That's what the bible says, a temple of the Holy Spirit.
So what does your temple look like?
Is it al clean and shiny? A healthy temple? One that you look after?
Or...like me, is it one that you have kind of let go?
I am overweight. I know that I am, but it doesn't really bother me, I'm happy in my own skin. I don't feel as though I have anything to prove to anyone, and regardless of my weight I always try to look nice. But as I sat thinking about my body being the dwelling place of God's Spirit on earth, I began to think a little differently.
Would I like to live in me?
Think of your home, are you one of those people where everything has it's place, and anyone can drop over any time and find your house immaculate? Or do you freak out when someone announces they are coming over, rushing to find a place to put those things that make it feel all cluttered and messy.
Don't get me wrong, it's the people that make a house a home. Some houses are immaculate, yet feel more like a catalogue than a home, where others can be really messy, yet comfortable, simply because of who lives there.
But, I would rather invite people into my home when it is clean, rather than when it is messy.
I think it is the same with the Holy Spirit. My heart is still a home for Him, and he feels comfortable there, but my body is kind of messy. I want to make a home for that He can be proud of. So that is what I am doing.
The added bonus is that when my husband and I start having kids, I will be fit and healthy, which will make it easier to fall pregnant, and then keep up with the kids. But for now I want to create a place that is clean and homely for the Holy Spirit.
Friday, 27 May 2011
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By:
Maree
Monday, 23 May 2011
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By:
Maree
Oh my God!
A rather controversial subject in Christendom is taking the Lord's name in vain. I would probably burn a thousand years for the amount of times I have said "Oh my God" through my life. Yet I have no conviction that I have done anything wrong, because I honestly believe that I haven't.
I sat thinking about this a few years back and it suddenly occurred to me. Yes we use this as a common form of slang today, but would they have said "oh my God" back in the times it was first written? Of course not. They didn't speak that way. Slang has developed over centuries, we haven't always spoken this way. I believe it has another, much deeper meaning.
I believe with all of my heart that when we are told to not take the Lord's name in vain, He is actually telling us to not say that He has said something when He hasn't.
How offensive is it to you when someone tells your best friend that you said something, when you know beyond a shadow of doubt that you did not. And words are powerful, you can't just take them back. You have to then go about explaining yourself, trying to right the wrong that was done to you. Problem is, in the back of their minds, they are always wondering "what if". What if you really did say it, but you are just trying to cover your tracks? It's not a nice feeling.
Now imagine what God would think.
I had a friend who told me a story about a guy that had a crush on her. He walked up to her and said, "God told me I'm going to marry you". She didn't marry him by the way. Luckily she was strong enough in her faith to know that God had said no such thing. That guy was using God's name to meet his own ends.
This is why it is so important to have our own personal relationship with God. When we really know Him, it makes it easier to see if someone is actually speaking out of revelation that God has given to them, or if they are speaking to meet their own ends.
It does become particularly hard when the person speaking is someone that we know and trust. Sometimes the things that they say are so convincing, and said out of a heart that genuinely believes that they are doing the right thing. The problem is, that no one is perfect, and sometimes people get it wrong.
I was brought up to trust my "gut instinct", so this is what I do. If something is said (as in coming from God) and I don't understand exactly what they mean, i check it out for myself. If you know the scriptures and have a personal relationship with God then it will very soon become evident if what they are saying is the truth. If it is the truth, it will be backed up entirely by the scriptures, not just be a dubious interpretation of them. It will be in context with the scriptures. If revelation comes from a verse in the Bible, but the verses and chapters around it don't back it up, it isn't true. Further more, if it goes against or doesn't sit comfortably with who you know God to be, it isn't true. Through relationship comes truth.
There have been times when I have felt physically uncomfortable with what has been said. A couple of examples I can think of are "God says, if you want more money, give more money" or (and this one was quite recently), "God told me, the time when Jesus is to return will be.....".
Firstly, I'm not against giving to the church, I give, I love to give, and yes I get blessed in return, but:
1. I'm not always blessed with money (it happens, but God has other ways of blessing us), we can't force God into providing us with more money. He will always provide, but He is not a get rich quick scheme.
2. You can't force God into anything he doesn't want to do. God wants to pour His blessing into our lives, but you know what, someone shouting you a coffee or preparing a meal or just telling you how much they appreciate you is a blessing. And the blessing we get always suits what we really need at that particular time.
