This weekend's been....a kind of boring one. But not really. Boring in the sense that more than 60% of my waking time was spent studying, but it's an improvement from last year, in which 80% of my waking time not in class would be spent watching TV, 10% eating, 5% studying, and the other 5% doing misc. things INCLUDING hanging out with people who are actually important. Wow. What a failure, right? Bahaha. Baby steps, I tell you. Baby steps.
No actually, this weekend was our year prayer meeting AND our KCCF Worship Ministry training session, and by God's grace I was able to attend both :) This year God has really enabled me to find a lot of joy in corporate prayer and I've been making it a priority to actually go to prayer meetings. I honestly don't say much during the meetings, if anything at all, but just being able to pray together with my fellow brothers and sisters is amazing and just leaves me so refreshed. Anyway I was just sharing with 2 other sisters during the prayer meeting and all of a sudden my mind just flipped to this verse:
"Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at His coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:13-16)
The part that really got to me was the "be holy, because I am holy" part. Recently I've been thinking about parts of my life that are probably not pleasing to God. These are really REALLY basic things that most people, even Christians, would think I'm crazy for "nitpicking" about. For me, this is about the TV I watch. Specifically: The Vampire Diaries. It is currently the only TV show I actively follow and am really quite addicted to. I was just thinking about it, because I can make an entire list of things in the show that I know God hates: drunkenness, premarital sex and lust, substance abuse, swearing in His name, and an entire premise based on witchcraft and vampires. Like, wow. It really should be a no brainer. This show is not pleasing to God at all, and still I'm choosing to watch it. I've talked with some friends about it and stuff, which means the Holy Spirit has definitely been gently nudging at this issue for a while. I guess last night was a really clear and explicit message from Him: "Be holy, for I am holy."
The process of sanctification is an uncomfortable one. And I think it should be, because real change that targets the parts of our lives that we haven't been willing to give back to God is important. There are so many parts of my life that I've compartmentalized and selfishly kept for myself, but something God's really been reminding me about recently is this - His first and greatest commandment, the one upon which all other commandments can be boiled down to, is this: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 23:27) What does it mean to love God with everything I have? What does "everything" even mean? I think the answer is quite clear - when I professed myself to be a follower of Christ, I also stated my intent of giving my ENTIRE LIFE to Christ. Not just the parts I'm comfortable with. This includes the parts that are ugly and selfish and the parts that I want to hide. This includes all the hurts I want to cover up and the victories in life which I really have no claim to. "Everything" means exactly that - every thing.
This is a lot of agonizing over a TV show. Yes, it's just a TV show, and if the world calls me a freak because of it, then let me be known as a freak for Jesus. Because my identity is ultimately founded in Christ and as His child I want to please Him and strive to be more like Him. Baby steps, and step 1 of many for me is this one.
No comments:
Post a Comment