Doing Community Effectively – Christian Life Musings Ep.1
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I regularly share what’s on my heart, with my email subscribers. Sometimes, I feel the thoughts warrant a blog post and today Christian Life Musings is born. Now and then, I’ll share what’s on my heart with regard to Christian life. Consider it a written podcast, or devotional / food for thought. I pray each episode ministers to you. My goal is to come to you raw and real. Expect typos and thoughts as they flow. I pray you are blessed as I share from my heart, to pour into yours.
Let’s talk about doing community effectively.
Let’s talk… Relationship. Friendship. Community. Family. Doing community effectively requires something personally… from everyone.
We all need others in our life but we don’t always have this. And in some cases, we can take it for granted by not being intentional about building relationships with others who are in our life. Then, if “real life” shows up (because #RealLife), we look around and feel a bit more alone than we’d like.
I think we all can recognize there is such a meaningful richness to life when we share both our difficulties and our victories with people we do life with. Yet there is often something lurking in the back of our minds that can keep us from pursuing effective community life.
Laughing together is good for the soul! Praying for each other is so encouraging! When a friend holds us up through painful experiences or difficult times, it is refreshment to our very bones.
A key struggle in relationship comes with one word…
vulnerability.
Ever heard any of these thoughts whizzing around in your head?
“What happens if they don’t like who I am deep inside?”
“What if they use what I said against me?”
“What if they hurt me like that other person did?”
“How can I trust this person when others have let me down or hurt me in the past?”
“What if….?”
We all want to be loved and accepted. And, we aught to want this! It’s part of what God put in us, so we would draw to each other and Him. You ARE loved and accepted by God for who He created you to be.
Hear me though… it is not about being whatever version of yourself is most palatable to those around you.
Being unashamedly ourselves, creates something beautiful.
We must go beyond trying to be, “perfect”. To go beyond performing for anyone around us. Instead… we must be our unique selves, (which God created us to be).
In doing so, we become more enjoyed by those around us who yearn for us to drop the act. The truth is, you have a unique “thing” which God planted you on this earth to accomplish and nobody can achieve it but you. If you don’t do what God has placed on your life, then nobody else will. In fact, you don’t even need to “do” in order for this to “work”. Just fully being you can allow this to take effect.
That could feel like a heavy responsibility. And yes… it is weighty for sure. But the JOY of stepping into what you are passionate about and living that out with the people around you? Well that is only part of the joy. The other part is doing life with others who are doing just that. As a body of people… when we EACH unashamedly pursue the passions God has placed in our hearts, we are able to build something meaningful together. We each add to what each other “brings to the table” and together, we really are better.
The world around us is better for us putting aside insecurities. It literally longs for us to get comfortable in our own calling and begin to take it in stride. However old you are today… you’ve got time left to grow into your calling. Today is better than tomorrow.
There is something so beautiful about seeing people live fully in their calling, unashamedly passionate about it. We can do this while caring about those around us. We can do this while “being ourselves”.
You might be thinking… “Yeah, I know this stuff.”, but I want to ask you to do a little internal checking. Are you living out the fullness of who God created you to be?
Let’s talk about sin. Really.
I want to start by just looking at what the Bible has to say about this topic before I finish with some thoughts on how this all ties together. I’m going somewhere with this. Hang with me…
1 Corinthians 5:17 says…
“ Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”.
Galatians 2:20 says…
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
Galatians 4:9 says…
” 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?”
Ephesians 4 says…
” 1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called… 17 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them… 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
Acts 2:38 says…
” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Colossians 3:1-3 says,
“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Let’s finish this look at scripture by reviewing possibly one of the most key sections of scripture on the topic of sin in Romans chapter 6…
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I live fascinated by what the Bible says about the topic of sin and our responsibility to live without it… here on earth. The Bible does promise that one day, as believers, we will be in heaven where sin no longer tempts us. But here on earth, we are commanded to live blameless.