As for the time Jesus will return, and that one had my back up, who are we to assume that God would tell us when Jesus will return, when Jesus himself doesn't even know?
People get it wrong, we aren't perfect. Never ever say anything unless it is confirmed beyond a shadow of doubt through relationship and biblically. If you can't back it up 100% without any room for movement (no statements of "truth" that can be translated 10 different ways) then don't say it. Because if you do it is like going behind God's back and saying that He said something when he didn't.
I believe that this is taking His name in vain. But check it up for yourself to make sure.
We were not created to follow blindly, we were created as intelligent beings capable for working this out for ourselves, and with as much right to have "revelation" as someone preaching from a pulpit. Don't be an ignorant Christian, know WHAT you believe and WHY you believe it. And trust your gut, I believe that God gave us this internal warning system for a reason.
I sat thinking about this a few years back and it suddenly occurred to me. Yes we use this as a common form of slang today, but would they have said "oh my God" back in the times it was first written? Of course not. They didn't speak that way. Slang has developed over centuries, we haven't always spoken this way. I believe it has another, much deeper meaning.
I believe with all of my heart that when we are told to not take the Lord's name in vain, He is actually telling us to not say that He has said something when He hasn't.
How offensive is it to you when someone tells your best friend that you said something, when you know beyond a shadow of doubt that you did not. And words are powerful, you can't just take them back. You have to then go about explaining yourself, trying to right the wrong that was done to you. Problem is, in the back of their minds, they are always wondering "what if". What if you really did say it, but you are just trying to cover your tracks? It's not a nice feeling.
Now imagine what God would think.
I had a friend who told me a story about a guy that had a crush on her. He walked up to her and said, "God told me I'm going to marry you". She didn't marry him by the way. Luckily she was strong enough in her faith to know that God had said no such thing. That guy was using God's name to meet his own ends.
This is why it is so important to have our own personal relationship with God. When we really know Him, it makes it easier to see if someone is actually speaking out of revelation that God has given to them, or if they are speaking to meet their own ends.
It does become particularly hard when the person speaking is someone that we know and trust. Sometimes the things that they say are so convincing, and said out of a heart that genuinely believes that they are doing the right thing. The problem is, that no one is perfect, and sometimes people get it wrong.
I was brought up to trust my "gut instinct", so this is what I do. If something is said (as in coming from God) and I don't understand exactly what they mean, i check it out for myself. If you know the scriptures and have a personal relationship with God then it will very soon become evident if what they are saying is the truth. If it is the truth, it will be backed up entirely by the scriptures, not just be a dubious interpretation of them. It will be in context with the scriptures. If revelation comes from a verse in the Bible, but the verses and chapters around it don't back it up, it isn't true. Further more, if it goes against or doesn't sit comfortably with who you know God to be, it isn't true. Through relationship comes truth.
There have been times when I have felt physically uncomfortable with what has been said. A couple of examples I can think of are "God says, if you want more money, give more money" or (and this one was quite recently), "God told me, the time when Jesus is to return will be.....".
Firstly, I'm not against giving to the church, I give, I love to give, and yes I get blessed in return, but:
1. I'm not always blessed with money (it happens, but God has other ways of blessing us), we can't force God into providing us with more money. He will always provide, but He is not a get rich quick scheme.
2. You can't force God into anything he doesn't want to do. God wants to pour His blessing into our lives, but you know what, someone shouting you a coffee or preparing a meal or just telling you how much they appreciate you is a blessing. And the blessing we get always suits what we really need at that particular time.
As for the time Jesus will return, and that one had my back up, who are we to assume that God would tell us when Jesus will return, when Jesus himself doesn't even know?
People get it wrong, we aren't perfect. Never ever say anything unless it is confirmed beyond a shadow of doubt through relationship and biblically. If you can't back it up 100% without any room for movement (no statements of "truth" that can be translated 10 different ways) then don't say it. Because if you do it is like going behind God's back and saying that He said something when he didn't.
I believe that this is taking His name in vain. But check it up for yourself to make sure.
We were not created to follow blindly, we were created as intelligent beings capable for working this out for ourselves, and with as much right to have "revelation" as someone preaching from a pulpit. Don't be an ignorant Christian, know WHAT you believe and WHY you believe it. And trust your gut, I believe that God gave us this internal warning system for a reason.
Sunday, 22 May 2011
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By:
Maree
A Practical Lesson
How many times have you sat in church and the pastor says that we need to press into God? That we need to build a relationship with him? But in my experience they never really tell you HOW.
