All You Need Is...Love???

Valentine’s Day, more than any other day on my calendar, saddens me. No, it’s not because I’m single, lonely, or because I have no one to give me chocolate. What bothers me is our preoccupation with what our culture has defined as love, which is merely romance.

Before I go any further, please understand that this entry is intended for young, unmarried people—specifically in their teens and twenties.

Nowadays we define singleness as a negative thing. If you don’t have a special person to celebrate Valentine’s Day with, chances are you’re spending the day feeling miserable and lonely, and if you’re not, everyone else thinks you should be. As if that’s not bad enough, those who are “in relationships” (pardon my facebook terminology, but I’m referring to those who are in dating relationships with no real commitment or intention to eventually marry) tend to go about flaunting their “non-singleness” with those horrifying kissy-photos that makes us all feel a bit nauseous.

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23

My point is that there is so much pressure to be in some sort of relationship from essentially every angle that sometimes we begin to wonder what’s wrong with us if we’re not. I cannot begin to express how very backwards this way of thinking is! Every day we’re bombarded with what looks like the perfect picture of romance via the movies we watch, the books we read, the music we listen to—in fact, you don’t even have to resort to the media for your daily smut intake. Simply walk on to your nearest high school or college campus and you’re bound to stumble across a couple making out in the hallway. Sometimes it’s enough to make me wish I was blind.


I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. Song of Solomon 8:4

What’s really sad is when I see this “singleness is evil” mindset take over in our youth groups. I’m not saying that a healthy relationship cannot/should not ever begin in such a setting, but I AM saying that the pressure, the flirtatiousness, the suggestive clothing is so, so, SO WRONG!!! Shouldn’t church be a place of refuge, a place to re-fuel spiritually so that we can be ready to face the trials and temptations of the world?

I remember going to winter camp with my youth group one year; one of the guys came for the sole purpose of getting some random girl’s phone number. You may not think that this example is really a bad thing, but look at the bigger picture. What good do these things do for you, let alone your brothers/sisters in Christ, assuming that you’re actually saved? If your goal is to take the focus off of Christ and to put it on yourself, go home. I’m not saying this to be harsh or unloving. I’m saying it to prevent you from hindering yourself and others in your walk with God. Don’t be a distraction!

Singleness is not as bad as the majority tends to think. Most people eventually end up getting married, so don’t live your life in pursuit of that one object. Be content where God has you right now, growing closer to Him daily. Use this unique time in your life to serve and glorify God to the best of your ability. Oh, there is so much more to life than the pursuit of Mr. or Mrs. Right! Do something to make your life count—to make your Savior look as great as He truly is! He loves you so much more than anyone else ever could. Let us not stand before Him one day, having nothing to account for but our pursuit of mere human love. Let God be your focal point, your greatest desire. No one should take your Savior's place in your heart!

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3

Although I have yet to experience it for myself, I do know that it will be so much more beautiful and satisfying if only I wait for the right person in God’s perfect timing, and if I can conduct myself in the way that most pleases my Savior in the mean time. After all, our star-breathing God has much better plans for us than we have for ourselves! I’m pretty sure He knows what He’s doing!

Something Crazy

What you see in this picture are the remains of my Twilight books and movies. Tonight I did something that I've been putting off for a long time. I did some research.


Let me back up a bit...


Ever since I read the first book, I immediately noticed the power these books had. Ask any girl who has read the books and she'll tell you that they're extremely addicting. I quite literally couldn't put the thing down. In fact, the first time through I finished the book within a few short hours. As if that wasn't bad enough, I HAD to read the rest of the series--I couldn't leave it alone. I started trying to write stories like Stephanie Meyer, to find other books that gave me the same thrill, and I even had my hair styled similarly to one of the characters on the movie, Alice Cullen.


Unlike a lot of fans, I wasn't proud of my obsession. I tried to hide the fact that I was interested in Twilight from almost everyone I knew, even from my friends who enjoyed the books. I knew reading them was wrong. Although the series is immersed in the occult, I managed to justify reading it by telling myself that I knew the truth--they could never convince me to start practicing Wicca or anything of the sort. I could not, however, ignore the blatant sexual immorality the book contained. It starts so subtly and innocently that I hardly noticed. The further I read in the books, the more I blushed. The scary part is how real Bella's experiences feel to the reader.


I was raised in a godly home. I've gone to church all my life, I attended a Christian school, and most importantly I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ at the age of thirteen. My point is that I've been taught the difference between right and wrong since I was born. There is something about those books that causes young women like me to lay aside our convictions and moral standards long enough to indulge in these things that we know to be wrong. It lets or minds wander into places they have no business being. Our Heavenly Father calls us to be pure!


Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8


When I moved out of my parent's house seven months ago, I put those books on my shelf (I used to keep them hidden) as a statement that I'm old enough to make my own decisions when it comes to what I read, watch, listen to, etc., but whenever someone would come into my room and look at that bookshelf, I felt so ashamed. It bothered me to think that in reading those books, I was setting an example for others, particularly girls younger than me. I was telling other believers that reading garbage and justifying sin is okay. It is absolutely not okay, as God tells us as believers to be separate from the world. Allowing such darkness into our heart causes us to be hardened, to be desensitized to the point where evil looks like good, and good bores us. Even if we don't think the things we read, watch, and listen to affect us, they do. Because I made a habit of hiding these books from my parents, I learned to hide other things from them as well. I also found myself desiring human "love" (romance) over the all-satisfying love of our Savior.

As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man. Proverbs 27:19

I've gotten rid of the books before, believe it or not. I used to own the entire series. One day I tossed all of them in the trash (as I mentioned earlier, I knew that reading them was wrong). About a year later, I bought the first book again and I checked out the rest at the library. Believe me when I tell you these books are nearly impossible to get rid of. There's something unnatural about them. Once you read one, your thirst for them becomes insatiable. After reading several different accounts online, I found that many other Christian girls have experienced the same struggles with the Twilight books. Although it's terrifying to realize just what an impact these books have on young women, it's comforting to know that we are not alone in our fleshly struggles (see Meag's Blog, an account from another girl who has struggled with Twilight).


No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13


Tonight, however, I did something crazy. I tore up the pages of my Twilight books and shattered my DVDs. I don't want to allow any room for temptation.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

So, my friends, I ask you to pray for me. I'm just as human as anybody else, but God is greater than my sinful heart AND He is greater than the lies of the enemy!


But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? Galatians 4:9

The Anthem of My Life

Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. Psalm 73:25

Oh, if only that could be the anthem of my life! I so long to live a radical, sold-out life for Jesus Christ. I desire to reach out, to serve, to spread the richness and beauty of my Savior before I get any older.

I want to push ahead, to seek out and accept challenges with a joyful and willing heart, to do the things that aren't easy. I want to take others by the hand and join in a relentless pursuit of our God. If only I could pull others out of the pit and by God's grace, help them find level ground. I want to be transparent, letting the Holy Spirit shine through me at every angle, that I might disappear and that He might be glorified.

This burden, though I don't understand it, is growing stronger every day, but how can I bring my Savior glory when I can't even accomplish the bare minimum? I burn bridges instead of building them. I tear people down instead of encouraging them. I waste countless hours in procrastination and selfishness instead of redeeming the time.

Oh God, help me to be faithful in the small things! Let my life please You right here, right now. Thank You for supplying me with strength and for upholding me with Your mighty hand. May You and only You be exalted, Lord. Let me yearn for You with all I am! With all I have! To YOU be the glory!!!

Jesus, You satisfy me completely. When I allow Your love to consume my heart, there are no empty spaces left. Your immeasurable love fills every hole, every crack. When my heart is full of You and bursting with Your steadfast love, what more could I possibly want? You fill me completely and You heal this shattered heart. Your love makes me new; it transforms me completely. "Whom have I in heaven but You?" When I have Your all-satisfying love, how could I ever ask for more? Why should I desire more when I have everything in You?

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:18

Grow Up!

“Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance and of faith toward God.”

Hebrews 6:1

These days it seems like I’m learning a new concept every few hours or so, whether it’s something practical, spiritual, or relational. Many of these supposed “new” things aren’t new at all though. Rather, they’re right under my nose if only I would take the time to read the Word of God with an open and expectant heart.

The first thing I learned was that everything we do in life should be motivated by an overwhelming desire to magnify our Savior. The sad thing about is that I had to go outside the Word of God to realize this, and when I finally did discover this truth, I was amazed by it. Amazed by what though? By the fact that the world didn’t revolve around me after all? My life and the choices I made affected others outside myself? People either will bless or curse my God who I claim to love based on how I think, speak, and act? Is this really so shocking? The Bible has said the same thing for all these years. It’s nothing new.

