Simple

    The older I get, the more I see how many of the mindsets and ideas that have been engraved in my mind are completely wrong.  It's quite the humbling experience.  Pffffft being humbled sucks. Although it's a humbling experience, I'm thankful that these lethal areas of my heart are being revealed and changed now rather than walking my days on this earth shackled to ideals that stray so far from the true heart of God.

  If you know me, you know that I really like to work.  Work for better grades.  Work for a better future.  Work harder to make myself better. Work to serve God better. My mind is constantly at work to see how I can improve and edit different areas of my life and can't honestly remember the last time I've been content with myself.  Not complacent, but content with the person I am and the person I'm becoming. I see and dwell on what I'm not.  It's exhausting, discouraging, and draining. Quite honestly, I've felt spiritually dead for a while. Meh. Rather than dwelling on the beauty of Christ, I subconsciously focus on me.  That is the problem.  It's pride.  It's disgusting, ugly, and so far from the heart God.

  The "Christian life" shouldn't be compiled of to-do lists, habits, accomplishments, and past grievances.  A life compiled of such dismal idols bears witness to a hardened, perplexed heart and skewed perception of God.  Think about it...why the heck would someone want to have anything to do with Christianity or God if that's what it looks like?  Talk about a life-sucking kill-joy. Welcome to the Christian club...here's you're to- do list..oh, and by the way, you're supposed to look like this, think these thoughts, achieve these goals, and you aren't allowed to be different....no, thank you. 

  Following Christ should be simple.  Not easy, but simple. Think about it.  When Jesus calls his disciples to follow Him, He didn't tell them to change this, fix that, think this way, talk this way, don't do this, achieve these goals, and fit into this cookie-cutter definition. 

  Matthew 16:24-25 "Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.' "

  Holiness, purity, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control are an outflow of the Holy Spirit within. They are the natural pouring out of Jesus' grace and love alive within you and you dying. A radically beautiful, truly Christ-like life isn't something that can be achieved by check-list Christianity. I'm convinced it is quite rare & seen in the least-likely of places and people.  

  As we follow Christ, growth will be a natural result. Authentic relationship & growth aren't a result of habits and rules, but love. Beautiful, unearned, unaffected, simple. That's what we need.

But God

Ephesians 2:1-10

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

This incredible portion of scripture can be split into two halves.  The first being desperate hopelessness, death, and the miserable state of mankind.  We've all been or are there; "we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."  I've been guilty of rebellion against God, buying the lies and living in the chains of my own making, chains and bondage I could never free myself from.  Fortunately, the passage doesn't end here.  

The next two words of this passage bring hope into this hopeless condition.

But God

God.  Righteousness. Justice. Holiness. Perfection. God, the one who's face we spat in while arrogantly carrying on in our sin. The One who has every reason to destroy us. The Creator who was rejected and defied by his beloved creation. But God.

Instead of damning us to the destiny we earned, he loved us with an unexplainable, radical, perfect love.  He sacrificed His precious Son so that we may taste freedom and life where misery, hopelessness and death clung.  "because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved."   He doesn't stop at saving us.  Paul, the author of Ephesians, then goes on tell us the purpose behind saving us--to show "the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."  How good is our God?  How precious is our risen Savior? 

How do you respond to Him?  How do you respond to the crucified and risen Savior?  Ask Him how.  My flawed human words aren't comparable to hearing His voice and reading His Word for yourself. Seek Him and He will show you.

Luke 9:23

 "And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

*Scripture is hyper linked so you can click on it and read the full chapter in context*

Captivating

     A woman's heart is a fragile possession.  We have the potential to get our feelings hurt easily, cry over petty things, latch on to bitterness, and mistreat others based out of the brokenness of past pains.  We also have the potential to love deeply and tenderly, see and draw out the best in people, and breathe words of life into weary souls.  To say that we're complicated is an understatement.  

       A woman's heart longs to be captivating.  Within us is a desire to be wanted, to be cherished, to be unforgettable, to be incomparable, to be worthy of relentless pursuit, unconditional love, and unwavering affection. We long to be enough. These desires aren't something to be pushed away or ignored (of which I'm guilty.)  They also aren't something to make an idol out of (also guilty.)  

     When we attempt to satisfy God-given desires with something or someone other than the God who gave them to us, they become a distorted counterfeit of the beauty they were intended for.  When the desire to be wanted, cherished, unforgettable, and worthy of pursuit, love, and affection is made into an idol, we are filled with worthlessness rather than the joy, peace, purpose, and love that God desires to fill us with.    

      In 2 Kings 17, Israel is having a serious idolatry problem.  They are burning their sons and daughters, practicing sorcery, and completely rejecting God and His ways. They have imitated the ways of the nations around them (the world) instead of choosing God's way.  The latter part of verse 15 says, 

  "They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do,” and they did the things the LORD had forbidden them to do." 

      As Israel chose to fulfill their desires with idols rather than the God who could to fulfill them, they were left worthless.  You reflect the things you worship.  If you're worshiping the created instead of the Creator, your life and heart will be left feeling shallow, broken, and worthless.

      In who or what are you seeking for satisfaction and fulfillment?  Who or what are your emotions and moods dependent on?  What consumes the greatest portion of your thought life? Where do you spend your time? Where do you find pleasure?  What do you base your worth on? Does your life look similar the world around you or does it carry the fragrance of supernatural love, peace, and purpose?  

      If you are reading this post single, dating, or married, it is God alone in whom you will find fulfillment of your desires to be wanted, cherished, unforgettable, and worthy of pursuit, love, and affection.  He is the only One who satisfies. He is the only true, perfect lover of your soul. God wants you.   

 He wants all of you. 

 Exodus 34:14 "Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God."   

 He loves you with a perfect love.

  1 John 4:18-19 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.

  

 He gave His own life for you and pursued you, a rebellious, undeserving sinner.

Romans 5:7-8  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

  

      Seek His Word for yourself and know Him for who He is.  Worship, love and adore Him for who He is. Allow Him to satisfy your heart and desires. Allow him to heal, chisel, and mold your heart to be like that of Jesus. The joys & blessings of earthly God-ordained romance that represents Christ's relentless pursuit of the church & the church's response will taste so much sweeter.

      The quote "A woman's heart should be so lost in God that a man needs to seek Him in order to find her" is commonly quoted by single women, but I encourage you, keep your heart lost in God.  Whether single, dating, or married, allow God to consume your heart, will, mind and emotions. Become and remain captivated by the Creator of the universe. 

  

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,  

  Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim  

  In the light of His glory and grace."

  

    

 PS.  All the words in different colors are hyper-linked to full Bible passages so that you can read the whole chapter in context (: