So much has happened since I last wrote on here... a 5 week winter break in which I helped around home, went to the BAHAMAS- amazing might I add, started a new year, and hopefully have a new outlook on some things about life in general...
but for now, the thing on my mind is--- I am so scared of living like the typical American Christian!!! Worrying about all the worldly things that need to be taken care of is so typical, I am not sure how to explain my thoughts but just the things money gets spent on and the mindset of all the things that we "need" [ since we dont' understand the concept of true need] & if I have a family all the many things that will occupy my time, it scares me, I dont' want to get caught up in the things of this world. Most importantly, I don't want to keep waisting time within relationships when people need NEED CHRIST. For some reason I have been so caught up in helping people with physical needs that while spending time with them, I have somehow been deceived into forgetting that their GREATEST NEED = CHRIST & his salvation! We don't live like people are dead and condemned to hell, the time is now, time is short. I want to remember this.
I want to be in the world but not of the world but there are soo many temptations. My fear is that I am so brainwashed that I am deceived and already fallen victim to many temptations, my prayer is that the Lord will renew my mind. Strip it of the things I accept as normal & put them to His test. -yet to be figured out...-
well this is my venting for now, gotta go get ready for my brother's basketball game.
5 comments:
AMEN! :-)
"Most importantly, I don't want to keep waisting time with relationships when people need NEED CHRIST."
"For some reason I have been so caught up in helping people with physical needs that while spending time with them, I have somehow been deceived into forgetting that their GREATEST NEED = CHRIST & his salvation!"
you make some great points heather... you are right, people's greatest need is Christ. I myself will admit that I am a poor witness. However, i would also urge you to be very careful - when you are upset with the focus on meeting physical needs, don't swing to far the other way to forget about them completely. remember that this isn't a "either/or" it is a "both/and"
i'm excited to see you soon! i'm going to e-mail you my schedule so we can hang out!
-Liz
wow- these are some things i've been thinking on too. i do amen liz's comment that we need to be careful though. it's so hard to not be at one extreme or the other- i think that the best way to help someone is to tell them about and show them Christ. i think to not do that is like saying that we can meet all their needs just by helping take care of physical stuff, like somehow we are the savior and not Jesus.
a lot of times, at least in my own life, if I am right with God, then the physical stuff doesnt seem to matter as much- and with a right focus I am more able to handle and resolve all of the rest- i think thats probably true for all of us- so to help someone get to that place, whether they are a follower of Christ and need to get back on track, or whether they are not and need to take a step closer to God or accept His promise of salvation- that is what a person needs, and it is our job to offer it... or, well, God has already offered it, we need to show them?? does that make sense? i dont think i'm wording that right.
but also, honestly there are a lot of times when a person is not going to listen to what i say unless i help them with what they feel they need me to... if a person is starving, if a person is in a lot of pain, if a person has no sense of security, then telling them about the love of Christ without addressing their other needs could be really fruitless, and in a lot of cases really harmful- its hard for anyone to focus on anything but survival if their survival is threatened... were called to feed the hungry, care for the orphans and the widows- thats really important, cause sometimes, just being shown that love will make the person want to know where it came from. but we have to be sure they know it didnt come from us. it came from God.
i think where i tend to lose focus with this whole thing is that i act as though telling a person about jesus and giving them clothes to wear and food to eat and all of that is for me or even for them. the goal is to help someone. the goal is to be a good person. the goal is to make the world a better place. none of those things are bad, but i should be doing it so that God is glorified. so that His reign is established on earth, and in my heart and in the heart of those i met. ya know?
feeding the hungry isnt me feeding the hungry. its God feeding the hungry and using me to do it. telling someone about Christ isnt me telling someone about Christ it is God offering a person eternal life, and simply using my mouth. i fear that a lot of times my actions and words become so much about me and the other and not about God. when really, it isnt about me, it isnt about the other person, it is about God and his love for and through us.
i dont know if i have strayed way from the topic, which i probably have, or if this has even made sense, which it probably hasnt, but basically my point is, that while we are entirely responsible for our actions, its really God working through us. I think that God cares about whether his children are cared for, physically, emotionally, mentally- he gave us life and i think he wants that life to be nurtured- i also think that more than anything in the world, he wants a relationship with us. he wants to be known by us.
and i think that he wants to use us to make himself known to his people. and i think that he wants to use us to care for his people.
i think its our job to offer people both-because they're connected, coming from the same God, acts of his love for us- and to neglect either is to ignore a huge part of our calling as christians.
anyway- i have been kinda convicted about such things and others recently.
i love you very much and am excited to see you soon and talk with you :)
i promise i didnt mean to leave that long of a comment :|
Thanks guys for commenting! I love it!
Liz, I definately agree with you that there needs to be the "both/and" forming relationships, meeting needs, and witnessing must all be a part of our lives and must be used as tools that work together and compliment one another depending on an individual's situation.
Oh and Brenda, I just love how ya went, I totally understood what you were saying though & agree.
I guess in my mind there are two ways to think about it, like you said, some people will not be able to hear what we are saying until we can help them, kinda like the funny analogy in James 2:14-17 w/ the idea of faith and deeds.
There is also the idea of caring for our own like the NT church taking care of their poor (w/in the church), so I guess that is the other side of it in my mind of how important it is to witness effectively and then w/in our own churches pay careful attention that everyone is taken care of. Right now there is a girl in our youth group that her and her mom only had rice and were running out and finally told a youth leader last week so now they have been helped out, which I think is sweet :)
But anyway, I completely agree that when we are helping people it so often becomes about doing good rather than serving and glorifying our Saviour!!! I guess that kinda sums up the whole thing of it, we must continue to serve those in need & seek those relationships, but while living life, we must make it about and for Him & not put off the importance of the Gospel. Well that's all i got to say to that right now I suppose.
Definately CANNOT wait to see you guys!!!!!
(and Mike-if you're reading this-, I'll see you in 7 weeks!)
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