I can remember many services such as this, and all I could think was, "yeah I know that, but I have no idea how to do it!"
It really is easier said done. It takes a lot of effort at the start on our part. And it is so easy to get distracted. There are so many things going on in our busy lives that random thoughts will always pop into our heads and distract us from the time we should be spending with God.
So here are some practical things that have worked for me. They may not work for you, but it is at least a good starting off point to figure out what works best for you.
In the beginning I found that marking time out in my diary for "God time" really worked, I put it in there just like I would schedule a coffee date with a friend.
When the time comes for me to spend some time with God this is generally how it goes:
1. Worship music (see this post for some ideas) - This will set the atmosphere for your time with God. Where there is atmosphere, God will show up.
2. Active worship - sing along! it gets your heart in the right place and worship quite easily translates into prayer time.
3. Prayer - Sometimes we don't know what to pray, and sometimes we have a lot to pray for. I personally start with praying in tongues. It's ok if you don't do this, it doesn't mean that you aren't a Christian. Many denominations do not promote speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues is just ONE way the Holy Spirit manifests itself through us. I find that speaking in tongues is especially good when I don't know what to pray, or if I am feeling so overwhelmed by a situation that I just can't verbalise it. I always keep my worship music going through this in order to maintain the atmosphere.
4. Read - there are heaps of publications out there that will help you to read your bible. A Word for Today is a fantastic collection of devotionals or there is the One Year Bible, that funnily enough lets you read the entire bible in one year. Personally I like to read one Psalm, one chapter of Proverbs and a chapter of the New Testament (just start at Matthew and work your way through).
5. Write - God will usually make a particular verse or chapter stick out to you. Underline it (it's ok to write in your bible), or write it down in a journal. But don't just leave it there, write couple of sentences afterwards so that when you look back you know why it touched your heart in the first place. It doesn't have to be a deep theological revelation, it could just be "This made me feel some comfort today because I'm feeling a bit low." or "This reminded me of God's love".
6. Be Thankful - even in our darkest days there is always something we can be thankful for. Write it down. It could be a beautiful sunset, or maybe someone called with some encouragement or even shouted you a coffee. All of these are little reminders to us that even when times are tough God cares about us.
This is what works for me. Like I said, it could be a good starting off point for you. Sometimes I will throw in a book written by a man or woman of God depending on how much time I have. I recommend "The Dream Giver" by Bruce Wilkinson if you need some encouragement. It's fantastic, I have read it many times. It's very easy to read, it's written like a story a modern day parable, but it really touches your heart.
I can remember many services such as this, and all I could think was, "yeah I know that, but I have no idea how to do it!"
It really is easier said done. It takes a lot of effort at the start on our part. And it is so easy to get distracted. There are so many things going on in our busy lives that random thoughts will always pop into our heads and distract us from the time we should be spending with God.
So here are some practical things that have worked for me. They may not work for you, but it is at least a good starting off point to figure out what works best for you.
In the beginning I found that marking time out in my diary for "God time" really worked, I put it in there just like I would schedule a coffee date with a friend.
When the time comes for me to spend some time with God this is generally how it goes:
1. Worship music (see this post for some ideas) - This will set the atmosphere for your time with God. Where there is atmosphere, God will show up.
2. Active worship - sing along! it gets your heart in the right place and worship quite easily translates into prayer time.
3. Prayer - Sometimes we don't know what to pray, and sometimes we have a lot to pray for. I personally start with praying in tongues. It's ok if you don't do this, it doesn't mean that you aren't a Christian. Many denominations do not promote speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues is just ONE way the Holy Spirit manifests itself through us. I find that speaking in tongues is especially good when I don't know what to pray, or if I am feeling so overwhelmed by a situation that I just can't verbalise it. I always keep my worship music going through this in order to maintain the atmosphere.
4. Read - there are heaps of publications out there that will help you to read your bible. A Word for Today is a fantastic collection of devotionals or there is the One Year Bible, that funnily enough lets you read the entire bible in one year. Personally I like to read one Psalm, one chapter of Proverbs and a chapter of the New Testament (just start at Matthew and work your way through).
5. Write - God will usually make a particular verse or chapter stick out to you. Underline it (it's ok to write in your bible), or write it down in a journal. But don't just leave it there, write couple of sentences afterwards so that when you look back you know why it touched your heart in the first place. It doesn't have to be a deep theological revelation, it could just be "This made me feel some comfort today because I'm feeling a bit low." or "This reminded me of God's love".
