One of the struggles we face as Christians in this world is not being of the world. Even though we aren't bound by the law, we are still responsible and called to live lives that are set apart. Sin doesn't have a hold on us like it does on non-believers, and so we have a responsibility before God to live selflessly, not self-indulgently. Our pursuits aren't to be about fame, fortune, or fashion, but about passionate servitude. Of course, it helps that as we fall more and more in love with Jesus, our hearts become aligned with His, and this submission comes more naturally.
And yet, the condition of our hearts are ever being revealed in our behavior: selfie sticks, gossip, sexual perversion, to name a few of equal magnitude. (A reminder that we all need, but especially the self-righteous picketers.) We get wrapped up in the world and its obsessive tendencies.
The thought crossed my mind yesterday that even if I chose to throw away my pursuit of holiness and started living like a heathen, I'd still be saved. I'm not bound by the law, right? So why not succumb to my sinful nature a la Romans 6:1, and "live life to the fullest" according to the world? But in my heart, I know that the "fullest" way we can live life is to walk with the King and pursue Him at all costs. Sensing my own sin, I asked God for grace, and to show himself to me today. I prayed that He would remind me that He is worth it, even if it's a struggle to say no to some of my desires. I asked Him to remind me that He is sovereign, that He is all-powerful, that charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised (Proverbs 31:30).
Another prayer, answered: later that day, I saw that someone I went to high school with had messaged me on Facebook. Glad that God had scooped me back up, she asked about my testimony. So I told her all about how got met me in my broken place and pulled me out of the dark and into the light.
As I was writing to her, reflecting on how God had healed my broken heart, I was reminded of the girl I once was: the old self that I put away when I chose to walk with Christ. I was reminded of what my life was like when I was living of my own accord, trying to measure up to the world's standards, trying to find meaning despite the very hard and painful aspects of my life. I was reminded that God is relevant, active and integral in every aspect of existence, that He is sovereign and all-powerful, and that I won't get anywhere by my own attempts to be charming or beautiful. I was reminded that true beauty is born from fear of the Lord.
God answers prayers in unexpected ways. The count now reaches four for people that I have reconnected with from my past because of our shared faith in Christ.
Very, very cool.
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