if it makes my life easier...?
www.wearekatiekindler.tumblr.com
12.03.2008
11.24.2008
a diary of private prayer by john baillie. an evening prayer from the seventeenth day. 1949.
i bless Thee, O most holy God, for the unfathomable love whereby Thou hast ordained that the spirit with spirit can meet and that I, a weak and erring mortal, should have this ready access to the heart of Him who moves the stars.
With bitterness and true compuction of heart I acknowledge before Thee the gross and selfish thoughts that I so often allow to enter my mind and to influence my deeds.
I confess, O God- that often I let my mind wander down unclean and forbidden ways: that often I deceive myself as to where my plain duty lies: that often, by concealing my real motives, I pretend to be better than I am: that often my honesty is only a matter of policy: that often my affection for people is only a refined form of caring for myself: that often my sparing of my enemy is due to nothing more than cowardice: that often I do good deeds only that they may be seen of people, and shun evil ones only because I fear they may be found out.
O holy One, let the fire of Thy love enter my heart, and burn up all this coil of meanness and hypocrisy, and make my heart as the heart of a little child.
Give me grace, O God, to pray now with pure and sincere desire for all those with whom I have had to do this day. Let me remember now my friends with love and my enemies with forgiveness , entrusting them all, as I now entrust my own soul and body, to Thy protecting care; through Jesus Christ. Amen.
_______________this book spoke to me alot as far as prayer goes. its honest and sometimes even relates to my heart in a painfully obvious way.
i'm sitting in my classroom at my desk right now, music playing, hearing kids running and screaming in the halls as well as teachers yelling. this is my life. then i get off work and meander about... finishing schoolwork and meeting up with people. read. laugh. cry. pray. drive. sit. walk. run. go to bed. occasionally shower. then i get up and come here and teach kids how to create art. and we talk about life and love and stuff i didn't know about when i was their age. and hug and hug and hug. this is what i do. everyday, five days every week.
but in the midst of all of this, god has been stirring so much up in my heart the past month. stirring up and ripping up and cleaning up. i am on overload. a heavier overload than i've ever known. and i don't write this for any reason other than... i just got done reading some blogs that were brutal. honest even if it didn't sound great or poetic or pretty. and i wondered why i'm not that way. maybe i don't feel like being that way in blogworld. thats okay, right? yes. there's no reason for the world to know exactly how my heart feels. but today...something made me desire this reflection.
it's not that i dont reflect on a regular basis. my journals pages are covered with page after page of chicken scratches of joy or through tears. i over reflect and over and over and over. i worry about it to the point that i have taken every single part of my heart and my life into my own hands. i take them from god and then wonder why he's not doing anything. so i give them back and take them, and give and take and give and take. i'm impatient. i'm selfish. and i lack knowledge on the true character of this god that i supposedly love. if i knew who he really was and believed it, i wouldn't be the way that i am. i wouldn't live in fear. i wouldn't treat people that i love the way that i do. i would trust Him more.
i don't know how to love well.
i try to take so many situations into my own hands. if i see any problems, for some reason think it's my responsibility to let people know and try to fix it. i forget that Jesus can intercede much more effectively with his gentle heart than i can with my fretful judgement and hypocrisy. i forget that the lord is near and so in control. i forget his gentle spirit. his gentle strength is moderated by this love that i can't understand.
something that i need. gentleness.
i need alot of stuff. i need love. i need truth. i don't even know who to believe anymore. i can't listen to anything or anyone without questioning it's validity and it's accordance with scripture. i want truth so desperately. i feel attacked by evil often. sometimes i feel lied to. i feel deceived. i fear everything. things that shouldn't be feared. my heart is anxious. even when i know Jesus says "don't let your hearts be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition present your requests to god" and then he tells us of this peace that goes beyond anything that our minds could understand. it makes so much sense to me and it sounds glorious. but somedays my heart just can't get there no matter how desperately i want it to be there.
i'm realizing self deception & that i don't know this God as well as i thought. or as well as i want to...or need to. i'm realizing my choosing of the worse when i know the better. i'm realizing my failure to apply to myself the standards of life that i often demand of others. i'm realizing this slowness to see the good in others and to see the evil in myself. i'm realizing that i speak and act outside of love often. love: the greatest commandment. i'm not as good of a friend or sister or daughter or teacher or leader as i once thought. i'm realizing my hardness of heart and the pride that keeps it from recognizing these things. depraivity.
sometimes it takes your life being completely displaced if knowing God better requires it.
i don't know that i've ever wanted God more than i do now. sometimes wanting God hurts. sometimes it feels so good.
i want to know God deeper than i knew was possible. i don't want my mind or my days to be wholly occupied with this world's passing show. i want to step into this show, consumed with something so much greater, so that it's not me stepping in at all, but only His lovingkindness inside of me giving me power to lift my mind to the contemplation of things unseen and eternal. forbid that i should stay content with the things of sense and time. rather that the lord would grant me something to strengthen my hold on this unseen world, so to increase my sense of its reality and to attach my heart to its holy interests that, as the end of my earthly life draws nearer, i may not grow to be a part of these fleeting surroundings but rather more and more conformed to this kingdom that my God so often speaks of.
With bitterness and true compuction of heart I acknowledge before Thee the gross and selfish thoughts that I so often allow to enter my mind and to influence my deeds.
I confess, O God- that often I let my mind wander down unclean and forbidden ways: that often I deceive myself as to where my plain duty lies: that often, by concealing my real motives, I pretend to be better than I am: that often my honesty is only a matter of policy: that often my affection for people is only a refined form of caring for myself: that often my sparing of my enemy is due to nothing more than cowardice: that often I do good deeds only that they may be seen of people, and shun evil ones only because I fear they may be found out.
O holy One, let the fire of Thy love enter my heart, and burn up all this coil of meanness and hypocrisy, and make my heart as the heart of a little child.
Give me grace, O God, to pray now with pure and sincere desire for all those with whom I have had to do this day. Let me remember now my friends with love and my enemies with forgiveness , entrusting them all, as I now entrust my own soul and body, to Thy protecting care; through Jesus Christ. Amen.
_______________this book spoke to me alot as far as prayer goes. its honest and sometimes even relates to my heart in a painfully obvious way.
i'm sitting in my classroom at my desk right now, music playing, hearing kids running and screaming in the halls as well as teachers yelling. this is my life. then i get off work and meander about... finishing schoolwork and meeting up with people. read. laugh. cry. pray. drive. sit. walk. run. go to bed. occasionally shower. then i get up and come here and teach kids how to create art. and we talk about life and love and stuff i didn't know about when i was their age. and hug and hug and hug. this is what i do. everyday, five days every week.
but in the midst of all of this, god has been stirring so much up in my heart the past month. stirring up and ripping up and cleaning up. i am on overload. a heavier overload than i've ever known. and i don't write this for any reason other than... i just got done reading some blogs that were brutal. honest even if it didn't sound great or poetic or pretty. and i wondered why i'm not that way. maybe i don't feel like being that way in blogworld. thats okay, right? yes. there's no reason for the world to know exactly how my heart feels. but today...something made me desire this reflection.
it's not that i dont reflect on a regular basis. my journals pages are covered with page after page of chicken scratches of joy or through tears. i over reflect and over and over and over. i worry about it to the point that i have taken every single part of my heart and my life into my own hands. i take them from god and then wonder why he's not doing anything. so i give them back and take them, and give and take and give and take. i'm impatient. i'm selfish. and i lack knowledge on the true character of this god that i supposedly love. if i knew who he really was and believed it, i wouldn't be the way that i am. i wouldn't live in fear. i wouldn't treat people that i love the way that i do. i would trust Him more.
i don't know how to love well.
i try to take so many situations into my own hands. if i see any problems, for some reason think it's my responsibility to let people know and try to fix it. i forget that Jesus can intercede much more effectively with his gentle heart than i can with my fretful judgement and hypocrisy. i forget that the lord is near and so in control. i forget his gentle spirit. his gentle strength is moderated by this love that i can't understand.