6. Be Thankful - even in our darkest days there is always something we can be thankful for. Write it down. It could be a beautiful sunset, or maybe someone called with some encouragement or even shouted you a coffee. All of these are little reminders to us that even when times are tough God cares about us.
This is what works for me. Like I said, it could be a good starting off point for you. Sometimes I will throw in a book written by a man or woman of God depending on how much time I have. I recommend "The Dream Giver" by Bruce Wilkinson if you need some encouragement. It's fantastic, I have read it many times. It's very easy to read, it's written like a story a modern day parable, but it really touches your heart.
Saturday, 21 May 2011
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By:
Maree
Why do I feel as if God isn't in my heart?
I was looking at my stats today and this was one of the search terms that someone, somewhere in the world had put into google. Whilst the question wasn't directed at me to answer, I feel as though I should. If there is one person feeling like this in the world then there are others, and this feeling is one of the loneliest feelings someone can have.
Trust me when I say that every Christian has felt this way at some point in their lives. And the typical response from those who are older, more experienced Christians is that, "God hasn't moved away from you, you have moved away from God". Now in some instances this is true. Let's face it, we live in an imperfect world, it is very very easy to slip some "bad habits" into the mix that do indeed take us further away from God. If this is the case then to feel closer to God you need to step back closer to Him. Easier said than done I assure you, but worth it.
Identify what it is in your life that has taken you away from Him in the first place. Partying too much? Too focused on work and everyday life? Done something that has caused you some sense of guilt? Once you identify the problem (ask God to show you if it isn't immediately evident), then you simply ask forgiveness and make the effort to spend a little time each day talking to God.
Sometimes it isn't necessarily (directly/knowingly) something that we have done. We all have a past, we all have things that we aren't proud of. That past could be years ago, or days ago, either way to the enemy it is useful. It's easy to ask forgiveness for something that we have done, and God forgives us straight away. He doesn't expect any sort of pay back, Jesus did that for us, He just expects us to press into Him so that we (as imperfect people) "feel" His forgiveness.
His forgiveness is given easy, excepting it is sometimes the hard part. The enemy uses this, he reminds us of the things we have done that may have been displeasing to God. We dwell on them because we are reminded of them by someone who wants us to stay as far away from God as possible. Remember that the enemy is bent on our destruction, he is doomed and he wants to take as many of us with him as possible.
If this is the case, whenever that moment comes when you are reminded (and it makes you feel far away from God, trust me I know), you need to stop what you are doing and claim your forgiveness. Ask god then and there to clear your mind of all bad thoughts, thank Him for His forgiveness and ask for His peace. When we call on God he always answers, and when we ask for His peace, he always gives it. Try not to let your brain get in the way because you are worth being forgiven and you do deserve to have a close relationship with God.
What I find helps me most during these times is music. There are some amazing songs out there that speak to the heart of a person. If I find I am feeling distant from God I take myself somewhere quiet and put good, spirit inspiring music on. Music creates atmosphere, and if the atmosphere it is creating is a God centred one, then God will always show up. I personally find dwelling in this atmosphere is much easier than "quiet time" with God. I love to sing along and let the words fill my spirit, if you invite God to these moments, He will always show up.
Below I have included some of the songs that work for me, I hope they work for you, and I hope that you can reconnect with God in a new way. Just know that no matter who you are or what you have done, God loves you, he can't help but love you, because you are is perfect creation.
These are just a few, I hope they help you through tough times as much as they have helped me.
Trust me when I say that every Christian has felt this way at some point in their lives. And the typical response from those who are older, more experienced Christians is that, "God hasn't moved away from you, you have moved away from God". Now in some instances this is true. Let's face it, we live in an imperfect world, it is very very easy to slip some "bad habits" into the mix that do indeed take us further away from God. If this is the case then to feel closer to God you need to step back closer to Him. Easier said than done I assure you, but worth it.
Identify what it is in your life that has taken you away from Him in the first place. Partying too much? Too focused on work and everyday life? Done something that has caused you some sense of guilt? Once you identify the problem (ask God to show you if it isn't immediately evident), then you simply ask forgiveness and make the effort to spend a little time each day talking to God.
