Growing in Godliness

Writing about godliness is way easier than actually being godly. As you already know from my previous posts, I have been struggling with having a pure heart. This has caused me to really evaluate my life. I believe that in order to be godly we must have a practical plan regarding how we’re going to grow towards our goal. After reading this post today some people may think that I’m a legalist, perhaps even calling me judgemental. I will address this false opinion first, so that you can get a clearer picture of what I’m trying to say.


Right now I’m reading a book called Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World, it’s written by various godly pastors. C.J. Mahaney defines legalism in this book, he explains:

"Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God. In other words, a legalist is anyone who behaves as if they can earn God’s approval and forgiveness through personal performance."

When we seek to evaluate our lives, where our passions are, what kind of thoughts we are thinking, we risk legalism. I continually have to remind myself: I am already loved and accepted by God, not because of anything I have done, but because of everything that he has done. Once we understand the beauty of grace our hearts should long to be changed to glorify God. This means a visible change in our attitudes, behaviours, thoughts, and actions.

The past few days I have been doing a “Worldliness Inventory”. I thought I would share with you parts of what I have been learning, in hopes to encourage and edify you. Everybody is different, and each person struggles differently, but I believe that everybody struggles with the seduction of earthly pleasures and desires.

I have been praying about ten areas of my life this week, and I encourage you to think of these ten areas as well. They are:

1. Conversation

2. Internet Activity

3. Manner of Dress

4. iPod Playlist

5. Television Habits

6. Hobbies

7. Leisure Time

8. Financial Transactions

9. Thoughts

10. Dreams

At this point you may think I’m crazy. Perhaps there’s something on this list that has resonated in your heart. I’m not trying to be a legalist by thinking about these ten things; I’m only seeking to glorify God in all that I do. I’m not trying to push my own convictions on you, just because I feel strongly about avoiding something in the media does not mean that I would pressure you to feel the same way. I do encourage you to seriously consider the way that you spend your time, and humbly submit your day to God. This is something that I am struggling with and there are things in my life that don’t glorify God that I still long to hold on to.

I thought I would share two things on my list that have convicted me this week. I will try to give some practical suggestions that are merely suggestions.

Manner of Dress:

How is my manner of dress ungodly?
- I own some revealing tank-tops, shorts that are too short, inappropriate dresses that are either too short, low-cut, or too tight. Most of these clothes are summer clothes.

What are some practical ways that I can grow in godliness in my manner of dress?
- Try to layer inappropriate clothes to make them appropriate. For example, today I had a tank top that showed way too much cleavage, but it was long so it covered my midriff. I wore that with a blue zip-up sweater (zipped all the way up), the sweater would normally be too short and shows my midriff, but the white tank covered it.
- Reserve inappropriate tanks or shorts for “lounge clothes” at home, or for sleepwear. Only wear these if you don’t have any males in the house, unless they are your husband of course (This works for me because I only live with my mom and she doesn’t care if she sees my cleavage).
- Every morning before I leave the house ask myself if what I am wearing will encourage godliness in the males I will interact with. Are my clothes going to encourage fellow brothers in Christ to stumble?
- For dress: sit down on a chair and make sure that they do not reveal too much of my leg. Merely standing up can be deceiving since dresses and skirts tend to ride up.
- Finally, I struggle with the idea of donating “inappropriate clothes”. I hate to see clothes thrown away, but I don’t know how I feel about donating a skimpy top to another woman to wear.

Thoughts:

How are my thoughts ungodly?
- Judgmental thoughts: I will judge a person based on their appearance, something that they say or do. This can be someone I know or a stranger.
- Lustful thoughts: I think this is self-explanatory
- Covetous thoughts: I will look at someone and desire what they have, sometimes it’s a married couple, or someone whose education is paid for, or someone who has a loving father, the list can go on.
- Malicious Thoughts: I will feel angry or resentment towards a person and hatred will seize my heart and my thoughts

What are some practical ways that I can grow in godliness in my thoughts?
- Pray every time a sinful thought occurs
- Make sure that I’m in the word daily, multiple times a day, meditating on scripture so that Truth is on my heart. Perhaps even writing scripture on a notepad at work and looking at it ever half an hour.
- This is not a battle that can be fought alone. I need to recognize this and pray for God to change my heart and my thoughts constantly
- Have a friend (or multiple friends) keep me accountable. This can mean they will sporadically ask me, “what are you thinking?” throughout the day, or if that’s not possible they can ask me to confess my sinful thoughts to them so that they can pray over me.