something that i need. gentleness.
i need alot of stuff. i need love. i need truth. i don't even know who to believe anymore. i can't listen to anything or anyone without questioning it's validity and it's accordance with scripture. i want truth so desperately. i feel attacked by evil often. sometimes i feel lied to. i feel deceived. i fear everything. things that shouldn't be feared. my heart is anxious. even when i know Jesus says "don't let your hearts be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition present your requests to god" and then he tells us of this peace that goes beyond anything that our minds could understand. it makes so much sense to me and it sounds glorious. but somedays my heart just can't get there no matter how desperately i want it to be there.
i'm realizing self deception & that i don't know this God as well as i thought. or as well as i want to...or need to. i'm realizing my choosing of the worse when i know the better. i'm realizing my failure to apply to myself the standards of life that i often demand of others. i'm realizing this slowness to see the good in others and to see the evil in myself. i'm realizing that i speak and act outside of love often. love: the greatest commandment. i'm not as good of a friend or sister or daughter or teacher or leader as i once thought. i'm realizing my hardness of heart and the pride that keeps it from recognizing these things. depraivity.
sometimes it takes your life being completely displaced if knowing God better requires it.
i don't know that i've ever wanted God more than i do now. sometimes wanting God hurts. sometimes it feels so good.
i want to know God deeper than i knew was possible. i don't want my mind or my days to be wholly occupied with this world's passing show. i want to step into this show, consumed with something so much greater, so that it's not me stepping in at all, but only His lovingkindness inside of me giving me power to lift my mind to the contemplation of things unseen and eternal. forbid that i should stay content with the things of sense and time. rather that the lord would grant me something to strengthen my hold on this unseen world, so to increase my sense of its reality and to attach my heart to its holy interests that, as the end of my earthly life draws nearer, i may not grow to be a part of these fleeting surroundings but rather more and more conformed to this kingdom that my God so often speaks of.
11.10.2008
monday.
if i smell musty.. its my bag. i bought it at a smoke box estate sale in which a very perverted old, smoking man must have lived for a very long time.
if i seem annoyed... someone probably just said something about politics or the recent election.
if i look happy... it's real. and it's only because jesus takes away the bad and blesses me with good that i don't ever deserve.
this weekend consisted of relaxation, honest friends, good music (mccoy.duh), good food and best of all, the good lord. He's always crawling underneath my skin and doing cool stuff around me. sometimes i just don't notice. i wish i was sensitive to it all. i cant comprehend him and though he suffers no change, i often do, and it causes me to miss some of the things he's doing.
the weather is cold this time of year. this is good only for four reasons that i can think of right now: the comfort of winter clothes, the fact that it may snow soon which will make me so happy, the smell of fireplace in the air when you walk outside and lastly, the way coffee warms you up. (in the summer, a hot drink makes you miserable and sweaty... in the winter, it's almost as if you need it...) this makes coffee shops cozy and almost necessary. julie and i have found a new enjoyment in one, thanks to my mother. despite the name, coffee girls, is a wonderfully comfortable place to spend an afternoon. it is located right down the street from my apartment on southwest blvd. the people there are nice, they serve coffee, food, jones soda and tea. they play neil young, they have chairs/tables or couches. clearly, this offers you the comfort of your own living room plus the smell of freshly brewed coffee, perfect lighting and a place to be silent. jesus came with julie and i on saturday and it was really good.
today at school i sent three students to the office. i hate doing this and i send them as little as possible. today it seemed necessary. one student said, "shut the f*** up". one little scholar called me the b word and the other threatened to hit me while cussing me out in the hall and proceeding to ask what i could do about it.
my students love me and really love them too.
if i seem annoyed... someone probably just said something about politics or the recent election.
if i look happy... it's real. and it's only because jesus takes away the bad and blesses me with good that i don't ever deserve.