Fast forward a couple of years to today. Most of what I’ve learned lately concerns the Church, the body of Christ, the people whose actions in the world ultimately represent Jesus Christ to a dying world.

Love. Love is the single most important aspect of a Christian’s life. Everything we believe is based on the fact that God loved us so much that He sent His son to save us from our depravity, and that we were created to love Him with all that is within us. If we cannot love our God with abandon, we cannot sacrificially love our brothers in Christ, and that my friends is how the Bible says that the world identifies us as Christians (John 13:35). In other words, if you cannot love others, you don’t love God(1 John 4:20-21). Period. If we are to be like Christ, and His love is unrelenting, why isn’t the Church being transformed radically, and in turn affecting the world around us?

Truth. Without a love of and a desire for the truth, we will misrepresent our Lord to the unbelieving world. To take away from or add to the truth of God’s Word actually takes the glory that belongs to God alone and puts it upon ourselves as sinful man. Love and truth go hand in hand, much like faith and works cannot exist without one another (see James 2:14-26). Oftentimes I’ve seen one practiced without the other. Revelation 2 speaks of a church that practices truth without love in verses 1-7. The warning against this practice is very sobering. In contrast, verses 18-29 warns those who practice love without a desire for the simple truth of God’s word to straighten up, so to speak. One church seems to have life and love, yet lacks truth. The other has truth, but remains cold and dead, but Jesus said, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the LIFE” (John 14:6).

May I also remind you that in the pursuit of truth, the single most important ingredient is immersion in the Word. The divine revelation we experience today—our knowledge of Jesus Christ and who He is comes from the Bible. It is our compass, our foundation, our sources of truth. Before you study any other religion or philosophy, you must have a firm and steady diet of God’s Word. Without it, you will fall into error. Also, if you think for one minute that the Bible is boring, the reason is because you don’t read it. I promise!

Freedom. Freedom from sin and condemnation is something we’ve been given through Christ. There is no reason whatsoever to dwell on who we’ve been or what we’ve done because we have been cleansed by the blood of Christ. We can know that we are wretched sinners, undeserving of God’s grace apart from Jesus, but through Him we are of infinite value to our Heavenly Father. There is nothing we can ever do, nothing we HAVE to do once we are saved to attain eternal life. Rather, the works we do, the passion we have for our Savior will overflow out of us as an outward expression of what He has done in our hearts.

I wish the American Church would return to the simple truth of the gospel, apart from extra-biblical signs and wonders, and apart from legalistic rules and regulations that do nothing whatsoever for ourselves or those around us. The fact that we were sinners and Christ died for us is enough. Now let us grow up and give our all to God!!!

Learning Contentedness

Just a little while ago, I was looking at my facebook news feed, and something grabbed my attention. Let me back up a bit before I explain:

The last two months have been literally life-changing. For months on end, I was frustrated with everything in life, not feeling like my life or anything I did counted for much of anything. It seemed that everything I touched turned to dust. I looked at everything and everyone with a critical eye. It felt like God was closing door after door, and the harder I tried to hold on, the further things would slip from my grasp.

I remember driving home one night after a meeting with my college group. With tears in my eyes, I felt the deepest sense of hopelessness I’d ever experienced. What was wrong with me? That’s the question I asked myself over and over. I remember telling my brother over the phone that there was nothing holding me back from leaving the place I lived. I kept posting depressing things on facebook, crying out for help without really understanding why.

The funny thing is, many times you can tell the difference between the people who actually care and the ones who don’t in situations such as these. I think that some people thought I was trying to gain sympathy. Let me encourage you, my readers, to look beyond the surface. Sometimes your critical heart deceives you. Sometimes people really do need love and encouragement. It’s our job to be sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit—to listen to Him when He speaks. Obey Him! I’ll never forget my mom, my brother, and the two precious families who actually reached out to me in love, to see what was weighing me down. They took the time to listen as well as encourage.

God’s timing is perfect in every way. He moved me from the place of misery and doubt just in time. About a month after I first heard about the idea, I was moving to a new place with a sweet and caring family, ministering alongside them in our local church, and meeting another part of the body of Christ—a part that I can only describe as “doers of the Word, and not hearers only.” Everything fell into place perfectly.