Sometimes it isn't necessarily (directly/knowingly) something that we have done. We all have a past, we all have things that we aren't proud of. That past could be years ago, or days ago, either way to the enemy it is useful. It's easy to ask forgiveness for something that we have done, and God forgives us straight away. He doesn't expect any sort of pay back, Jesus did that for us, He just expects us to press into Him so that we (as imperfect people) "feel" His forgiveness.
His forgiveness is given easy, excepting it is sometimes the hard part. The enemy uses this, he reminds us of the things we have done that may have been displeasing to God. We dwell on them because we are reminded of them by someone who wants us to stay as far away from God as possible. Remember that the enemy is bent on our destruction, he is doomed and he wants to take as many of us with him as possible.
If this is the case, whenever that moment comes when you are reminded (and it makes you feel far away from God, trust me I know), you need to stop what you are doing and claim your forgiveness. Ask god then and there to clear your mind of all bad thoughts, thank Him for His forgiveness and ask for His peace. When we call on God he always answers, and when we ask for His peace, he always gives it. Try not to let your brain get in the way because you are worth being forgiven and you do deserve to have a close relationship with God.
What I find helps me most during these times is music. There are some amazing songs out there that speak to the heart of a person. If I find I am feeling distant from God I take myself somewhere quiet and put good, spirit inspiring music on. Music creates atmosphere, and if the atmosphere it is creating is a God centred one, then God will always show up. I personally find dwelling in this atmosphere is much easier than "quiet time" with God. I love to sing along and let the words fill my spirit, if you invite God to these moments, He will always show up.
Below I have included some of the songs that work for me, I hope they work for you, and I hope that you can reconnect with God in a new way. Just know that no matter who you are or what you have done, God loves you, he can't help but love you, because you are is perfect creation.
These are just a few, I hope they help you through tough times as much as they have helped me.
Friday, 20 May 2011
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By:
Maree
As I Wake up From my Sheltered World
Over the past week I have randomly come across many issues that I was unaware of. You see I have my "perfect" little life (and I use the term loosely), a job that I love, the best family and friends that anyone could wish for, a husband that is loving and kind, and a perfect God who has given it all to me. I'm a lucky girl, I know that. not so many people are as fortunate as I am in their situation in life.
But as I look at my life in recent years (trust me there were times when I was the complete opposite that I am today), I realise that I have been rather sheltered. It's my own doing really, I was dead for so long, depressed and living a life I am not proud of, that I forgot how to be passionate about something (that or I was too scared to stir the pot and preferred to remain oblivious).
I have my thoughts and opinions on things, but up until recently I have steered clear of some of the bigger issues out there.
I figure that if I really want to make a difference, then I have to tackle the big questions along with the small. If I can make a difference in the life of one person from what they read here, I believe that I have done part of what God has called me to do.
There are just so many things boiling under the surface, about things I have read or seen that I know that God is saying I should not keep silent any longer. I need to put myself out there and write.
At the moment I am processing these things. I think about my blog posts, sometimes for days, before I hit the "publish" button. Obviously not for this post which is somewhat disjointed and appears more like random thoughts than any sort of coherent message.
I just wanted you to know that this blog is as much a journey for me as it will be for some of you. That I am finally taking the steps that I shied away from for so long. I will speak out those things that God gives me to speak.
On a much lighter note I have added a section in the side bar that allows you to ask me questions. I promise to answer these after careful thought and consideration and to the best of my ability.
But as I look at my life in recent years (trust me there were times when I was the complete opposite that I am today), I realise that I have been rather sheltered. It's my own doing really, I was dead for so long, depressed and living a life I am not proud of, that I forgot how to be passionate about something (that or I was too scared to stir the pot and preferred to remain oblivious).
I have my thoughts and opinions on things, but up until recently I have steered clear of some of the bigger issues out there.
I figure that if I really want to make a difference, then I have to tackle the big questions along with the small. If I can make a difference in the life of one person from what they read here, I believe that I have done part of what God has called me to do.
There are just so many things boiling under the surface, about things I have read or seen that I know that God is saying I should not keep silent any longer. I need to put myself out there and write.
At the moment I am processing these things. I think about my blog posts, sometimes for days, before I hit the "publish" button. Obviously not for this post which is somewhat disjointed and appears more like random thoughts than any sort of coherent message.
I just wanted you to know that this blog is as much a journey for me as it will be for some of you. That I am finally taking the steps that I shied away from for so long. I will speak out those things that God gives me to speak.
On a much lighter note I have added a section in the side bar that allows you to ask me questions. I promise to answer these after careful thought and consideration and to the best of my ability.