this weekend consisted of relaxation, honest friends, good music (mccoy.duh), good food and best of all, the good lord. He's always crawling underneath my skin and doing cool stuff around me. sometimes i just don't notice. i wish i was sensitive to it all. i cant comprehend him and though he suffers no change, i often do, and it causes me to miss some of the things he's doing.
the weather is cold this time of year. this is good only for four reasons that i can think of right now: the comfort of winter clothes, the fact that it may snow soon which will make me so happy, the smell of fireplace in the air when you walk outside and lastly, the way coffee warms you up. (in the summer, a hot drink makes you miserable and sweaty... in the winter, it's almost as if you need it...) this makes coffee shops cozy and almost necessary. julie and i have found a new enjoyment in one, thanks to my mother. despite the name, coffee girls, is a wonderfully comfortable place to spend an afternoon. it is located right down the street from my apartment on southwest blvd. the people there are nice, they serve coffee, food, jones soda and tea. they play neil young, they have chairs/tables or couches. clearly, this offers you the comfort of your own living room plus the smell of freshly brewed coffee, perfect lighting and a place to be silent. jesus came with julie and i on saturday and it was really good.
today at school i sent three students to the office. i hate doing this and i send them as little as possible. today it seemed necessary. one student said, "shut the f*** up". one little scholar called me the b word and the other threatened to hit me while cussing me out in the hall and proceeding to ask what i could do about it.
my students love me and really love them too.
11.04.2008
today. vote. but love even more.
i recieved an email from my dearest friend this morning with these words that brought hope that seems to have been lost, forgotten or overlooked.
"On this important day for our country, I hope that you find yourself neither fearful, nor angry, but held in the promise of our redeeming God. May I remind you that the voice that began the world is still speaking and holding all of creation in its place today, no matter who's name is pasted on the oval office tomorrow? We are children of a covenant God, who has chosen us and sealed us in his love, and while we participate in building his Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, we are ultimately made for something greater than this earth. His purposes will be established, we just haven't seen the calendar of his appointed days.
As you contemplate the political future, may I bring your mind back to your spiritual calling? Dear ones, in as much as you feel uncertainty about our economy, or political surety, there are still those around you hurting to know the gospel of Christ's redeeming love. You, like a small boy's lunch, have been chosen, broken, blessed, and have the opportunity to give the love of Christ to those around you. If you feel at the end of yourself, or despairing, or uncertain, be given. Listen and look for the needs around you, and offer the love of Christ to the hurting and hollow eyes you come in contact with today, tomorrow, and all week. It is a beautiful opportunity to be the beloved of Christ for the glory of God to an anxious people.
William Wilberforce, after a lifetime of fighting slavery, won the battle at the end of his 28 year fight. The slave trade was abolished in England.He said with great conviction, that what he learned was that change is not to be brought about in the halls of government, or legislation, but in the hearts of people surrendered to the work of the Holy Spirit. Words of deep spiritual truth for us today.Be God's people, wherever, whatever, he allows you to encounter. It is an honor, an act of obedience, and the truest source of courage and hope for our own tired souls.
love. always. regardless of boundaries we make ourselves."
Top 10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election
1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed teaching
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.
"On this important day for our country, I hope that you find yourself neither fearful, nor angry, but held in the promise of our redeeming God. May I remind you that the voice that began the world is still speaking and holding all of creation in its place today, no matter who's name is pasted on the oval office tomorrow? We are children of a covenant God, who has chosen us and sealed us in his love, and while we participate in building his Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, we are ultimately made for something greater than this earth. His purposes will be established, we just haven't seen the calendar of his appointed days.
As you contemplate the political future, may I bring your mind back to your spiritual calling? Dear ones, in as much as you feel uncertainty about our economy, or political surety, there are still those around you hurting to know the gospel of Christ's redeeming love. You, like a small boy's lunch, have been chosen, broken, blessed, and have the opportunity to give the love of Christ to those around you. If you feel at the end of yourself, or despairing, or uncertain, be given. Listen and look for the needs around you, and offer the love of Christ to the hurting and hollow eyes you come in contact with today, tomorrow, and all week. It is a beautiful opportunity to be the beloved of Christ for the glory of God to an anxious people.
