We, the Body of Christ!

Recently I've been just feeling so blessed, thinking of my family and friends.  I couldn't ask for a better circle of people to help me grow and develop into a woman of God.  My cousin sent me a verse and his comment on it yesterday, and it really got me thinking.
  "Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." This is godly friendship. As each person increases in faith in God, they sharpen up the other.  Whenever the iron meets together, they sharpen each other.  So as we, in our friendships, meet together, we will strengthen each other.  However, God must be at the center of each relationship for this to work.  we are only iron so long as our foundation and first love is God.  Thus if friends meet and find that rather than encouraging and pressing each other on, they hinder one another, the foundation is probably offset."

  God makes it clear that it's very important to have a circle of strong believers in which you spend time with. We are brothers and sisters in Christ, and should be working hard to keep the focus of life on our Lord.  Keeping one another accountable to acting in a Christ-like way, and encouraging and uplifting each other is so important!!!!  Let us grow together, helping and encouraging one another to grow. We are the body, the Church!

Being the children of Christ, shouldn't we act in a way that is kind and thoughtful?  We should try to make an effort to bless those around us, and not only those who are believers.  Blessing others should be part of our mission in life.  Simple things, such as a smile or a kind word, can make someone's day.  We are to spread the Light!!!  How selfish of us to live our own lives without reaching out to those around us!!! ( I'm as guilty as any in this area.  I don't make enough of an effort to reach to the unbelievers.  It's something I need to continue working on in my life).  We need to set a good example of what Christians are to be.  There are some who give us a bad name, and are very accusing, self-righteous and arrogant.  That is certainly not a Christ-like way to act.  Why would anyone want to become a Christian when they've seen bad examples of who we are?  We should be radiating the joy of the Lord...He has made a way for us to be saved!!!!!  We should leave no room to be negative or complain.  Not only does it steal our joy, but others' as well!!

May we radiate Him and shine His light!!!!

Summer

Having Standards That Glorify God

Recently I have been thinking about how to live my life to glorify God the most.  Something that has stuck out to me as a weakness in many Christians is standards.  We have standards about main things, such as murder, lying and sexual immorality... but what about the "little" things that really are a big deal?  Do we set standards for what we do, what music we listen to, books we read and movies we watch?  Our culture has a very low standard for media, and are we just going to go along with it?  Do you listen to songs with lyrics that you wouldn't actually talk about because it'd be inappropriate?  Are the books you read building your relationship with Christ, and completely glorifying Him?  And, are the movies you watch clean and pure?  Do they distract your gaze from the Lord, or are they honoring to Him?  Are you watching things you would be ashamed to see in real life?  If so, it is most likely not at all a godly choice.

Do you have a standard set for yourself and what you allow yourself to participate in?  Listening, reading and what you view is all actions.  You have a choice, no one is making you.

Everything we do affects us.  Music can be so fun, uplifting and glorifying to God... but, it can also be horrific, or just stupid and has no point.  Most modern music is not edifying at all, and by listening to it we are causing our gaze to be distracted.  I love all different types of music, not only Christian, but I always try to analyze myself and see how I'm being affected.  I have found that if I constantly listen to love songs, for example, I start noticing myself becoming discontent and my joy starts to fade.  My human flesh wants that "love" that I hear about in the songs and it breeds a discontentment in my heart.  I feel empty and unfulfilled, though that "love" can never fulfill me... only God can fill that place.  If I search to be fulfilled from other sources, I will never find it, and can never have complete joy.  When I listen to songs of praise to the Lord, my heart is filled!!  I feel overwhelmed by Christ's love, and my love for Him!  I feel like everything inside me is bubbling up and will overflow!  It is an incredible feeling.
But, I am not saying love songs are bad!  I just know that if they are constantly being played (therefore in my thoughts more), it can be a stumbling block for me if I let my mind wander.

A standard is a mindset.  We choose where we want our standard to be.  Where are we going to draw the line?  I just encourage you to think through EVERYTHING and always be asking yourself, "Is this glorifying to God?"  If you even question it, it probably isn't.