I know that some people question my motives and actions in this seemingly drastic move. The truth is, listening to and obeying the Holy Spirit is not radical at all. It’s what we ought to do if we really love our Savior, right? Maybe you think the decision was made too quickly. Little do you know, God has been bringing this about for much longer than you realize. Although prayer is absolutely essential in our decisions, not everything takes years upon years of thoughts, prayer, and counsel. Not all counsel is wise counsel either. Oftentimes advice is given in an effort to appear knowledgeable or to pressure others into doing what we think they ought to do.

What I have learned through all of this is that no one’s approval matters but God’s. I constantly struggle with doing everything in an attempt to please the people around me. It makes me a weak, timid, indecisive pushover. I’m tired of living that way. “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:10.

So the comment I made in the beginning about noticing something different while on facebook? Well, it’s relatively simple. My attitude toward it is completely different. I used to get so angry reading stupid, shallow posts. It’s a bit of a long story really, but to sum it up, in learning not to care of what others think of me, I’ve learned that my opinion of people and what they had to say shouldn’t be so critical, because it’s only my opinion—me, a sinful human being. No matter how people act, I’m to treat them with the love of Christ. In this, God is teaching me how to be content in every circumstance, and through it, to love Him more. That, my friends, is how I can love you. (1 John 4:20) I’m not perfect, but I am a work in progress.

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him. 1 John 3:21-22

Conquering My Greatest Fear

When I was a little girl, I was fearless. I loved to sing, even on stage. I never felt nervous, never gave a second thought toward self-consciousness. No one criticized me or mocked my voice. I never lacked confidence. In elementary, I would spend an entire recess singing every song I could think of on the playground. One time another little girl asked me if I was going to be a singer when I grew up. I don't think I realized how much music was a part of me.

One day (I'm still not quite sure when), something changed and I snapped like a broken twig. Criticism. It was some time between my barbie and boyband phases. I was singing along to my favorite CD when my friend turned to me, gave me a weird look, and said, "You sing funny." A few months later another friend told me nearly the same thing. Insecurity consumed me in an instant, bottling up and sealing my singing voice somewhere deep inside for the next few years. I stopped singing in church. I would stand with everyone else but my lips remained motionless. I refused to hum a single note for my friends or family. Music was dead in my lungs.

Fast forward a few years... at age eleven I decided I wanted to play guitar, so I received a cheap acoustic Yamaha for Christmas. It sat in my room collecting dust for the next year until my parents agreed to let me have guitar lessons. With every new worship song I learned, a desire grew to sing again. I started mouthing the words to worship songs in church, but I still refused to sing out loud. Finally my voice came out. Very quietly, I sang "Blessed Be Your Name" in my room with the door shut, hoping that no one would hear me.

Eight months later I became the worship leader for my youth group--the worship leader who refused to sing. The first year or so was disastrous. I wasn't good and I knew it. I made others sing for me while I "led" with my guitar. Over time, I pushed my voice to sing more and more, harder and louder, but it wasn't easy. Constant criticisms and comparisons to the previous worship leader knocked me down repeatedly. I was obsessed with others' opinions of me. I thought I had to live up to their expectations because if I didn't, I was a failure vocally.

The Lord provided me with multiple opportunities to serve Him through music. In high school I played occasionally for chapel services at my school, but I would never sing into the microphone and I would never play alone. Still, I had to sing, even though my voice was quiet. The older I became, the more the lyrics I sang came alive to me--they meant everything to me!

The summer after high school I worked at a Christian camp several miles from home. I grew closer to the Lord than I had ever been before in my life that summer. It was there that my voice crept out of hiding. I spent hours after work sitting on the sandy beach, worshiping without shame. No one could keep me from singing to my Savior!

To this day I struggle with hearing the sound of my own voice lifted up in song. Whenever someone comes along with a better singing voice than me, my insecurity comes back in full force. For every compliment I'm given in regards to my singing, I receive two criticisms--one from friends or acquaintances and one from myself. Sometimes I wish I knew the truth. Is my singing really that awful? I've almost given up more times than I can count. I doubt every compliment as well as the unmistakable calling to music I felt so strongly in eighth grade.

This is my struggle, and though I don't understand it, I can't be silent. My Savior must be praised! My soul must sing! I know my voice is weak, but how can I keep it in when when the music is bursting forth from my heart?!!