William Wilberforce, after a lifetime of fighting slavery, won the battle at the end of his 28 year fight. The slave trade was abolished in England.He said with great conviction, that what he learned was that change is not to be brought about in the halls of government, or legislation, but in the hearts of people surrendered to the work of the Holy Spirit. Words of deep spiritual truth for us today.Be God's people, wherever, whatever, he allows you to encounter. It is an honor, an act of obedience, and the truest source of courage and hope for our own tired souls.
love. always. regardless of boundaries we make ourselves."
Top 10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election
1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed teaching
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.
10.30.2008
because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. they are new every morning.
great is your faithfulness.
"i say the Lord is my portion: i will wait for Him." the Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him.
lamentations 3.22-25
i moved into a new apartment this week. better view of the city and everything is is peaceful and simple. i really like it.
this week has made me realize that i can't do anything without jesus. he fixes everything i am and saves me from myself always. i'm more in love with him than i've been in a really long time.
i think time and desperation breed intimacy.
great is your faithfulness.
"i say the Lord is my portion: i will wait for Him." the Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him.
lamentations 3.22-25
i moved into a new apartment this week. better view of the city and everything is is peaceful and simple. i really like it.
this week has made me realize that i can't do anything without jesus. he fixes everything i am and saves me from myself always. i'm more in love with him than i've been in a really long time.
i think time and desperation breed intimacy.
10.26.2008
sing your freaking lungs out....
loft shopping yesterday. looking for a home made us realize that maybe it was a little selfish to expect a comfortable place to go everyday. it's a blessing to have that opportunity.
autumn brings the beautiful things. this is not only lyrics of a great song by a great band, but also one of my most favorite things in life...when the seasons change. the leaves danced across the street in front of me today and it made me super happy. it was windy and i wrapped myself up in my comforter and sat on my balcony and let the sun warm me to sleep for a bit. it was good.
thursday. can't wait.
kansas city. getting better. when may gets here, i think it might be perfect.
when music changes things. i've been listening to mike crawford's new cd from jacob's well. it's really good. it's pretty insane how music can urge you and remind you of how to love jesus. it's sparking something inside me that makes me more alive than i've been lately. i needed it. it seems jesus always does something to grant me this peace that is beyond anything i can understand.
it's 6:39 pm and it's already dark outside. i don't love that.
autumn brings the beautiful things. this is not only lyrics of a great song by a great band, but also one of my most favorite things in life...when the seasons change. the leaves danced across the street in front of me today and it made me super happy. it was windy and i wrapped myself up in my comforter and sat on my balcony and let the sun warm me to sleep for a bit. it was good.
thursday. can't wait.
kansas city. getting better. when may gets here, i think it might be perfect.
when music changes things. i've been listening to mike crawford's new cd from jacob's well. it's really good. it's pretty insane how music can urge you and remind you of how to love jesus. it's sparking something inside me that makes me more alive than i've been lately. i needed it. it seems jesus always does something to grant me this peace that is beyond anything i can understand.
it's 6:39 pm and it's already dark outside. i don't love that.
10.19.2008
jesus for president.
an article from relevant.
LEADING THE CHARGE
by: Cameron Strang
"Let's get this out of the way up front: I'm not a politically motivated person. Which is why I felt a tad out of place meeting with Barack Obama this summer. And talking to John McCain. And doing countless interviews about the faith and shifting political views of our generation.
Yet I have unwittingly found myself thrust into the political arena, a place where people are vehemently passionate about their ideologies and platforms. It's an entire industry built around being right and proving your opponent wrong, and winning at any cost. It's a continual power struggle and - from my humble vantage point - seems a bit flawed.
I'm someone who tries to think independently and objectively, rather than simply follow what the pundits tell me to think. Because of that, I've realized I cannot fully embrace either political party. Both sides of the aisle have some great ideas and goals. But both also have areas where they simply get it wrong.
I know the power of politics and the importance of the process in our world. But I also know that, historically, real, lasting change has started first at the grassroots level long before it was ever legislated. Cultural mindshifts influence Washington, not the other way around.
