Your life, in this world, could end now or in 50 years. Are you taking care of the time that you’ve been given? My cousin Steve wasn’t given as much time on this earth as many of us. But, he was a godly man who affected many. By his example of sweet love for the Lord he affected many.

What would be said of you if you were to die today?

Now is the traditional time to make our goals.

Of course me being a procrastinator I’m posting this 20 days later. ^_^ *pats self on the back*

I’m amazed at how we make such a big deal about making goals during the New Year. But, then expect to fail at them.

I know several people who say they dread January 1st because then the gym fills up and machines are hard to get at. But, not to worry because by March they’ll all be empty again..

A goal is part of building a vision for your life. It’s how you’re going to go about accomplishing that vision for your life over the next 80 years.

To be successful you’ll need goals, but more importantly follow through on them.

My goals:

1. Post about New Years Resolutions 19-20 days too late.. *check*
2. Post every day for the next year.