I need your advice

I just finished my last exam an hour ago! I still have one night class to take next semester, but still, this is a really exciting day for me! I’m officially a member of the working world, and I feel really comfortable here. I already have a job, and my contract goes until October 29, 2010, after that I will either stay with the company or move on to something new. However, God has put a desire on my heart since I was very young, and I feel like now is the time to chase my dream.

I want to start writing professionally.

I’ve been praying about this for awhile, and it’s something I have always dreamed of doing. I’ve decided to start by sending my work to different Christian women’s magazines. The beautiful part about being a Christian woman is knowing that God’s plan will always prevail. If God’s plan is to publish my work, it will happen. I feel great comfort in this, I know that God has given me this desire for a reason, and it will come to fruition in some way.

This leads to my question. What should I write about? I’m assuming that most of the people reading this are Christian women. What kinds of articles should I be submitting to be published? I have a lot of different ideas, but I’d like to hear what you think. Here are some of my ideas:

Purity: I could talk about issues facing women in the 21st century, pressures that we are experiencing, and ways to overcome this. This is something that is really important and needs to be talked about. I’m planning on writing some blogs about purity too, since it’s an issue that isn’t spoken of candidly in a lot of Christian circles.

Submission: This is a word that really turns a lot of people off. I’d love to dig deep into the Bible and find out what God means when he talks about submission. Specifically, I want to talk about what it means for a woman to submit to God.

Mothers & Daughters: I was thinking of writing an article about what a daughter really wants their mother to know about them. I could write it like a letter to my own mother. As a teenager there were so many things I wanted my mom to know, but I just didn’t have the words to tell her. This could be a way of making mother’s aware of issues their daughters are going through.

Gossip: I think that gossip is an issue that plagues so many women, especially Christian women. I find myself involved in ungodly discussions all too often. I haven’t developed this idea too much, but I’m sure I could find a lot to write about.

Let me know what you think of my ideas, or if there are any issues that you feel aren’t discussed enough amongst Christian women. Thanks so much for any advice that you can offer me!

The Pure Heart

Do you have a pure heart?

This is something that I am definitely working on, but will never be perfected until I see my Jesus in all His Glory.

But I’m okay with that.

“For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain in Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes from faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith- that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by all means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made it his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” Philippians 3:7-13

I’ve been meditating on what it means to have a pure heart for the past week. Slowly God has been revealing verses that speak to my heart, teaching me and breaking me in ways that only he can. The verse above has been really powerful to me this week, in many ways. I thought I would share with you what I have learned from Paul’s words.

1. Nothing Else Matters: To have a pure heart is to count as rubbish all things that exult you, and not Him. I confess that I am full of pride; it’s a disease that has infected my soul and spread to the tips of my hairs and the bottoms of my feet. I pray for humility and ten minutes later I gloat in my heart at my “achievements”. I have been begging Christ for humility, something that I will be begging for the rest of my life. I know that I cannot have a pure heart if it’s infected with pride. I long to lay down my own desires, my own ambitions, and my own joys: the things that overwhelm my time, my energy, and my thoughts. I long to lay them all down for his desire, his ambition, and his joy. Lord, I’m too weak to do even this, to make you my priority and destroy my righteousness; only you can produce this change within me.

2. Righteous by Faith: Something that I struggle with is denying my own righteousness and still finding joy in the God-sanctioned righteousness that I do have, produced by faith alone. I know that this righteousness has nothing to do with my own actions, even the act of having faith is produced by God, and this righteousness is a gift that was made possible at the cross. But, I must acknowledge this righteousness, and the fact that I am pure because of the blood that was shed on the cross for me. This is something that must not be taken lightly, and a pure heart wakes up every day and acknowledges their righteousness, on their knees at the foot of the cross. I am free from sin because of Jesus’ sacrifice. A pure heart does not defile their clean slate because they know that it will always be clean, rather, they seek to obey their Father. In faith they seek to become righteous like Jesus, the one who gives them the ability to truly act as if they are white as snow.