My question is this: Is it really necessary to tear someone down and cause them permanent grief in the name of keeping them humble? Is this really our job? The words we say have a profound effect on people. If we feel the need to set others straight, shouldn't we, after prayerful consideration, take our brother aside without pride and arrogance, and lovingly explain the truth with tears in our eyes instead of smug expressions on our faces? Don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying that we should puff one another up with flattery and falsehood.

Maybe my story is pathetic and meaningless to you. Maybe you wonder why I don't just get over it and quit worrying about man's opinion. As I mentioned earlier, this is my struggle--this is what I deal with on a daily basis. I didn't write this entry to acquire anyone's pity or to receive compliments. I wrote it to cause readers to consider their words and the effect they have on others.

After all, my greatest fear is that all the criticism might be true...

The Lost Arts of True Love and Friendship

     Friends are a rare find these days, real friends that is. It seems to me like loyalty is a thing of the past, faithfulness is long forgotten, and selflessness is unheard of. I’ve heard it said many times that in order to have friends, one has to be a friend. In other words it takes effort on both sides. It means placing a friend’s wants and needs above our own. It means listening to a friend even when we think what we have to say is more significant. When they argue, we have to stop demanding that we’re right, even when we know we are. Of course there are exceptions, but generally those who make the effort to be the best friends HAVE the best friends.

     I don’t understand what it is today that makes people (particularly girls) throw their closest friends under the bus for the sake of their own selfish ambitions, be it the fleeting attention from someone of the opposite sex or what have you. What ever happened to integrity, which is simply doing the right thing whether anyone else is there to watch—stopping gossip in it’s tracks in order to protect a friend’s reputation? Even if someone isn’t our friend, can’t we still be a friend to them, or has love already died in our hearts? Love isn’t simply a touchy feely thing we feel toward those who do nice things for us. Rather it’s a conscious decision to put someone else before ourselves, no matter how much they don’t deserve it. Not only is it unconditional, but it isn’t always nice. Love means letting someone know when they’re falling. Does anyone believe in that anymore? True love?

     Another thing I don’t understand, though I’ll admit I’m very much guilty of it myself, is why [we] girls go around talking behind each other’s backs, living lives of jealousy and dissention and hating each other, yet being honey-sweet to each other’s faces. It’s disgusting. Why can’t we, adults included, grow up and get over ourselves? Literally.

     Jesus said that there is no greater love than a man giving up his life for a friend, but who would actually do that? Not me. Do we even have that capacity to love? Do we understand that love isn’t simply being nice to someone? It is so much deeper than mere kindness.

     What would happen if we loved? What would happen if we treated someone the way they don’t deserve to be treated—with love and compassion? How much more would the world around us be affected?

List of Grievances

I think it's about time I start ranting and raving about all the things that frustrate me in life. To make this more interesting, I'll put it in list format:

1) Having to pee while on the computer. Seriously, I HATE tearing myself away from the screen for something that insignificant.

2) Facebook. I. Hate. Facebook. Waste of time, waste of life, waste of...face.

3) People who whine about their stupid relationships. Nobody cares if Pete is going out with Katie now because she smells better than you.

4) My ever-deteriorating grammar skills. Was that even grammatically correct? *dies slowly*

5) An internet connection that shuts off promptly at 10:15 every night. Sometimes I get REALLY lucky when it decides to shut off even EARLIER.

6) The smell of fish.

7) People who do what I'm doing right now...griping about the things in life that irritate them.

8) Realizing that I'm a very un-motivated individual [musically, scholastically, etc.] and feeling powerless to do anything about it.

9) Boys. Not men, but boys. Boys who are 18 and up.

10) I think I'll add girls too while I'm at it. See above definition.

11) People who have infatuations with unattractive individuals based solely on the fact that these individuals are famous and/or popular (For example, Robert Pattinson).

12) Pterodactyls.

13) Pasta.

14) Shaving cream. Why? Because it never stops coming out of the stupid can!!! That and I can never afford it so I always have to use a stupid bar of stupid soap for my stupid legs and usually I end up cutting myself with the stupid razor because of my lack of stupid shaving cream.

15) Fingernails.

16) Being obsessively organized, then realizing that most people don't feel the same passion towards organization that I feel.

17) People who hate haters. These people do realize that by hating haters they hate as well and therefore become haters themselves, right? Which in turn makes them into a bunch of hating hater haters. I think that's doubly heinous.

18) The disappearance of the terms "doy", "duh" and "durr". Weren't they the coolest phrases ever in 1998?

