theordinarychristian

[theordinarychristian]

J O Y

During these last few days of 2018 I’ve been reflecting on how my year went. This year has been bittersweet for me. I started getting to know who God is as my Father. He has given, He has taken away, He has disciplined, He has affirmed. He was so good to me. Despite that, comparison caused me to struggle to maintain joy and contentment. The enemy worked super hard to taint my perception of the good and perfect gifts God gave me. I viewed the gift of singleness as loneliness. I associated the gift of friendship with ignoring my own needs. My pride caused the gift of conviction to feel like shame. I believed those things were proof that God had forsaken me instead of seeing that He is using all of those things to draw me closer to Himself.

Then today, to prepare for the new year, I read Psalms 16. In this passage we see that we have no good apart from Jesus. In Him is the FULLNESS of Joy. He continues to pursue our hearts even when we tell Him over and over again that He is not enough. How incredible?

So I don’t typically make New Years resolutions but for 2019, I will. This year I resolve to fight for joy, even on days when I can think of a MILLION other things I would rather have than Him. Because even when my mind abandons Him, He will never abandon my soul. That fact alone is worth celebrating. And though I know it will be difficult, I will fight to do so daily.

[theordinarychristian]

"A condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble."

REFUGE. That is Webster's definition of refuge. In this time you are hiding. You are safe from attack. Perhaps in refuge, you are resting. 

So if God is our fortress, our place of refuge, what is He calling us to do? He is calling us to abide in Him. To hide knowing that our battles are being fought for us. That’s so good!!! He acknowledges that there will be war constantly waged upon us. But He asserts that He has and will win the victory over it all, including death. After he reminds of this, I'll bet he must have said be STILL and KNOW, because He knows three things about us:

A. we will constantly refuse to put our trust in Him and try to take fighting our battles into our own hands

B. we equate rest with weakness

C. our faith in believing He is who He says He is will constantly need strengthening

Hiding, resting, abiding is not easy, but it's a command. I believe the key in being able to do so is loving our God with our whole heart, mind, and soul for who He is, was, and always will be to us.

Ref: Psalms 46, Mark 12:30

[theordinarychristian]

I have sins that are really

really hard for me to stop. That’s why I think it’s important for me to date someone who makes Holiness a priority in their lives. Because if not, me and you are just gonna sit here going back and forth making excuses with each other.

[theordinarychristian]

I’m sorry for your misconception of the truth.

‪Just because God is kind and merciful doesn’t mean he permits sin. ‬

[theordinarychristian]

I’m learning that when my mind is elsewhere, my flesh begins to believe lies about who Christ is and how He relates to me. “He left me. He forgot about me. He’s mad at me. I’m a good person so He should be happier with me. I deserve blessings from Him. I’ll do things my way because times are different now, He doesn’t understand.” But when my mind is stayed on Him, I’m reminded of His promises. Then, my soul believes the TRUTH about Him—He will never leave me. He hears every single prayer. Where my sin increases, His grace abounds. My faith is what’s pleasing to Him. Out of His kindness and mercy, He blesses me. His ways are above my ways and there is nothing new under the sun. I’m thankful for His word that counters my flesh and reaffirms my soul every. single. time. 💕

[theordinarychristian]

THIS.

When we say “God is good” we don’t mean that God is kind of like other things that are good. We mean that God is the standard that we measure all good things by. Something is only “good” as far as it is like God. It’s not like there’s is a checklist of traits that God meets. God is the standard. God is good.

[theordinarychristian]

It is not without cause that Paul adds this sentence out of the fifteenth chapter of Genesis: ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ For Christian righteousness consisteth in two things: faith of the heart, and God’s imputation … We may appear by our concupiscence, wrath, impatience, and other fruits of the flesh and of infidelity yet remaining in us. Yea, the holiest that live have not yet a full and continual joy in God, but have their sundry passions, sometimes sad, sometimes merry, as the Scriptures witness of the prophets and apostles. But such faults are not laid to their charge because of their faith in Christ, for otherwise no man should be saved.

Martin Luther

[theordinarychristian]

i’d like to edit that a bit:

1.The right thing will always honor God. 2. The right thing will always benefit others by drawing them nearer to Him.

[theordinarychristian]

[theordinarychristian]

[theordinarychristian]

[theordinarychristian]

[theordinarychristian]

[theordinarychristian]

He who has God and everything has no more than he who has God and nothing else.

C.S. Lewis (via fearlessproverbs)

[theordinarychristian]

For Your glory

I will do anything. 

[theordinarychristian]

attractive distractions

say what you want, 

show you what to avoid. 

say what they should, 

show you what is.

sound good. 

look good. 

but sooner than later we see, 

you’re just a distraction to me. 

[theordinarychristian]