3. We are not perfect: There is a reason Jesus died on the cross, and it is because we are not perfect. Paul admits in Philippians that he is not perfect, but it is something that he strives for everyday. We will fall, we will sin, and we will defile our clean slates. But, after seeking forgiveness from our Father we must press on. Paul says we must forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead. This week I have become overwhelmed, how can I have a pure heart with all my sinful thoughts and unkind words and actions? God has been teaching me that to be broken over my sin is to have a pure heart. To strive for perfection and have faith that it will one day be brought to completion (in His time) is to have a pure heart. To beg at the feet of our Father for a pure heart, even though we feel infested with sin and impurities, is to have a pure heart.

Do you have a pure heart?

My prayer is that by reading this you have realized that you do, through Him who has made us this way.

The embrace of my Father

I have many memories of growing up without a father.

When I was 5-years-old I began to wonder about the absence of my father. One night I crawled into bed with my mom and asked her a question that had been on my mind for awhile. “How old was I when my Daddy left?” I asked my mom. She looked at me and I could see that the response would be painful; she replied, “Well...you weren’t born yet when he left.” I would have never imagined such a response, it seemed unheard of, incomprehensible. I didn’t know what to think of her answer, so I said what I was feeling, “That makes me really sad,” words that broke my mother’s heart. I felt that way about the absence of my father for a very long time.

I still remember when I truly felt the loss of my father; I think I was about 8. We were having a street party, and I was at a neighbour’s house. Music was playing and people were dancing and having a blast. Suddenly I found myself alone, my friends had disappeared, and so I looked around at the families together. I saw a young couple dancing with one another, their little girl in the centre of their embrace. What did that feel like? Would I ever even know? I ran down the street into my mother’s arms, and cried because I knew that I would never get to be that girl.

Memories like these burst forth. All I need is silence, and I can feel my heart breaking. At 7, 8, 9, 10, my heart continues to break from one memory to another. I shudder at the thought of father-daughter events. The heartbreak I experienced when I had no one to make a cake with me at girl guides, my friend’s father stepping in my own father’s place. When can I be normal, I would cry out. Why does this have to happen to little girls? I’ll never know the answer.

Something changed this year.

“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.” Psalm 68:5

I have a Father. All I need is silence, and I can feel my heart start to soar. At 7, 8, 9, 10, my heart continues to soar from one memory to another.

When I was 11-years-old I sat in a church pew, and my Father reached out his hand and embraced me. He adopted me as his child, giving me a home in his kingdom, promising to never leave my side.

I became a rebellious teenager, seeking favour in people who did not respect my Father. I trampled on the love of my Dad, rejecting him as each day went by. My heart turned cold and I stopped hearing his soft words spoken to my heart.

One morning I woke up and I longed for my Father’s embrace more than anything, with tears streaming down my face I ran to him, begging for forgiveness. He lifted me up in his arms, wiping away my tears and laughing with joy at my return. My Father never left my side. He was there with every wrong turn I made, protecting me from harm, healing me from hurt, and giving me every grace I could imagine.

On August 9, 2009 my Father, and my God truly healed my heart. I was celebrating my best friend’s wedding with my own beloved. We were dancing in the centre of our Father’s embrace.

I finally got what I was hoping for.

My heart is not pure

I’m writing this with tears streaming down my face. I just wrote a blog, and right before I was about to click “post” my computer crashed. That’s when the tears came. I’m going to say the same thing I wrote 10 minutes ago, but I’m going to be more honest this time.


My heart is not pure.

I have been feeling this heaviness in my heart for the past few weeks, and I have been praying for a change. I know that there is something so sinful inside of me that needs to be changed; the judgemental, selfish, dark Pharisee within me. The part that whispers evil things into my ear, and leaves dark stains on my heart.

Just now I was praying and reading my Bible. I was feeling broken, and felt like it was the first time I had truly prayed to God like he actually hears me in a long time. The words “pure heart” were whispered into my ear. I knew right in that moment, I need to be praying for a pure heart. I want a pure heart, Lord, and you are the only One who can purify my unclean, defiled heart.

I’m going to meditate on this for a few days. If I’m given the words, I will write a post about what God has been teaching me.