Bad Things Happen to People
Ever get the question, "If God is so real, then why does he let bad things happen to good people?" I get that a lot. I'm a teacher at a Christian school, it comes up almost every day, depending on what teenage problem is happening at any particular moment in time. And I know that most people, Christian and non-christian alike have asked this question.
When you understand the character of God and know who God is, this question becomes easier to answer. God loves us, He adores us, He wants nothing but the best for us. Let's face it, would you send your only Son to die for a bunch of people? I wouldn't, I'm too selfish.
What we need to understand is that there is a difference between what God allows and what Man allows. God gave human beings free choice. It's a precious gift, but when sin entered into the world, it became our downfall. Why give us free choice if all we would do with it is bad things? Answer this for me, would you rather have a relationship with someone who cared about you because they chose to? or because they were made to?
God gave us free choice to set us apart from every other living thing in creation, we don't just act on instinct, we choose the path of our lives, and He wants us to choose His path. It means the world to Him when we do. And he made us in His image, nothing else in creation is made that way. This means that if God has free choice, so do we.
This being said, there are certain implicatations and responsibilities to having a choice. People can choose to have a good life or an evil one, they can choose to uplift people around them or drag them down. If someone has caused you hurt, don't blame God it was their choice, and their choice can affect you.
As for things out of our control, or anyone else's for that matter, such as disease. That too was initially a choice. The world was never created to harbour disease, or death for that matter, but the original sin of Adam and Eve, the choice that they made to go directly against what God had said, brought with it certain consequences. Those consequences are what we now have to live with on a daily basis.
Of course if you are a believer, you know that not only did God send Jesus to die for our sins and create the path by which we can come into the presence of God, he also conquered death and disease. As Christians, we believe that God can heal. We believe that through prayer God can do anything. Unfortunately for us, God doesn't just answer our prayers with a, "yes", sometimes it's, "no", or "not now", but that is another post all on it's own. But we can take comfort that sometimes, even if the healing is not physical, it is always spiritual, and that is the true healing that we all need.
When you understand the character of God and know who God is, this question becomes easier to answer. God loves us, He adores us, He wants nothing but the best for us. Let's face it, would you send your only Son to die for a bunch of people? I wouldn't, I'm too selfish.
What we need to understand is that there is a difference between what God allows and what Man allows. God gave human beings free choice. It's a precious gift, but when sin entered into the world, it became our downfall. Why give us free choice if all we would do with it is bad things? Answer this for me, would you rather have a relationship with someone who cared about you because they chose to? or because they were made to?
God gave us free choice to set us apart from every other living thing in creation, we don't just act on instinct, we choose the path of our lives, and He wants us to choose His path. It means the world to Him when we do. And he made us in His image, nothing else in creation is made that way. This means that if God has free choice, so do we.
This being said, there are certain implicatations and responsibilities to having a choice. People can choose to have a good life or an evil one, they can choose to uplift people around them or drag them down. If someone has caused you hurt, don't blame God it was their choice, and their choice can affect you.
As for things out of our control, or anyone else's for that matter, such as disease. That too was initially a choice. The world was never created to harbour disease, or death for that matter, but the original sin of Adam and Eve, the choice that they made to go directly against what God had said, brought with it certain consequences. Those consequences are what we now have to live with on a daily basis.
Of course if you are a believer, you know that not only did God send Jesus to die for our sins and create the path by which we can come into the presence of God, he also conquered death and disease. As Christians, we believe that God can heal. We believe that through prayer God can do anything. Unfortunately for us, God doesn't just answer our prayers with a, "yes", sometimes it's, "no", or "not now", but that is another post all on it's own. But we can take comfort that sometimes, even if the healing is not physical, it is always spiritual, and that is the true healing that we all need.
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
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By:
Maree
Logical or Emotional?
My mother became a Christian when I was 2 years old, it took my father another year to make that choice. Why? Quite simply mum made a heart (emotional) decision, dad made a logical choice. But is one better than the other?
I don't think so.
Some people are extremely in tune with the supernatural, they feel the emotion and the presence of God quite readily in a church service. They tend to make a decision then and there, quite happy to give their lives over to a God they cannot see, but could certainly feel.
*On a side note, I'm speaking from a peticostal point of view. You know the "happy clappy", "lets make church fan and play rock music", and the whole "speaking in tongues" thing (weird I know, but hey each to his own, and it works).