The Bible is clear that if we accept the Son of God, Jesus, as our Savior, then “we have died with Christ”. In this, just like Jesus, we’ve “died to sin once for all”. To quote Paul in Romans 6, we are to “consider ourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
In fact, the Bible takes it a step further. One example of this is Galatians 5:24-25
“ 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”
The Bible goes so far as to say that sin no longer has a hold on us, but it goes on to expect us to “live by the Spirit” and to “have crucified the flesh”. It’s only us who choose to try and raise the dead man in us on the odd occasion we choose sin. As a new creation in Christ, we are capable of sin, but no longer prone to sin. We have the right, capability and command to live righteously. God in us makes it possible for us to accomplish this and when we make a mistake, we ask God to forgive us and start fresh. It is impossible to get this down perfectly because we are working out our salvation with God’s help.
The key here, is that we are not subject to or slave to sin. We are alive in Christ. Sin no longer has a hold on us unless we specifically choose to raise our dead man. I’m just gonna say it… that would be creepy. Let’s keep the dead man in his grave and stop trying to resurrect him.
There is a lot of confused theology about the topic of sin. People teach and tell each other that we are, “deceitfully wicked”. My friend… that is a quote from the Old Testament before Jesus came to save us of our sins. It was impossible under the old law to avoid sinning. But then Jesus came to set us free! From this point in scripture, we only see that we are no longer a slave to sin. Why? Because God made a way for you and I to live blameless before Him.
1John 1:8-21 and 2:1 says…
” 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”…
” 2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;”
Without God, we are prone to wrongdoing. We come to God as one who has sin and is in need of saving from sin. Once with God, we are saved by grace. There is much I could share on this topic but I believe I am beginning to get somewhere in this conversation with you.
I recognize that some will misunderstand and believe I’ve said Christians cannot sin. I have not. I realize some will believe I think we don’t need a savior. I believe we REALLY need a savior.
Friend, if you saw a person about to be run over by a car, you would run to save them! Right? Would that person continue to need saved from that car for the rest of their life every waking moment? Or would they have been saved and now need to walk out that victory gifted to them? Of course, they are not in need of repeated saving unless they find themselves about to be hit by another car.
We need to heed the words of the Bible and ask God for guidance on how to live out this blameless life we are commanded to step into. God knows could get it wrong and make mistakes. But He is our Father. He will be proud of us for trying! I believe it is a cop out to tell ourselves that we are “sinners saved by grace”, which affords us the ability to walk away from the responsibility of trying to walk out the fullness of what God has called us to. We should more appropriately say that we were once sinners but now we are saved by grace. If we identify ourselves as a sinner, then we will act like one. Just like every other teenager going through an identity crisis and acting out as a result. God help us understand how to live in the fullness of who we are asked to be.
We should ask God to help us and trust ourselves to live alive in Christ… it’s what being a Christian is according to scripture. How can we be a beautiful witness to those who do not know Jesus if our savior cannot even save us from sin? Let us cast of our old man and stop taking him out of the grave. The funeral happened 2,000 years ago. Let’s be done with sin.
Why talk about sin when discussing friendship and vulnerability???
Because. I believe many live afraid to step into their true self, fearing the reaction of others who may see they are not perfect. I’ve got truth for you…. you’re not perfect. I’m not perfect. That does not make us wicked. It makes us real. All of us are on a journey.
We MUST let go of the fear (and lie) that we are shamefully sinful, which can keep us from engaging in relationship with others. We CAN live right before God and we COULD mess up. It’s okay. We have an Advocate to approach if things get a bit off track. Not only does God ask us to focus in on living free of sin, but He gives us His presence to guide us in this journey. What a supportive savior!
The Bible actually says A LOT about the topic of sin and I’ve studied it in depth for many years, (as you can probably see from this post). It’s a fascinating topic which has be twisted and confused through lack of understanding for many centuries.
In fact, back in the 1500’s, Luther recognized that the “common people” lacked understanding because the Bible was only read to them in Latin. He believed people without education should be taught to understand the Bible for themselves and so he dedicated the rest of his life to translating the Bible into the local language (German), so that people could begin to wrap their heads and hearts around the truth about the Christian faith.
In those days, the church leaders knew people were not educated enough to be able to read the Latin Bible and so they abused that power by telling the common people that they must pay the church as a way to save their souls from hell. In simple terms… they told people that they should pay money to the church, which would cause God to forgive their sins. You heard that right… people were taught they could sin and then pay their way out of hell, so to speak.
It’s no wonder with the corruption of the time, that Luther rose up to give common people a chance to learn the truth for themselves. He started a massive revolution and it was largely around the topic of sin – what really did forgive people of their sins and, “buy them a ticket to heaven”.