19) People who get angry because someone is angry at them. What does that even mean? "I'm so mad at him!" "Why?" "Because he's mad at me!"

20) The tendency of chocolate to melt.

I think that just about covers it.

Pride

Wow, it's been quite a while. Rantin' time!

          This one is going to be a little harsher than the last, mainly because of what I have witnessed so much of lately. So what is it that I have noticed lately? Pride, arrogance, and self ambition...so basically, pride.

I am absolutely fed up with the pride and arrogance of man – not only that of unsaved man, but of the trend in attitude I see within groups of believers. My insignificant words are powerless against such fortified walls of pride, yet I still feel the need to write, no matter how few people will ever bother to read my blog.

 The selfish ambition of us all makes me reel in disgust. How much more do you think God is disgusted with our behavior!

Nothing seems to matter outside of our own comfortable little worlds. Do we ever bother to look outside of ourselves to see the needs of others? Ourselves, our own agendas, and our concerns—this is all that matters to us. Pride in our own goals and accomplishments consumes us. We see what "wonderful" people we are, we are amazed at our own knowledge, we are in awe of ourselves, thus the terrible monster of pride creeps up on us before we realize it.

Wake up, people! People out there are suffering, dying, and going to hell because of your lack of concern. As long as you and your family are comfortable, the world is alright, right? Wrong! Your brothers and sisters in Christ might be suffering right in front of you, and all you can do is turn your nose up at them and wonder why they don’t just pull themselves together and get over it. Guess what? They’re not the ones with the problem!

Pay attention to your brothers in Christ! Go talk to the person who no one else will talk to! Go out of your way to show your concern for others! Love the unlovely, the poor, and the sinners! That’s what Jesus did.

Not once does the Bible speak well of pride! God hates pride!!!

• The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. (Proverbs 8:13)
• Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. (Psalm 31:23)
• One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. (Proverbs 29:23)
• But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)

Please don't think that I'm trying to point my finger at any specific person. The issue is in the heart of all man. I struggle with this myself. I am merely writing about it because I see it as a growing problem in the church today. Examine your own heart.

WHAT? The World DOESN'T Revolve Around Me?!!

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the presence of an "it's all about me, everyone stare at me...NOW!!!" attitude lately? Every time I walk into a store, every time I wait in line, and even every time I look for a parking spot, I see the prevalence of this mindset saturating our culture to its very core. The worst part of all is that I see it in myself. It's a little thing I like to call selfishness. Yes, that's right; I am selfish. In fact, you're selfish. Ouch! Kind of hurts, doesn't it? Why yes, it does.


If you don't believe me, picture your reaction the last time someone raced ahead of you to get in line at the grocery store. Still think you're not selfish? Try to count how many times you've turned the conversation back onto yourself, how many times per day you use the word I, or how often you consider what you want or "need." What is the prevailing theme of your myspace or facebook profile? How many times have you demanded your way, whether it be with your family or in a relationship? Get this, even the way you dress, which demands certain kinds of attention from the opposite sex is selfishness. Flirting with someone who is not your spouse is selfishness! Getting warmer? Don't you see? We are all self centered, self saturated people, and worst of all, we're okay with that!


So how did we get this way? How did I get this way? Other than having it beaten into us with tv commercials screaming, "you're worth it!" and song lyrics loudly proclaiming that we should do whatever pleases ourselves, it's built into us from the day of our birth. Am I calling innocent children who "don't know any better yet" selfish?!! Yep. How many times have you heard this line: "But mommy! I want it!" It's called a sin nature. We're all guilty of this, no exceptions. "But you don't know all the awesome, selfless things I do to  help people!" You know what? I don't care. If by some miracle you're not selfish, you're the only person I've ever met (...or never met) that isn't. Congratulations, you get a gold star.


Alright, I'm selfish, so what do I do to fix this problem? The Bible tells us in Romans 12:3, "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." (ESV) My advice? Serve! Get your hands busy helping others; share the gospel and get your mind off of yourself! Stop living for yourself!


"You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For You created all things, and they exist because You created what You pleased." (Revelation 4:11 NLT)  We weren't created to please ourselves. Jesus didn't die merely to save you and I from Hell. He also died to glorify the Father! We were created to praise and give honor to Him! We weren't created for us, we were created for God. Fulfill your purpose and do His will. Preach the Gospel, boast only in the cross, glorify the Lord, live for Him!