Others can also feel the presence of God and then go away (without making a decision then and there), and think about what they have seen and heard and what they felt. They study, they read the Word to find out the answer to their questions, and then they make a decision.
Those who make emotional decisions can't quite seem to understand why it would take someone so long, everyone is feeling the presence of God, so why not just do it. And to the logical, making an emotional decision then and there can seem a bit weak minded, like they are just following the pack.
In my experience, there is room for both in churches, but each comes with it's positives and negatives.
If an emotional decision isn't followed up by study and a knowledge of "who" God is, it can make it difficult to carry on on emotion alone. These people soon find out that Christianity takes a lot of work, there are, after all, a lot of temptations in our everyday lives. If they aren't careful to surround themselves with God every day, they will soon lose that "happy, heart swelling" feeling and then rely on a church service to "feel" it each week.
On the positive side, if these people immerse themselves in God, spend worship time with him every day, they tend to not have to work so hard to feel the presence of God every day, and church is what it should be, a time of fellowship and teaching and corporate worship.
Logical decisions take longer than emotional ones, the problem here is, if an offence is caused during this process, especially if it comes from someone in power, they can become disillusioned as to what it really means to be a Christian. They get the attitude of, "if this christianity I don't want to be like that".
On the up side, by the time they are ready to make a decision, they are already well aware of God's character and who he is, they become, somewhat, unshakable in their faith because they know what they believe and why they believe it.
Me personally? Originally I was a heart decision, I could quite easily feel the presence of God and lived to feel it time and time again. Now, after walking away from God and returning to Him, it is logical. I can still easily feel Him, but this time I know what it is like in the "outside world". I know what it is like to live without feeling His presence every day. Coming back to God's heart, I have a better understanding of who he is, and frankly my life is better knowing Him than not knowing Him.
Whatever category you come under, the important thing is to know who God is. Study His character, know His desires for your life. If you know who God is, it makes it so much harder to walk away. By putting your faith in God not just the feeling you get when you are with Him, you will be in it for the long haul, and the only way is up from there.
I don't think so.
Some people are extremely in tune with the supernatural, they feel the emotion and the presence of God quite readily in a church service. They tend to make a decision then and there, quite happy to give their lives over to a God they cannot see, but could certainly feel.
*On a side note, I'm speaking from a peticostal point of view. You know the "happy clappy", "lets make church fan and play rock music", and the whole "speaking in tongues" thing (weird I know, but hey each to his own, and it works).
Others can also feel the presence of God and then go away (without making a decision then and there), and think about what they have seen and heard and what they felt. They study, they read the Word to find out the answer to their questions, and then they make a decision.
Those who make emotional decisions can't quite seem to understand why it would take someone so long, everyone is feeling the presence of God, so why not just do it. And to the logical, making an emotional decision then and there can seem a bit weak minded, like they are just following the pack.
In my experience, there is room for both in churches, but each comes with it's positives and negatives.
If an emotional decision isn't followed up by study and a knowledge of "who" God is, it can make it difficult to carry on on emotion alone. These people soon find out that Christianity takes a lot of work, there are, after all, a lot of temptations in our everyday lives. If they aren't careful to surround themselves with God every day, they will soon lose that "happy, heart swelling" feeling and then rely on a church service to "feel" it each week.
On the positive side, if these people immerse themselves in God, spend worship time with him every day, they tend to not have to work so hard to feel the presence of God every day, and church is what it should be, a time of fellowship and teaching and corporate worship.
Logical decisions take longer than emotional ones, the problem here is, if an offence is caused during this process, especially if it comes from someone in power, they can become disillusioned as to what it really means to be a Christian. They get the attitude of, "if this christianity I don't want to be like that".
On the up side, by the time they are ready to make a decision, they are already well aware of God's character and who he is, they become, somewhat, unshakable in their faith because they know what they believe and why they believe it.
Me personally? Originally I was a heart decision, I could quite easily feel the presence of God and lived to feel it time and time again. Now, after walking away from God and returning to Him, it is logical. I can still easily feel Him, but this time I know what it is like in the "outside world". I know what it is like to live without feeling His presence every day. Coming back to God's heart, I have a better understanding of who he is, and frankly my life is better knowing Him than not knowing Him.
Whatever category you come under, the important thing is to know who God is. Study His character, know His desires for your life. If you know who God is, it makes it so much harder to walk away. By putting your faith in God not just the feeling you get when you are with Him, you will be in it for the long haul, and the only way is up from there.
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