Thursday, January 31, 2013

Wrong thinking

Why is it so hard to be a Christian... among other Christians? Something I've noticed, since I've arrived here at BJU is that I'm having an increasingly hard time finding Christians who are passionate about Christianity. I'm not saying having fun isn't a good thing... but I've hung out with a few different groups and never has the topic of God come up... With the exception of the one time that one of the friends I was hanging out with mentioned that the entire time she had been there, she hadn't had a serious conversation with anyone and we should all talk about what we learned about God that week (I applaud the move). Unfortunately, instead of having a conversation about God, there were some giggles and a few people said that they thought John 3:16 was the best verse EVER..... No wonder she hasn't had a serious conversation since she got here.

This is a Christian College!  Most likely, everyone you encounter here should be saved. Talk about it. Tell people your testimony. Discuss chapel messages... That's a great way to stay awake in chapel... if you know that you will be discussing it over lunch. The most I've heard anyone talk about chapel was when there was a bird in chapel. Everyone stayed awake for that one. No one remembers that he was making the point that God wants to save sinners.

Frankly, I think there is a bit of trying not to appear too weird. "If I bring up that subject, such and so might not like it", "there's plenty of preacher boys around here, they can be the ones to start that kind of conversation." Guess what... It only takes one person to start a revolution. Yesterday in chapel, I heard the story of William Borden. He was in training to be a missionary to China at Yale university (while it still was a college that produced ministers). He began a small prayer group in the morning (yes, before classes started) by the time he left, 1,000 of Yale's 1,300 students were involved in that prayer group. You would've been weird to not be in those meetings. He had an impact on nearly an entire college.

Here's the thing, though. If you are not willing to be bold when you are among friends, how can you ever expect to be bold when you are out among the enemy? My pastor calls it raising the flag of Christianity. That doesn't mean wiggling the tiny white handkerchief of defeat. A flag is tall, proud of what it stands for, and waves back and forth so that everyone can see what it really is. Why is our flag hidden? The moment we step off campus, people are watching us. Our testimony. How we act, what we say and do. The Devil has no problem pointing out our flaws to everyone around us. The time we slip up and say... maybe not a curse word, but certainly a word that Christians really should avoid. When we wear the skirt that is almost uncheckable just because the dorm supervisor didn't have a chance to stop us on our way out the door. When we are walking around the mall and complain about how legalistic BJU is with all of their rules.... People are listening. There have been a few times when I was eating a meal alone for one reason or another and I love to listen to other people's conversation. Sometimes I'll be sitting by myself and just start laughing at what the group at the table behind me is saying. There was one time when I saw a girl trying to put her plate away and dropped a napkin. For the next two minutes she tried to roll the napkin to the top of her foot and pick it up that way...  She did eventually succeed, but as she walked past me talking to a friend I heard her tell him that she had only done it because she didn't want to bend down and mess her hair up. I know that I am not the only people-watcher in the world. Everyone around us looks at us. We live in a world of entertainment and we look to other people to entertain us. The lady at the store with her triple stroller... She is listening for intelligent conversation that is not coming from two-year olds. The elderly gentleman who sits on the bench with a cup of coffee waiting for the bus... He looks for smiles that are genuine.

We are Christians. It is wrong for us to think that acting like it makes us boring and we will never have any friends. When Christ is at the core of our relationships, we can do nothing less than grow closer together. Our life should not be about how many sins we can get away with or how many friends we have on Facebook. Our life should be for the praise, honor, and glory of God, our gracious and perfect Redeemer.

Because of Him,
Missa

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Who?

Who is God? To you, personally. Our God is not a God who is unknowable. He is very knowable and very personal.

Perhaps we know all of the right answers. God is our Father. God is our Shepherd. God is my Savior. But how do we know that?  And how does that affect our daily living? Until recently, I personally did not know or even seek to know my God on a personal level. Devotions stagnate to mere scientific gathering of facts.

It is at that point that one must turn to those much wiser then oneself. I was given a book by a close friend of mine at camp by Mardi Collier:


What do I know about my God? The premise of the book is a guided Bible study method that is continual. You can always work on it... at church, at school, at work. Every time the Word of God is presented, publicly or privately, learn what the passage tells you about God or how does something apply to your life. For example, the author recommends that you begin with Psalm 1. Once I finished my first read through I had created the categories "My God is In Control" and "What Should I Love". The next day, added "God Is My Father" and "My God Should Be Feared". The best part about this system is you can either create new categories or you can add to your already established categories. The purpose is to gradually build up your own personal counseling book.

The Holy Spirit illumines His Word to us. We have the responsibility to learn what the Bible teaches and actively pursue Christ-likeness. But how can you become like someone unless you know them?  When I am around my best friend, I find that I sometimes take on some of her mannerisms like the way she tells stories, or laughs, or gets excited about different things, and simply longing to spend more time with her then we possibly can. When I spend time with my Best Friend, I find myself thinking the way He does, being excited about what He does, and continually talking with Him (yes, it does look crazy when I'm walking around campus having a silent conversation... complete with facial expressions).

Our God is there, knowable, and always ready for a good chat.


1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Philippians 3:8-10  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.

Because of Him,
Missa

Monday, January 28, 2013

Consider the Lillies

Well, life, as you may have expected, has become abnormally busy for me... and this time it does not involve making money, but rather spending it at a pace faster then I ever have before.

College. I never though I would ever make it here. I teased my friends that college was only for the rich people... or the ones who willy-nilly absorb their entire bill as debt.

In November every year, my church back home has stewardship month. That's when Pastor gets to tell everyone that we should be giving more money to the church.

I'm joking.

He preaches on what it means to be a good steward. It has a lot to do with money, but it also concerns our time, witnessing opportunities, and our Christian life in general.

The past several years, I haven't really been under too great of conviction. I've only had a job during November once before this year and tithing on $20 a week wasn't that bad. 

This past November, I became a Scrooge. There's nothing wrong with being frugal and thrifty. And living within your means. However, there is something wrong with keeping such a tight fist on your finances that you forget to even thank the God Who provided that money.

It's not that we are specifically commanded to tithe in the New Testament, however, we are expected to give cheerfully and not grudgingly to the local church (2 Corinthians 9:6-15). Well, since there is no baseline given, a lot of people kinda ignore the whole giving thing. To the point that the rest of us don't really feel guilty if we "miss a payment".

That was the point which I had gotten to.

God taught me, though, that if I am where He wants me to be, He will completely provide for me. In other words, holding tightly to the funds that He has given to me is kind of pointless. My purpose in going to college is to gain more skills so that I can better serve God in whatever ministry He calls me to. Right now, I am heading towards camp ministry, but God can change my life any time He wants to. So why, if I am serving the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, do I struggle with glorifying Him through my giving? I'm not focusing on God who changed my heart's desire, the God who has done exceeding abundantly above that I can ask or think, the God who has guided my every footstep to bring Him the glory. My focus has selfishly turned inward. I want to go to college. I want to go for MORE then one semester, I want, I want, I want.

What do I want? I want to serve God to the complete expenditure of my time, talents, and treasure for His glory alone.

Because of Him,
Missa