As I sat here tonight pondering whether or not to go to bed or sit up and write... I was reminded that the quietness is a great tool to bring things to the surface. The sound of the keys on the keyboard is peaceful when you feel God is leading you to type the very words on the screen. Saying this with a small amount of hesitation. Many of times before, when God has allowed me to share, it was not with out judgment and a few harsh words being said. Whether to me or directed about me.
I have come to realize though that those times are no longer a moment of weakness for my fleshly beating heart but instead I have found comfort in the ability to pray through those challenging times. Now writing this and sharing it, all the while knowing that most of you reading this are more than likely Christians and more than likely women. If you are not I am putting out a disclaimer that what I am about to talk about is not some thing that would make a non believer run to church to check out first hand. BUT I am promising to end it with a great thought so please stay with me to the end.
Over the course of the 15 or so years that I have been a believer I have been amazed, utterly amazed at how God is in control. How He brings people into our lives... at just the right moment. How He ordains everything. Allowing it "all to work together for the greater good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose," Romans 8:28. I have met some amazing Sisters and Brothers in Christ and been blessed by many new friendships that have lead to great and incredible fellowship. The gift of Christ and others who believe is truly the only thing in life that comes free of charge and without a return policy. And yet I say that with some humor....
Why you might ask? Well I have also unfortunately over the years had to experience some ugliness, some unforgiveness, gossip, criticism, cruel and unusual treatment. The times it has hurt and surprised me most is when it came from those in my life who I know knew better. Friends let me just say before I go any farther I am here typing and raising my hand at the same time. I have been there and done each and every one of those things too. I do not say this proudly, only in honest sharing to my weaknesses as well.
The reason I am writing tonight is because I feel lead to bring some of this "stuff" this truly yucky stuff to the surface. Many of times God speaks to my heart and reminds me to be faithful to Him. To share the things He asks me to share and many of times I have... ignored Him. A few times I am grateful to say I did not ignore him but I have a long way to go on the obedient side before I will even become close to meeting in the middle.
Before I continue I would just like to say that I am not sharing from recent occurrences only but more so from a birds eye view of things that have happened around me. Unfortunately having had the opportunity to witness. What might these things be you may ask? Well they are the moments we as Christian Sisters forget who our Father is, who we are in Him and who He has created and called us to be.
Christians are marked by love, it is the only thing that makes us different from every one else. It is our mark just as a real bill has a watermark on it, it is the one thing that makes our believing bodies real in comparison to the counterfeits. It is the one thing He reminds all of us when we read 1 John 4:19 "We love each other because he loved us first."
Alright so here come the tough questions, are you ready? If you were to die today how would you be remembered? Would people remember you for the smile you always wore on your face or the kind words you always spoke of every one else. Would they hear your words replaying praise for others or would they hear you gossiping and critiquing another? Tough questions huh, I am not trying to make them easy?! Remember I need to hear what I am writing just as much as you who are reading. In a world that is so backwards, does it make any less sense that we as Christians would choose the easy route as well?
We have been disillusioned by the enemy ladies, completely fallen into his slimy trap and we seem to be unable to get out. We start to get our footing and we even think we have it down for a while and then boom we are right back in the mud... again. Unable to move anything it seems except our tongue.
The funny thing is, well in all honesty it is not very funny in the literal sense. It is quite astonishing and yet completely baffling. The thought I am asking you to consider is, do we not realize we are attacking are own body? We are after all Christ's body of believers and so when we criticize and slander each other we are really doing it all to.... here it goes, Jesus. Now that is a scary thought, a very humbling and embarrassing thought as well. We have forgotten ladies that our battle is not with each other or with flesh and bone. The scriptures teach that it is a full out war with the prince of darkness and his entourage. Ephesians 6:12 states; "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." Our battle is not with another human!
So here is my challenge for you, will you pray harder to stop this vicious cycle? Will you challenge your Sisters in Christ to stop the gossip and start the praying as well? Can you be that bold for Christ, for yourself, for your Brothers and Sisters in Christ? I am believing that the more we bring this evil to the light the less women we will find depressed, scared and even worse pushed away from the very God we have been called to serve. Final thought, is it or is it not easier to work for a person who feels the same as you do, supports the same morals and agendas? Well if we want to work together as a Body of Christ, as Sisters in Christ, we need to set the right example. Be quick to forgive, slow to speak and quick to listen, reminding ourselves that those very qualities are the ones we need to be working on and furthering God's magnificent Kingdom with.
Now on to the positive I said I would share at the end. Friend if you do not know Jesus as your personal Savior I encourage you to seek Him now. He is the only friend you will ever need! I assure you He is not far away. He is right there next to you waiting patiently for you to invite Him into your life. If after reading this you have doubts, I tell you now that all relationships have difficult times. All friendships have times of disagreements and conflict. If your a woman you know this already! It is a part of our lives, has been since the fall in the Garden of Eden. But you are worth it. Your friends are worth it. The legacy you will leave is worth it. Jesus is worth it! All you need to do is just ask. Tell Jesus you need him and you desire to be forgiven, tell him you want him in your life. That you believe not only with these words but also in your heart that He died for you. Take a moment to let that thought sink in. Realize you and I were worth it all to Jesus.
If you have a relationship with Him but feel that it needs some tending to, I encourage you to tend to it. Just as a garden grows only after much effort and time. So it is with relationships as well. Even our personal relationship with Jesus takes time and effort. But what a joy it is to put forth effort into the relationship with the one who gave up His every thing for us. Who took on our sins, our gossip our offenses as His own and continued to say as He hung on our cross, "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34 Ladies that is what our life needs to be all about, that is what our relationships need to encompass. A love that knows no end, that sees past the person and into their heart. A woman who knows that we all make mistakes and bad choices but she chooses to be like Jesus and love regardless. After all how can we expect a loving Savior to forgive us our book of wrongs if we are unable to forgive another theirs? Love is not a choice sweet friend, it is a calling. Placed on us by a God that gives us life and desires for us to have it abundantly. Wanting to do more with our lives than we can even think or imagine. Ephesians 3:20