Many Christians traditionally have voted Republican because of their justifiable conviction to protect the lives of the unborn. Now, many younger Christians are voting Democrat because of their justifiable desire to see our nation, the most prosperous in the world, address the issues of poverty, global aid and the environment.
The problem is, many Christians vote these convictions, but that's largely where their personal involvement in the issues stops. Are the government leaders we vote for meant to do our job for us?
If God has given you a heart for the poor, or to see a reduction in the number of abortions, or to promote peace, or to help the sick, or to stand for strong moral values, or to be a better steward for the environment, then your personal focus needs to be on that - whether or not the President shares your same values.
The Bible reminds us to pray for our leaders, but it also talks about praying for those who persecute us. Though I can't forsee and situation where this would be the case, what if one day every value Christians stand for, even religious freedom itself, was legislatively removed? Christians in China and many other parts of the world face this reality every day. Would it change us?
Dare I say, it might actually spur the Body of Christ here into greater action. Could it be that the loss of religious freedoms would ultimately be the best thing for American Christians because it would cause us to stand on our own feet rather than relying on the government to legislate our faith and values for us?
I've heard that only 5 percent of people who attend church regularly actually serve in any way. I've read that if every Christian in America actually tithed 10 percent of their income, we would have enough financial resources to wipe out global poverty.
There's more power lying dormant in pews around the nation than any government could hope to provide, and that's where our focus should be.
Many Christians want to overturn Roe v. Wade, but I don't hear nearly as many leading the charge on a national adoption movement. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, where are all of those babies going to end up? Christians should be focused on personal action regardless of legislation, not just waiting for the right number of Supreme Court justices to come along.
I'm not saying don't vote. Do. Vote your convictions and let your voice be heard - that's one of the perks of living in a democracy. But don't let politics breed division, or make you see people in a different light.
If you have passion for an issue, rather than judging someone who doesn't share that passion or viewpoint, just go do something about it. Give your life to it. Be the change you want to see.
We need to pray for our leaders and our country, but always remember that our leaders and country do not define us. We are the generation that will shape the direction culture, government and social action will take in the next 50 years. It's not up to Washington, it's up to us - and I say it's time we step up and lead the charge.
But that means with our lives, our finances and our actions every day. Not just November 4."
all of this being said. i am frustrated with the fact that christians are standing so firmly and supporting john mccain OR barack obama. obviously, as humans, both of them will make mistakes during their presidency. they will both make negative decisions. anyone would. but the thing that bothers me: neither one of them are standing for jesus christ. and that is who i want to be like and who i want to know and love and live for. i would feel wrong for supporting either one of them. neither one of them are my hope or my strength. they will make decisions for the nation that i live in, but i cannot, with a clear conscious, vote for either one of them knowing that i will face my god someday for every decision that i make. there are fundamental issues that i am bothered by both of their responses to. they both crack on each other all the time. they don't convey love. they both lie quite often. it's ridiculous.
but if i believe that god is real and he's as big as he says he is, then i believe he will take care of me and he will not let me burn away. i just wouldn't feel okay with putting my name alongside either one of the choices for presidential candidate unless they were representing jesus and their views on world issues conveyed that representation.
today i just drove on the highway fast and cried and asked god what in the heck i can do to know his heart... and how he feels about all this. i wanted so badly to move far away and get away from this place that has skewed my vision of this god that i want to know. when i lived in africa it seemed easier to know him. it seems there was less in the way and there wasn't anyone telling me what to believe. it was just me and him and the sky with clouds bigger than i'd ever seen.
LEADING THE CHARGE
by: Cameron Strang
"Let's get this out of the way up front: I'm not a politically motivated person. Which is why I felt a tad out of place meeting with Barack Obama this summer. And talking to John McCain. And doing countless interviews about the faith and shifting political views of our generation.
Yet I have unwittingly found myself thrust into the political arena, a place where people are vehemently passionate about their ideologies and platforms. It's an entire industry built around being right and proving your opponent wrong, and winning at any cost. It's a continual power struggle and - from my humble vantage point - seems a bit flawed.