I also feel it’s necessary in this post to say one other thing, not only for you, but for me. I began this blog not to exult myself, but to exult Him. If I have said anything sinful in these posts (and I’m sure there are plenty of things) these have come from me. But, if there’s anything that has been of value, that has been God-honouring, these aren’t my words.

Thank you Jesus, for any power that you give these futile words; to you be the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Proverbs 20:9 “who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean of sin”?

Keeping Christ in eXams

For a lot of people it's exam season, and oh what a stressful season it is! This time of year students stop showering, sleeping, eating, and socializing (okay, that's a bit overdramatic but you get my point). This year I have been thinking a lot about Jesus. Unfortunately, most times things like showering and eating take precedence over Jesus, so if we're ditching general hygiene practises I can only imagine where Jesus is on our priority list.

I thought I would compile a list of practical suggestions to help keep the focus on Christ, even in the busy exam season.

1. Pray: This might sound really simple to you, but it's true. A lot of times the simplest way to honour God is the last thing we’re thinking about. Before you start studying, take a few minutes to pray, and ask God for strength during your study session.
2. Read the Bible: After studying all day most of us really don’t want to read anything for the rest of the night. I would seriously challenge you to keep up your daily quiet time with Jesus, and get into the Bible every day even while studying. This might mean doing your bible study first, when you wake up, that way you won’t have any excuses in the evening.
3. Sing a worship song: Instead of last minute cramming for your exam, why not spend the few minutes before you exam worshipping God? Listen to your favourite worship song on your iPod on your way to your exam, or if you’re like me and you don’t have an iPod, blast your favourite worship song before leaving your house and sing it at the top of your lungs.
4. Write your favourite verse on your exam: This may seem really unusual, but it’s a great way to witness to your professors. Before your exam write your favourite verse, and if you can’t think of your favourite verse write a short one sentence prayer. This will definitely put a smile on your face right when you get into your exam, and if you find you’re fading half way through your exam just look at your verse.
5. Have a day of rest: It’s holy and God-honouring to have one day of rest during the week (Exodus 20:8-9). If you feel like this isn’t going to happen for you, pray that it will. If you can’t take a whole day try taking a half-day of rest. Spend this time glorifying God through prayer, song, or journaling, go for a walk with your family, catch up on your favourite show, make yourself a healthy dinner, and just rest!


“And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on...Instead, seek his kingdom and these things will be added to you.” –Luke 12: 22, 31

Freecycle & 1 Chronicles

I have two things I wanted to mention today so I thought I would write one blog post, even those these things are completely unrelated.


Freecycle
So, first of all, can I tell you about my NEW HOBBY? My friend mentioned a website where you can give away stuff for free, and get stuff for free. The website is called The Freecycle Network, and it is amazing! I gave away my first thing today (a guitar). I got like 30 e-mails of people wanting my guitar, and it honestly broke my heart that I didn't have 30 guitars. It's so much fun though, and there are tons of different things that you can get for free! The reason that I'm on the website is because I am hoping to start a collection of things for my future home/apartment. Since I won't have a lot of money when I start out I am hoping to get good deals on furniture, ect. (So if you know of any good places let me know!!)

1 Chronicles
Another thing that is on my mind is the struggle that I have been having with reading certain parts of the Bible. Right now I'm going through a Bible reading plan, where each day I'm in four different parts of the Bible. This month I'm in Psalms, Genesis, 1 Chronicles, and Luke. I love reading Psalms first, it totally just gets me in the mood to read my Bible and lifts up my spirits. I love reading Genesis because I'm just so captivated by the stories told and learning about the history of my father Abraham. I always end with Luke because I love Jesus the most, and hearing Jesus' words just energizes me for the entire day. But, I have a problem, when I get to 1 Chronicles (I read it after Genesis) I start to skim the pages. I know that every part of the Bible is important, and I need to be studying and learning from 1 Chronicles. Today I almost cried when I realized that my reading plan had me in 1 Chronicles for 2 chapters, and I realized I need to be praying about my boredem because I actually skipped the entire 2 chapters today.

So, my question to you guys, what do you do when reading 1 Chronicles to make it fresh and interesting? I know it's really random, but every passage of scripture is there for a reason and its my prayer that God would speak to me in places I would never expect.