Sunday, January 19, 2014

Tempting...


Woohoo! 1st week of my senior year is over. God is already teaching me so much. I've begun the one year through the Bible and I am so excited to see how God will use it in my life. One of the topics I was reminded of during one of my devos is temptation. No matter who you are or where you live, you will face temptation. It's inevitable. Unbelievers and believers are faced with the choice to give into their flesh everyday. I started thinking hard about temptation and I came up with a couple questions.
What do you struggle with? Maybe it's worrying or lying, stealing, pornography, cheating etc... I could go on and on.
Where are you when you give in? Do you isolate yourself? saying that no one but you will be affected? or are you surrounded by people you shouldn't be with?
Now for the tough question: How can you say no? What can you do to stay away from the temptation and refuse it?
Sure it's easy to say now that you're probably not under intense pressure to give in, let it go. But isn't that what we should be doing? We need to set up boundaries so it will be completely clear that we are close to crossing them into sin. Rand Hummel from the Wilds camp says it this way: "We need to make it hard to sin and easy to do good. We need to love what God loves and hate what God hates." As Christians we are in a fierce battle against evil, Satan and his demons and our flesh. We can't just sit around "spiritually flabby" never expecting to be tempted. We need to be ready, fully equipped with the armor of God. Anyways, that's my short thought for today. Be ready to stand firm against temptation!

Ephesians 6:10-18

The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Should old acquaintance be forgot...


It's 2014! Can't believe it. It's such an exciting time, the start of a new year. I don't know about you but I feel so hopeful. Everything is fresh, you don't have to make the mistakes you did last year. You can move on and improve. That's where those new year's resolutions come in. Everyone has high expectations (or low I suppose, depending on your outlook of life) of what this coming year will be like. All the things you want changed come to mind and it seems like a wonderful idea to take that step toward becoming the person you always wanted to be.
It's also a time to reflect. I'm one of those people who is constantly going. I don't allow myself to just be still and think. Over this holiday break I've done a lot of thinking, remembering what took place this year. I have to say, I am incredibly blessed. This year was extremely hard at times but I learned so much. I saw God at work in my life and the lives of so many others. It's interesting because often we don't see God working while it's taking place. Most times when God is doing something big, changing people into the image of His Son, it is incredibly painful. It's uncomfortable to say the least to go through trials, "refining" periods of time. But looking back you can see the purpose behind the situation and how you are better because of it.
This year I've had a number of incredible experiences. For one, I traveled overseas to the beautiful country of India. Wow, it still shocks me that I can actually say that. It has been my dream ever since I was a little girl. That trip changed my life completely. I don't even have words to describe how incredible it was.
I also started my senior of college. WHOA. I never actually thought I would get this far. I am one step closer to becoming a full time missionary :) So exciting!
All this to say, I met so many amazing individuals this year. That was the highlight for sure. I have made so many new friends, especially during my time in India. I also built stronger relationships with friends I already had. When it all comes down to it, that's what matters: the lives you made a difference in. I suppose you could say that's my resolution for 2014. I want to impact others with the love of God. I want to be Christ to those around me.