May the Lord draw you near to Him and help you to grow in your faith with each passing day!

What We Believe And How It Can Affect Our Health

When you hear the word "health" you probably immediately think of someone who eats salads and goes running, or something of the sort.  That is what type of picture pops into my mind as well, but there is so much more behind health than what everyone talks about on a daily basis!

So, everyone knows that we should eat well and exercise to have a healthier, better life without so much pain and health problems when we're older...not to mention you want to look good.  But, should that really be your goal in life?  Should you be striving to feel and look good?  I believe that there are much better reasons for living a healthy lifestyle.  
  
First, where did our bodies come from in the first place?  God made them.  He formed each of us in our mothers wombs, designed by His hands for a purpose.  I believe that we should take care of the bodies He gave us, using them to His glory.  I'm not saying that you have to be legalistic about it, never eating a bite of sugar or something unhealthy.  People can get way too caught up in rules, causing that to become our main focus instead of Christ.
In 1 Cor. 3:16-17 Paul expresses the importance of our bodies.

 ^"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

  Do you view your body as a temple of God?

There are so many things that we do daily and don't even think about.  If we lived with this verse in mind, how different would we act?  What does this verse even mean?  Is it talking about eating harmful foods?  Not getting enough rest?  Dressing in a way that draws attention to God's temple in an immoral way?  What about acting in ways that would defile the temple of God?

This is really not a small matter.  The temple of God is a place of worship, and if we defile our temples, we are going against God.  I am not saying that you are defiling the temple if you eat something unhealthy, as it says in Matt. 15:11  "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

 So, eating something bad for you is not going to defile you, but still I watch what I put into my body since I want to keep my temple healthy and strong, prepared to serve the Lord in any way I can.  But, what you say and do does defile you.  If a girl dresses in something that is immodest and draws attention to her body and causes men to be tempted and stumble, that defiles her temple.  It is using what God made as something good, holy, and beautiful, in an immoral way.

  Another thing, we need to make sure that we have the right mindset when thinking about food.  If we view it as giving ourselves the nutrition we need to live, then we will be less inclined to struggle with eating junk, and overeating.  My point is that many people make food an idol and a source of lust.  That is when it becomes sinful.  It isn't the eating that is wrong, but the mind and how we think.  

I'm certainly not saying that if you live a healthy lifestyle you won't ever get sick or have health problems... because, that's not reality.  Also, when we deal with times when our bodies are sick, God is not punishing us for something.  Sickness is a part of our fallen world. 

All we can do is live the best we can to God's glory! 

So, how we think and what we believe can greatly affect how we view health.  

One other aspect of health is your mental state.  If you live a life filled with lots of stress and confusion, and you have let bitterness build up, you can get very sick physically.  Your body can't handle the burden you put on it.  By trusting God with everything in your life you can eliminate so much of the tension in your life, knowing that God can handle everything and He is in control.  Then, by living in peace and love you can forgive others and not hold things against them, refusing to let the wall of bitterness build up inside you. 

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

³¹ And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."

If you live like this, loving the Lord first and other's second, we would live life so differently!  If we Love the lord with all our hearts, our souls and minds, we will live to please Him in everything.  If we love Him, we will love our neighbor.  We will refuse to let anger come between us, knowing it is not loving God to be angry or annoyed with someone.  Besides, are we so good and wonderful that we have any right to judge someone else, or think ourselves better?  No.  We are sinful human beings and nothing separates us from the rest of this sinful world except for the merciful saving grace of our Lord.... and that changes EVERYTHING!  He has taken away our heart of stone and put a heart of flesh in it's place (A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26).  

  We should be in a state of complete and utter humility, knowing that we are absolutely nothing without Christ.  There is no room to boast, unless we are boasting in Him ("That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." 1 Cor. 1:31).

So, in conclusion, we should live our lives for the purpose of glorifying God ("Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31)

and have joy in all things, knowing that we are becoming the men and women that God has created us to be - perfect in Him, by His power.  Live each moment taking in all He has made,  giving thanks to Him in everything!  Each day is a step forward in our journey towards eternity with Christ!!! 

In Christ Alone,

Summer