I'm someone who tries to think independently and objectively, rather than simply follow what the pundits tell me to think. Because of that, I've realized I cannot fully embrace either political party. Both sides of the aisle have some great ideas and goals. But both also have areas where they simply get it wrong.
I know the power of politics and the importance of the process in our world. But I also know that, historically, real, lasting change has started first at the grassroots level long before it was ever legislated. Cultural mindshifts influence Washington, not the other way around.
Many Christians traditionally have voted Republican because of their justifiable conviction to protect the lives of the unborn. Now, many younger Christians are voting Democrat because of their justifiable desire to see our nation, the most prosperous in the world, address the issues of poverty, global aid and the environment.
The problem is, many Christians vote these convictions, but that's largely where their personal involvement in the issues stops. Are the government leaders we vote for meant to do our job for us?
If God has given you a heart for the poor, or to see a reduction in the number of abortions, or to promote peace, or to help the sick, or to stand for strong moral values, or to be a better steward for the environment, then your personal focus needs to be on that - whether or not the President shares your same values.
The Bible reminds us to pray for our leaders, but it also talks about praying for those who persecute us. Though I can't forsee and situation where this would be the case, what if one day every value Christians stand for, even religious freedom itself, was legislatively removed? Christians in China and many other parts of the world face this reality every day. Would it change us?
Dare I say, it might actually spur the Body of Christ here into greater action. Could it be that the loss of religious freedoms would ultimately be the best thing for American Christians because it would cause us to stand on our own feet rather than relying on the government to legislate our faith and values for us?
I've heard that only 5 percent of people who attend church regularly actually serve in any way. I've read that if every Christian in America actually tithed 10 percent of their income, we would have enough financial resources to wipe out global poverty.
There's more power lying dormant in pews around the nation than any government could hope to provide, and that's where our focus should be.
Many Christians want to overturn Roe v. Wade, but I don't hear nearly as many leading the charge on a national adoption movement. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, where are all of those babies going to end up? Christians should be focused on personal action regardless of legislation, not just waiting for the right number of Supreme Court justices to come along.
I'm not saying don't vote. Do. Vote your convictions and let your voice be heard - that's one of the perks of living in a democracy. But don't let politics breed division, or make you see people in a different light.
If you have passion for an issue, rather than judging someone who doesn't share that passion or viewpoint, just go do something about it. Give your life to it. Be the change you want to see.
We need to pray for our leaders and our country, but always remember that our leaders and country do not define us. We are the generation that will shape the direction culture, government and social action will take in the next 50 years. It's not up to Washington, it's up to us - and I say it's time we step up and lead the charge.
But that means with our lives, our finances and our actions every day. Not just November 4."
all of this being said. i am frustrated with the fact that christians are standing so firmly and supporting john mccain OR barack obama. obviously, as humans, both of them will make mistakes during their presidency. they will both make negative decisions. anyone would. but the thing that bothers me: neither one of them are standing for jesus christ. and that is who i want to be like and who i want to know and love and live for. i would feel wrong for supporting either one of them. neither one of them are my hope or my strength. they will make decisions for the nation that i live in, but i cannot, with a clear conscious, vote for either one of them knowing that i will face my god someday for every decision that i make. there are fundamental issues that i am bothered by both of their responses to. they both crack on each other all the time. they don't convey love. they both lie quite often. it's ridiculous.
but if i believe that god is real and he's as big as he says he is, then i believe he will take care of me and he will not let me burn away. i just wouldn't feel okay with putting my name alongside either one of the choices for presidential candidate unless they were representing jesus and their views on world issues conveyed that representation.
today i just drove on the highway fast and cried and asked god what in the heck i can do to know his heart... and how he feels about all this. i wanted so badly to move far away and get away from this place that has skewed my vision of this god that i want to know. when i lived in africa it seemed easier to know him. it seems there was less in the way and there wasn't anyone telling me what to believe. it was just me and him and the sky with clouds bigger than i'd ever seen.
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