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kangaroo5383
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Name: jess
Country: Hong Kong
Metro: Hong Kong
Birthday: 5/3/1983
Gender: Female
Expertise: web development , Draw Web Comics/Manga , Take Art Commission ^_^
Occupation: Computer related (Internet)
Industry: Computers (Internet)
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
Member Since:
12/4/2002
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| officially 1 year in LA
.....I can't believe how fast time has passed... yet at the same time it feels as if I've been here forever...
so much has happened this year..... craziness... indeed
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I'm trying to start writing more so that my thoughts are more concrete than just random ideas floating in my head. I've heard it said that it is essential to be a good writer in
order to be a good thinker, so that would be my goal. However, I need to pick a language to master my thinking in!
anyways.
Random thoughts these days center around the importance of "desire" in the mist of duties associated with Christian living. In the end I'd want to hear "well done good and faithful servant", so in light of that - what must I do!
Questions such as:
1. Is it legalistic to continue in duties when there's a lack of desire in God / serving God? (Things like going to church, small group, read Bible, pray, etc)
2. Since fulfillment of duty in bitterness does NOT glorify God, should
we continue to fulfill duties in the mist of bitterness and
discontentment?
For many people as soon as the words "what must I do" appears, there's the lights that goes "legalistic"! I would disagree with that assessment  Many times in the Bible people would ask Jesus what must they do to inherit eternal life, and Jesus did NOT answer "you legalist, just believe". Hence, I'm inclined to believe there are specific actions that testifies to the faith, yet it is not the actions that EARNS faith because faith is a gift not by works.
Now that is out of the way, time to consider the 1st question.
Legalism - "strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, esp. to the letter rather than the spirit. " (dictionary.com)
So in light of that definition, it is a question of whether it is an act that adheres to the spirit of the law. Next to examine the spirit of the "laws" in question. In this instance I'm more interested in "laws" as it relates to going to church, small group, read Bible regularly, and prayer instead of levitical laws.
The spirit of those activities in my opinion would be as followed:
1. going to church : fellowship, learning of the Word from sermon, corporate worship
2. small group: fellowship, explore the Word together, accountability
3. read Bible: fellowship with God through His Word
4. prayer: fellowship with God through the act of putting things in His hands
Following this logic, when we don't have the desire for God it is actually MORE important to do these things. It follows that if one is legalistic before the "no desire for God" time, then one would continue to be one during this hard time. But if one truly understands the spirit of the law to begin with, I would argue it is especially important to continue in the practices of these things. Additionally, I would say if one gives up during this hard time it is actually more of a legalism because the letter of the law of do-not-commit-legalism becomes the focus instead of the spirit of the law.
part2 to follow!
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| Time for some reflection.
How time flies.
And once it's gone, can't go back.
In about a week, it will be my move-to-LA anniversary. So much has happened, yet at the same time it seems to past by so fast. New place, new living arrangement, new friends, new church, new small group, it's all so exciting and quite depressing all at the same time.
Things that I've noticed:
1. new environment, old struggles.
I remember someone once said something to the effect of "no matter what circumstances are happening, the one consistent factor is 'me'." No matter how new everything is, the things that I struggle with back in CFC will be the same thing I struggle with in LA. Now it seems that it is evidence that there are some character refinement lessons I didn't quite conquered just yet and it is coming back to haunt me.... -_-a Sometimes I take the approach of run awayyyyyyyyyyyyyy - thinking that when something unpleasant comes up, I can just hide or run away because it is somehow particular to a specific set of people/circumstances. But now, it seems the set of people/circumstances aren't so unique -_-a rather it is something deep-seated in me.
2. faith, doubts.
Faith(aka faith in God) is a gift, it is also something I must fight for in order to obtain. Doubts (aka faith in self) are the natural tendencies of the human heart. It is always a constant battle going against the strong current of human tendencies. Since coming here, there are many battles of doubts... am I doing the "right" thing? what is the "right" thing? is this the best choice for my "future"? what the heck IS my "future" going? how is everything going to work out? why am I here? where am I going? Should I be doing something else? what am I/should I be doing????? All the natural questions of a typical "young adult", in the mist of uncertainties trying to be faithful in whatever task that is put before me. Everything leading up to a training in faith in the blood of Christ for my salvation, faith in the character and power of God. It is like this never-ending tug-of-war.
3. Understand why I'm a Christian, why I follow Christ, why I serve.
This is not the "book answer" time. It is get personal about these answers time. Unless there are clear personal answers to these questions, when the rubber hits the road and some hardship or crappy stuff comes up, it is impossible to keep going unless I know why I was on this road in the first place.
really wish that life was "easier", whatever that means, but then again maybe it's a good thing that I don't get everything I want perhaps......
"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."- Philippians 3:13-14
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| something just clicked today...
being a Christian is not about how apathetic you can be towards the so-called "worldly things", but how passionate you can be for the Lord.
So instead of avoidance, the goal becomes pursuit. It is in the desire of the pursuit for God that we can truly live for God, fulfilling the Biblical command for joy.
hmmmmm... makes so much more sense.. why did I think it was the other way around before :P
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| "credited righteousness"
...since we have so freely received righteousness, and life through faith alone.... can we also freely give of ourselves? | | |
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