People have literally died giving you and I the freedom to read the Bible and study it for ourselves. We have learned more and more over the past 500 years but as people, we can tend to adopt change slowly. We’re still learning the truth about sin, outside that lie told behind a Latin Bible to the “commoners”.
When we go back to the original Biblical manuscripts, there is so much interesting stuff to learn, that debunks our understandings. Hear me on this… I’m NOT suggesting a hyper grace message. I’m NOT suggesting there is no hell. I’m not suggesting that we’re incapable of sinning.
I’m pointing out that scripture could not be more clear. Jesus gave His life (brutally!), so that we would be free from the law of sin and death. He defeated these things for us! It is our job to avoid the temptation to raise our “old man” from the dead. It’s our job to be so in love with Jesus that we cannot help but enjoy freedom more than the temptation of sin.
Before we accept Jesus into our life, we are slaves to sin. Once we accept Jesus into our life, we are no longer slaves to sin. That means we are no longer prone to sin and instead are prone to freedom but sometimes make mistakes. The Bible is clear on this. We’ve been offered freedom. When we choose to accept God into our life, He comes and lives in us, to guide us into righteousness. We have a free will to choose how we respond.
I believe that if we choose to embrace the idea that we are still sinners even after becoming a Christian, then we are choosing to tell God that sending His Son Jesus to die on a cross for our sins, isn’t something we want to take advantage of. What a wild rejection!
It is a fundamental part of the Christian faith to accept that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. So, why is it hard for Christians to accept that we are commanded to not live as a sinner after accepting Christ?
I know this is a touchy subject. But when have I ever walked around difficult conversation? I love us too much for that.
How do we respond?
If we are to do friendship and build family among us as community, then we MUST be willing to recognize that we capable of choosing to live right. We are not “shameful”, nor are we “deceitfully wicked”, once we invite God into our life. Jesus died for us so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. His goal was for relationship with us and He gave us one another because He recognizes the power of vulnerably sharing life with loved ones.
Let’s not be afraid of what might happen if we open up or show all of ourselves to those around us. Let’s “be real”.
If you have been rejected for who you are, it’s okay. Jesus was too.
If nobody has ever told you, I want you to know… you are special. You are beautiful with all your flaws. You are important. You matter and you have SO much value to offer the world around you. God put that in you.
Let’s be honest here… hurt comes with the territory of being vulnerable. It’s likely that people will misunderstand or not accept what they see in you. It’s likely we’ll show a part of ourselves that needs to have more character built. I’m okay with that because I WANT people who are in my inner circle, to help me grow. It’s how iron sharpens iron… rubbing each other the wrong way. It’s how we choose to respond that matters.
Vulnerability is a key to doing community effectively. Just make sure you’re vulnerable with people who can be trusted with your heart.
The beauty of being open and real? We find, “our people” – those who love us fully regardless if we do everything right. The ones who don’t care if we have a bad day.
Be yourself unashamedly and let your flaws show a little to those you want to build relationship with. Those who are safe and care about you will respond by building you up, encouraging you to be your best. Sometimes they’ll speak to the areas of your life that need growth and it may be hard to hear. But would you rather nobody helps you grow?
Let’s grow some thicker skin. Let’s expect that things are a bit messy in the journey of growing in God and not expect ourselves to fail.
The result of casting off insecurity is a confidence to go after our calling. The result of going after our calling, is finding like-minded people to run with. And the result of this is a body of people doing community effectively… by impacting the world around them.
Let’s resist the temptation to be afraid of what others may think. They’re probably wishing you’d foster that passion God birthed in you. Pretty sure God is too! Go after it and let insecurities stay buried with your old self. You won’t get it perfect, but you will make progress. It is all any of us can achieve and it’s enough. Be brave. You were born for this!
Join the discussion below!
Let’s connect in the comments about this important discussion. Please pop below and answer these 2 questions…
- What small step can you take today, to step more into the fullness of who God created you to be?
- How would you like to live more alive in Christ this week?
You are loved. x
Jul 28, 2019 @ 12:46 am
1. I’m gonna be intentional about asking God for insights on how to overcome any insecurity I face this week.
2. I want to live with more patience that I ever have. People tell me I am patient but I believe I could grow more. I’m gonna do everything in my power to keep impatience dead.
