The past couple weeks I started a series of Christian books. They're fiction, based on characters from Bible times. I thought, "These should be really good, they're about Jesus' life, and people during that time!" So, I just started the fourth book. I was sitting last night thinking. I was feeling very discontent with my life. I felt terrible. I couldn't understand how I felt so terrible. I started thinking about the books. I asked myself "though those books are Christian, and about Christ, are they drawing my heart TOWARD God?" The answer was no. Second question; "are they making me discontented with my life?" Yes. Why? They weren't "romance novels" or even love stories. But, they did have romance in them. Not too much, but that little bit affected me. I'm a girl. Girls naturally are drawn to love and romance. Right now, in this stage of my life, I am trying to keep my heart pure, and focus on God and my relationship with Him. By reading books that have Him in them, but are still drawing my heart toward a desire that shouldn't be there, is not good. I couldn't believe how much difference it made by just reading those books. I realized that I wasn't focusing on God like I had before, and thinking too much about my future, and longing for something I can't have right now. Also, it made me realize that I think of love and romance in a bad light. I shouldn't think of it as something that will fulfill my desires by having someone to love me so much. Only God can do that. Fiction can give the impression that things, and people can give you what you want and make you happy. Well, happiness is from happenings. What I really want to have is real JOY!!!! Joy is not based on happenings. It's a contentment in every circumstance. It's putting Jesus first (J), Others second (O) and You last (Y). That spells JOY! It is unconditional. Not conditional, from your conditions. Joy I find, is very hard to have. So much can destroy it. We need to strive to have it in our hearts, and live each day, every moment with that in us. This is not just for girls. Guys may not have the same struggles with wanting love, but they have other struggles. They also need to keep their eyes on the Lord, and not get carried away by the little things in this world that aren't even "bad".
This just really stood out to me, and I felt called to write about it. It's humbling to me, because I don't want others to know I struggle. I don't want to look like the sinner I am. Lust was my problem. I didn't even know it. Yes, girls struggle with it, too. Love. Love is so good, so right, so pure, so godly. But, love can also be a stumbling block. Something we actually put as an idol for ourselves. I don't want that. Know what? That love that is hurtful to us isn't really love! It's just our picture of love. It's infatuation. Real love isn't a feeling, it's a choice. It's not easy to really love someone. We have to go through trials, and really knowing someone enough to see their worst faults to really love them. Yes, I believe I love people I know, but that's not the same kind of love. The love we need to strive to have is the kind God shows us in His Word, and in our everyday lives. It's also "tough love". How many of us really know, and have REAL love???? I know that I have a long way to go to really know what it is, and to fully put it into practice in every area of my life. I'm working on seeing the good in everyone and not judging them, but it can be very hard, especially when I'm around other people who start talking bad about someone else. It's hard to speak up and ask them to stop.....and it's VERY easy to join in. It's so sad! We need to cry out to the Lord, our Savior. He's our only hope!!!!!!! Hope. Such a wonderful word. Probably one of my favorite things to hear. We always have hope. HE is hope. He can put joy in our hearts. We just need to ask Him. He's ready to mold us and to make us more like Him. More than ready. He LONGS to hear our cry for help. We need to realize how worthless we are withOUT Him. We're nothing by ourselves. We can't do anything for ourselves. We're worthless. But, with Him as our guide we can do great things! Because, it's not us. It's HIM working through us. We just always need to acknowledge that, and make sure other know it, too. NEVER take credit for what He does! He is EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!
Well....I don't really know how that all came out.... It certainly wasn't planned.... by me. But, I know who must have planned it...... =D
Love to you all!
In HIM,
Summer
This just really stood out to me, and I felt called to write about it. It's humbling to me, because I don't want others to know I struggle. I don't want to look like the sinner I am. Lust was my problem. I didn't even know it. Yes, girls struggle with it, too. Love. Love is so good, so right, so pure, so godly. But, love can also be a stumbling block. Something we actually put as an idol for ourselves. I don't want that. Know what? That love that is hurtful to us isn't really love! It's just our picture of love. It's infatuation. Real love isn't a feeling, it's a choice. It's not easy to really love someone. We have to go through trials, and really knowing someone enough to see their worst faults to really love them. Yes, I believe I love people I know, but that's not the same kind of love. The love we need to strive to have is the kind God shows us in His Word, and in our everyday lives. It's also "tough love". How many of us really know, and have REAL love???? I know that I have a long way to go to really know what it is, and to fully put it into practice in every area of my life. I'm working on seeing the good in everyone and not judging them, but it can be very hard, especially when I'm around other people who start talking bad about someone else. It's hard to speak up and ask them to stop.....and it's VERY easy to join in. It's so sad! We need to cry out to the Lord, our Savior. He's our only hope!!!!!!! Hope. Such a wonderful word. Probably one of my favorite things to hear. We always have hope. HE is hope. He can put joy in our hearts. We just need to ask Him. He's ready to mold us and to make us more like Him. More than ready. He LONGS to hear our cry for help. We need to realize how worthless we are withOUT Him. We're nothing by ourselves. We can't do anything for ourselves. We're worthless. But, with Him as our guide we can do great things! Because, it's not us. It's HIM working through us. We just always need to acknowledge that, and make sure other know it, too. NEVER take credit for what He does! He is EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!
Well....I don't really know how that all came out.... It certainly wasn't planned.... by me. But, I know who must have planned it...... =D
Love to you all!
In HIM,
Summer
Christian books serves to ibiblenspire us to follow God's ways. it also somehow elaborates what's in the bible.
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