What is the secret to great living? Entire separation to Christ and devotion to Him. Thus speaks every man and woman whose life has made more than a passing flicker in the spiritual realm. It is the life that has no time for trifling that counts. — Amy Carmichael
So here is the post that I was talking about last week. I know it’s pretty long (I am a wee bit of a detailed story-teller who always has a hard time summarizing things) but this is what this blog is for anyways – to encourage. For those who do not know, I have been wrestling in my spiritual life the past weeks. God has been knocking on my heart lately; He wants me to do something for Him. Actually, I believe there are just so many things that He wants me to surrender. And we all know that there is always pain in letting go. *Please read my previous post before reading on. Click here for the link.
When a cyst is removed from the body, a knife is involved. As the knife of the Spirit of Christ cuts, the pain at times will be extreme, but the freedom that follows is ten million times worth the momentary struggle within your heart and mind. — Leslie Ludy
I previously wrote that I shall make a more detailed post so let me go through everything chronologically. During the last week of April last year, God allowed a painful experience to happen that slapped me in the face. (Perhaps I shall make a post about it too when I’m ready.) And because of those series of seemingly unfortunate events, my eyes were opened to maturity as I had to take responsibility of my actions. I was still 19 when it all started and perhaps, God made sure I was prepared to face adulthood before I turned 20. Just as the whole thing was in the rising action, if I were to plot, I was blessed to be given copies of Leslie Ludy’s books: Authentic Beauty, The Lost Art of True Beauty, and Answering the Guy Questions. I’ve already read When God Writes Your Love Story several years ago thus I was pretty excited to have Leslie’s books. So anyway, I finished Authentic Beauty by the end of October and it did achieve its purpose of changing my perspective of womanhood, purity, and the like. (After a few weeks, this blog was born.) One of the things I learned in the book was about throwing away “trash” that occupies our hearts and lives. We have gotten so accustomed to the stink that we no longer notice it is there. (If you have not read the book, I suggest you grab a copy so you’ll really know what I am talking about) However, I had not really started taking it into action, until now.
Three weeks ago, I started reading Set-Apart Femininity (the same person gave me the book as a gift just last March) and that was when my fears and hesitations started to flood me. Through the book, God challenged me to take that step out of my comfort zone. (Leslie Ludy herself forewarned her readers that her book “presents challenges in a blunt, pull-no-punches way that is uncommon in today’s soft-spoken Christian world.”) Even more, I was challenged to rise up to the standards of Jesus Christ. My initial reaction was to flee. Why was it so hard for me? Because I know, I will be going through more dyings to self. I hid from the Lord knowing that if I fall to my knees again, He will surely ask me to surrender my whole life in submission and give up even the little things, things we call compromise. For about two weeks, I was only reading a bit of Scripture each day and praying for just the usual things, careful not to nurture intimacy with Christ. Funny, I never even opened Set-Apart Femininity that whole time. I was afraid God would even ask me to exchange my life, my future career, my belongings (shame on me!), in short, comfort and security, for a missionary life in China or in unreached parts of the Philippines with barely nothing to live by. I do believe, though, that not all are call to that kind of life (1 Corinthians 12). But I was still afraid that if I continue on with this set-apart thing, a desire might build in my heart and eventually, God would really lead me to a life far from what I am currently living.
However, God rebuked my fickle heart. Well, life has always been like that; it’s a lifetime process of surrender. Therefore, even if I was trying to run away, I still know, deep in my heart, that every time God would ask me to surrender myself or something to Him, it was always for my good and things indeed got better (it was always better, spiritually-wise). God would also remind me that my life is not my own and I have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). He is my Creator and I am accountable to Him. What then, if someday I shall end up like Gladys Aylward or Amy Carmichael? “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” [Mark 8:35, ESV] Furthermore, God assured me now that all He requires from me is a heart that is surrendered, fully surrendered to the point that I would be willing enough to answer a call up to that extent. It might not even be like that for me in the future, but He just wants a heart that is set to obey, no matter what the cost. “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.‘” [Luke 9:23, ESV] So eventually, the prodigal daughter returned.
I am convinced that I have start with this now also because of where I am in life currently. A short FYI: I am 20 years old and am turning 21 this May (emphasizing the age as it is related to the word adult lol). By God’s grace, I graduated last March 25 with the degree Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. (My struggle during my college life, particularly in my studies, is another story). I shall be taking the Certified Public Accountant licensure exam this October but before that, I will be reviewing in Manila for four months (a city about an hour’s plane ride from ours) starting May 26. I have to prepare myself before I leave for Manila for I know more struggles will come my way now that I am starting a new chapter in my life. After the exam, I do not know yet where God will lead me. (Who knows, I might really end up in China or India.) All I know is that I have to shake off unnecessary baggage that is hindering me from truly worshipping God (Psalm 1:1-2). I am choosing the life of set-apartness not because I chose it for myself but because my God is holy (1 Peter 1:16). I want to radiate Jesus Christ. So I have to stop being mediocre. I have to deliberately get rid of sins that so easily entangle (Hebrews 12:1-2 - I suggest you read the whole chapter). It won’t come without a fight. I won’t be somebody that God wants me to be if I just continue going on and living my life, not really aimlessly, but not intentionally either. “Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.” [Proverbs 4:26, NIV]
To help me move forward with the Lord, I will be going through that process of removing trash that hinders real intimacy with Christ which I mentioned earlier. I already downloaded “Cleaning Out the Sanctuary” material (link) from set-apartgirl.com right after reading Authentic Beauty but I didn’t give time for it until now. I already scanned it again a few weeks ago and honestly, it was also partly the reason why I got so scared because there is just so much to acknowledge before God that I might not be able to give them to Him. Also, I shall be away from Tumblr as I don’t want anything to interfere (my Facebook is already deactivated for more than a week now so I’ll be really unreachable) I do not know when I shall return. But I know I will.
I challenge you to answer the call of Jesus, the call of Christ-likeness, dear sisters and brothers in the Lord (1 Peter 2:21, 1 John 2:6). You might still be like me, hesitant. But just sit down, and listen to whatever God tells you. Of course, you have to go back to Scripture, always, because you might “believe” God tells you to do this or that when in fact you were just listening to your own voice. Our actions and decisions must be founded upon God’s Word. Also, remember that only by God’s grace and through His strength can we truly do things for His glory. I know that I, myself, am a weak being and I have to be reminded of the Cross every day for me not to become proud and selfish or on the other side, to feel defeated and hopeless. Indeed, there is hope and strength in Him and in Him alone. “But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.“ [2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV]
"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. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” [Matthew 16:24-26, ESV]
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” [Galatians 2:20, ESV]
janainaart
yousharknotpass
jbbartram-illu
snowghoul
2087
titsay
areudirty
germansingergirl
gummygunk
annaxmalina
kianamaiart