How about you?
Sep 1, 2019 @ 3:16 am
I’m not sure I’ll ever like myself until God takes me home. I don’t have friends. I joined Bible Art Journaling because I thought I could go deeper with it and maybe finally find my place with God. I want to be all in, join the Heart to Freedom, take all of the classes. I am very sick and I can’t keep up sometimes. I try to believe all that God’s Word says, but sometimes I think it’s only for everyone else, because that was what I was taught. I’m trying but I’m having to fight to do stay involved at all, because it isn’t the way that people in my life want me to pursue God. But I have already learned so much and desire to go even deeper. Once again, I’m being made to feel “bad, or wrong” because I’m not doing it the “right way”. Or their way. I get so frustrated and I cry a lot. I understand about sin, I would never say I don’t sin, just the opposite! I try very hard not to sin, but, I admit, I have to hide to do some things, so I don’t feel very honest. I use to have to lie and hide things from my parents because even if it was an innocent thing I could get in big trouble if they didn’t believe in it. I’m still doing that today, not with my parents, but the same thing. I feel really stupid. Someday, God will hear my plea, and take me from this world with all of its pain, physical and mental. I long for that healing that you spoke of. Thank you for all of the support you give me and how you have taught me so much. I will continue to work with you as much as I can.
Sep 2, 2019 @ 9:42 am
Hey Teresa! I love that you are continuing to keep things honest and real as you process your way to freedom from the challenges you face. It can be hard to feel the emotion of hope in difficult times, but you continue to steward hosting a place for hope to reside in your heart and I am so blessed to watch you do this! You may not feel like you are in a place to like yourself, but God likes you. You don’t have to hide from Him, nor from our community. You are not alone. Also, I LOVE how good you are at identifying what is causing you difficulty in your adult life – this makes it easier for you to step into breakthrough! You may not be in a position to join Heart To Freedom just yet but it’s okay! There is so much for you freely available in our community and you can be all in right where you are until things begin to shift for you (which means you’ll also be more able to “keep up” with what’s in front of you). If you can send me an email, I’d like to see if there is a local ministry I can put you in touch with, which could minister to you and help you step into the freedom in God which you crave. Remember to show yourself the same kindness which you give others around you. You need grace and kindness and we are called to love our neighbors as OURSELVES. As you grow in kindness to yourself, you can remove that pressure to be perfect and desire to hide. I pray you encounter Jesus in a beautiful way as you continue to pull on that hunger He has been growing in your heart. He is with you and you are not alone. xx
Jul 28, 2019 @ 1:59 am
As it says in I Corinthians 11 “When I was a child, I spoke as a child…” Now that I am 76 years young I want to do as it says in Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you to be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid…” When I hear God urging me to speak, my testamony, my experiences, I am going to not hold back and speak what the Holy Spirit urges me to say. I am going to remind myself that just maybe someone might need to hear those very words. No holding back. Several decades ago I felt the call to help in a mission where we lived. My good friend didn’t want me to do it. Our pastor discouraged me and said, My place on Sunday was in my local New Testament church. God showed me the verse in John 15:16 You did not choose me but I choose you, and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain that whatsoever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. My husband and I worked in that mission and I am so glad we did.What an amazing experience!.
This week I will look for opportunities to be BOLD.
Jul 28, 2019 @ 2:37 am
Thank you for sharing all this Rebehak – this really spoke to me.
1) I need to be more open and brave about sharing the Good News to others.
Something I shy away from if I get a ‘bad vibe’ from the person I want to talk to.
I don’t try enough.
2) Being strong to reach out, though God’s strength…not mine. To step out in faith.
Jul 28, 2019 @ 3:50 am
A very good post. I may have to print this and read it again and think on and answer the questions. With so much going on with us right now, I think this and the up coming Heart to Membership, and doing the Beginning Challenge will help me along. I am trying to read the Bible more and do Bible studies more. Thank you for doing this.
Jul 28, 2019 @ 4:05 am
1. Stop trying to be what I think people want me to be and just be who I am …with everyone.
2. Working with #1, I need to work on my own faults and keep quiet about everyone else’s!
Jul 28, 2019 @ 4:12 am
Completely how I feel, you voiced it! Thank you. God loves us so very much and He loves you!
1, stop second guessing myself and trust God has me where I am supposed to be and embrace His guidance.
2, like Mary Witter, above comment, be BOLD!
Thankful we are LOVED. Sharee’
Jul 28, 2019 @ 5:28 am
1. I need to remind myself to practice the awareness of God’s presence throughout the day and allow Him to heal me.
2. I suppose #1 answers this question also! As I focus on Jesus, there is less time to dwell on my pain. I need to remember that I already have the mind of Christ – now walk in it!
Jul 28, 2019 @ 6:00 am
Thank you, Rebekah, for sharing so much of your life with us. Even though I have read the scriptures and history of Christianity, you have presented a lot to think about. In answer to the first question I have to say I am not sure. My years are only three less than Mary Witter, and I should be more sure of what God wants me to do, but the anxiety and chronic fatigue I am living with often confuse me and make me unsure of myself. I know I need to tend to household bills. Getting to be more and more difficult.
Number two would be to complete some gifts I am making. One gift is for a newborn baby. Her mother has completed a training in how to live a sober life and take care of herself making good choices. My purpose in her life and others like her is to be a loving accepting friend knowing that they will succeed because they now have accepted adoption as a member of the family of God. Because I love these ladies I am being accused of not being safe by putting too much trust in them. My own husband is one such person.
Jul 28, 2019 @ 9:09 am
all this week I have felt god knocking on the door of my heart asked me to look at my purpose. I’ve been in that slightly lost stage but now I realise if I lean on him, listen to him, he will reveal it to me more and help me to live it. So I need to knock and ask more about my purpose and listen for his answer.
This week I want to live with God on my sleeve and on my heart. When I feel a need to share my faith to step up, don’t be ashamed. This is me, the real me. God is the center of me. I need to be strong and courageous, as he commanded me to be.
Jul 28, 2019 @ 2:16 pm
So much has happened in the past year – my mom died and my siblings and some other family members have rejected me for unknown reasons. We are in the process (literally) of moving from Texas to Indiana (we’re currently in an airbnb in Louisville, KY for a month while waiting to close on our house in Indiana), so my life is in total upheaval. Every night I pray to leave it all with God and every morning I try to take control back!
As others have said, I need to be more BOLD – step out in faith and trust God; not worry about what others think or expect and focus on conducting myself in a manner worthy of the gospel.
I also want/need to be more patient and give and receive grace more often. Life is very stressful right now and I pray continuously for patience and to give grace, especially to my husband. I am extremely hard on myself and very self-critical, so accepting the fact that God loves me just the way I am is hard for me, so I need grace for myself too.
Thank you Rebekah for your beautiful heart-felt and wise words. You are a blessing in my life! ~Jenny
Jul 28, 2019 @ 2:57 pm
Thank you Rebekah for those open words. It took me some time to translate all the texts into German. But they seem so precious and useful to me that I want to save them if there will be an opportunity to share them with others. In the middle of August I will face a hip operation and for that I need strength, courage, faith and hope that everything will turn out for my best. Every time fear, worry and negative thoughts come up, I hold on to Gods promises and BAJ is a huge help there.
I want more awareness and trust in what Jesus has done for me, what he is in me and what I am in him so that I can act accordingly in my daily life.
Jul 28, 2019 @ 4:01 pm
Thank you, Rebekah.
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I’m finding vulnerability is something Christians don’t want to address, but if we can’t show each other our broken bits—as well as our fun and functioning parts!—our relationships will not thrive. And in a way, our willingness to be vulnerable is tied to our humility.
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I do not hide who I am in Christ—not in a brazen “look at me!” manner, but in a direct, quirky, playful, joyful way. Or at least I did before moving to the South where women are expected to be deferential and always lovely. I succumbed for a short time to the pressure to be like them, but at great personal cost. Bible study and journaling are my two most important tools to find my way back to who God made me to be.
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I’m learning that there are many women who do not want a deeper friendship; they prefer to keep it less personal—and they have lots of friends just like them. There are many women like this in the churches I’ve attended.
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I’ve also learned that there are some who will listen to and support me, but are unwilling or unable to allow themselves to be vulnerable. They can be very loving, but they never really allow me to give the back to them by, in turn, sharing their broken bits with me. This causes a one-sided friendship that makes me feel selfish and needy (which I am not) for sharing. I suspect that sometimes it makes them feel good to know I have issues but they don’t (or don’t admit them to anyone). While I’m sure these women are well-meaning, my friendships with them eventually become unhealthy for me because of the imbalance.
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I’m learning that, yes, I need a fair amount of understanding, listening, and support, but I also give those things in abundance when people allow me to. To me, this is what members of families and communities do for each other.
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Sure, it gets intense sometimes, but it’s worth it. After all, we were created in God’s image for love, for joy, for relationship, for deep thought and deep conversations.
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Thank you for your leadership on this very important topic! May God grant us hearts to be vulnerable—and humble.
Love,
MizGee
Jul 29, 2019 @ 7:56 pm
Thank you for these insightful questions. I’m asking God to put people in my life I can help in some way. I am so blessed and I need to share more of my time with others who need a friend to talk with or with everyday life needs. When I think about where I might be if the Holy Spirit had not convicted me showing me I needed a Savior, it frightening. Why do I ever hesitate to share that? I pray I will be a workman who is not ashamed.
I do want to be a slave to Jesus and not to sin. By God’s grace I am not living a “big” sinful life. But when I sin I need to call it what it is – a sin. Here’s a quote from my pastor’s message yesterday- “When the most popular ‘preacher’ in America will not talk about sin to his gathered admirers – you know we’ve lost the language of sin in America today . . . however-we have not lost sin!” I do praise God that my past, present and future sins are forgiven because Jesus died and rose from the dead for me!
Thank you for letting me share what’s on my heart.
Jul 30, 2019 @ 11:53 am
Great questions! Thank you!
To be “more in the fullness of who God creates” me to be I must spend more time with Him (so that I might know Him more, reflect Him more fully). “..pray without ceasing.” “Rejoice always, and again I say, ‘Rejoice!’.”
Intentionally being more in the fullness of God will allow me to, as u asked, “live more alive in Christ this week” bc I would NOT “Professing to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of an incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man…” Romans 1:22-23a NASB
Jul 31, 2019 @ 11:09 am
Thank you so much Rebekah for your words and teaching.
I would like to feel better about myself….and that there was fruit from my life.
I would also like to be a lot more bolder and better at communication.
The Beginning Bible Art Journaling Challenge Lesson 2 - Rebekah R Jones
Aug 2, 2019 @ 5:07 pm
[…] to guide us into freedom. By accepting Jesus, we get to live free from the law of sin and death. To learn more about to topic of sin, read my post on Doing Community Effectively, where I discuss the topic of sin in […]
Aug 5, 2019 @ 7:10 am
1. I will do my very best to stop saying “I’m sorry” all the time. (Currently, I say it if I feel bad for what someone’s going through, if I do or feel I do something that did or could have been hurtful, even could have been misconstrued as hurtful either verbally, emotionally, or physically. All of it stems from my own insecurities & general anxieties.
Secondly, continue to decrease the cigarettes that I’m smoking.. Ask God for help first.thing in morning.
2. Although I don’t comment or participate really at all on Facebook, (otherwise I’d never get a card made & I haven’t even started 1 Christmas card. ) but I will share the Beginning Lesson 1 finishes page & comment on a few of the others.– this would make me step out of my comfort zone.
Aug 5, 2019 @ 7:39 pm
Rebekkah, I wanted to thank you for this very awesome, soul searching & very insightful post! It made me look inside! But the questions that you had us ponder & answer really made me look at myself. They made me see where I really need to make improvements in my own life & ask God for help in these particular areas of my own life. So, thank you! God knew what we needed to hear & thus laid it on your heart to add it to the lesson post!!! God bless!
Aug 10, 2019 @ 4:10 am
Thankyou Rebekah, and Amen. 1 – Ask God to show/tell me what the first thing is that will help me understand who I am. 2 – Start by saying something aloud about God to myself (which I struggle to do) before saying something to another person.
The Beginning Bible Art Journaling Challenge Lesson 3 - Rebekah R Jones
Sep 6, 2019 @ 5:37 pm
[…] of you as His creation. He knows we may make mistakes and He’s chosen to pursue us anyway. (See my other post for context on this.) God knows you want more of Him and He is even hungrier than you are to have a deeper friendship […]