Who Do You Worship?

Something I struggle really hard to accept is the fact idolization still takes place today and I’ve, sadly, fallen into it a number of times in my life, even when I came a Christian.

I feel like it sneaks up on us and if we don’t actively pray for discernment or get into the Word we don’t realise until it’s to late.

If you’re confused about what idolization is, the best example (and the most convicting) I had explained to me was:

“Whatever you can’t say no to is your idol.”

Well, as soon as I heard that I immediately realised how much I was idolizing other things then God in my life. It covered a whole range of things from food, to exercise, to what I read and watched on TV, to what I listened to, to addictions, etc.

It really showed me that while I had no issue with saying no to God when it came to morning bible study and prayer (something I’m still struggling with today), I was showing Him that everything else was worthy of more.

Perhaps though, one of the biggest areas of idolization I’ve struggled with is in my relationship with J.

Thankfully I can testify that this process has since ended, as has J in regards to me, but it’s breaking my heart to see so many godly couples worshiping one another.

To me, worship is a matter of the heart along with actions. Where your focus lies, the Bible says, there your heart lies as well.

It’s natural that in first couple of weeks and months of being in a relationship you can be utterly smitten and I believe God has made it that way, but when we put someone else, even those we’re dating or married to, before God, that’s when we’ve crossed into dangerous territory. When left unaddressed, the relationship often comes to a sudden halt and the two are thrown out, left battered and bruised and trying to figure out where they went wrong.

Because it can be such a sudden shift, we need to be actively checking our minds and hearts, along with prayer and study of the Word to be sure we catch the sudden change of our priorities.

Please note that it does not make you a horrible person if you struggle with idolization. As we live in a fallen world, our bodies, hearts and minds are pulled every which way and it does take maturity and strength to notice and act swiftly.

My prayer today is that you would all look to your hearts and lives to see what you can’t say no to, and start saying yes to the only One that matters.

 

GOD BLESS XX

~ C

 

Eyes for Your Spouse While You’re Dating

About a year or so ago, God brought to me a revelation. Basically, it was about how even though you might be dating or engaged to someone, they still aren’t your spouse and your eyes still need to be protected.

At first I wanted to argue. Why can’t J find me attractive? Why can’t I find him attractive? It’s really not about being attracted to one another, but more about lust.

I’m going to be blunt and say that it’s harder to keep your eyes and hearts guarded from lust when you’re in a relationship compared to when you’re not, especially if you’re committed for the long run.

This is an area that J and I have struggled in. We’re so determined on marrying each other that somewhere along the line, we forgot unconsciously that we’re still simply courting and the same boundaries that apply with lust when you’re single still apply now, regardless of how committed you are.

There’s nothing wrong with finding your partner attractive. In fact, physical attraction is what will usually draw you together in the first place. We were made to appreciate the bodies around us and when emotions get involve, that only enhances it.

No, the problem lies with lust. Those nights when  you’re going to sleep and you’re imagining all the stuff you just sooo can’t wait to do until you’re married. You might find yourself thinking more about your girlfriends legs and chest, or your boyfriends six-pack. Pretty soon you’re so focused on the physical and that’s what lust is.

It’s just as wrong to lust after your partner as it is to lust after every other person in the world except your spouse. And your spouse is only your spouse once the vows are shared, the knot’s tied and the names are signed.

This is such a downfall for couples and I can say that the same goes for J and I. We’ve allowed lust into our courtship and because we let it grow while watering it with excuses, we now have a daily struggle to fight it out of the courtship and each other’s minds.

Your eyes belong to no one but your spouse. The same goes for your body. We emphasis the importance of physical purity until marriage, but I think it’s fair to say that mental, emotional and spiritual purity are equally as important.

Choose today to hold a covenant over your body, mind and soul. Choose to keep it for no one but your spouse. They are the only one’s worthy of your gift.

 

GOD BLESS XX

~ C

 

Sexual Restoration

The Bible makes it pretty clear the self-control is something we all have to practice. Not just because God says so, but for our betterment as well.

Proverbs 25:18 says, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” 

In other words, self-control is our protection from the attacks of our enemy and without it, we’re as good as (spiritually) dead.

But, it’s easier said then done and I know that personally. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  Therefore I can’t be the only one here today who has fallen short when it comes to sexual sin and temptation.

J and I, just like any other couple, have experienced our fair share of sexual temptation and though I wish I could say otherwise, sometimes we didn’t fight it as hard as we should have and we’re left picking up the broken pieces that are the result of such a sin.

Sin is sin, but sexual immorality is specifically spoken to separately. Read here what it says in 1 Corinthians 6:18-20,

“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body”

Our bodies are the temple of God and unlike other sins, sexual temptation violates our temples and we all know God’s Spirit doesn’t deserve to live in such a temple.

 

This however is not meant to be about naming and shaming. Instead, I want to focus on sexual restoration.

Maybe you’ve been involved in an affair and you can’t escape the disgusting feeling hanging over you. Proverbs 6:32 addresses this when it says, “He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.” Adultery doesn’t just violate a marriage, it violates you as a person as well. But don’t fear, Jesus Himself spoke to an adulterous and said,  “Jesus stood up again and said to the woman,“Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”  “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “NEITHER DO I. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:10-11. Emphasis mine)

Adultery isn’t the only lust spoken about. In fact, all kinds of lust is mentioned including the lust of the eyes, mind and heart. I myself have fallen short in a number of these areas, and I’m sure some of you have to. Maybe you’re feeling guilty, maybe you don’t. But we all know we need to turn from this lust and walk in restoration.

What does the Bible have to say about this?

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;” – 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 

When we know God, it becomes easier for us to fight the temptation. When we fight it, we are holding our body holy and honorable before God. As Jesus spoke to the adulterous woman, we need to go and sin no more. God forgives us, and now its time we forgive ourselves and move forward down the path of self-control.

 

GOD BLESS xx

~ C

 

Building Healthy Spiritual Ties

When you’re in a relationship, there’s no better feeling then being close to your significant other. It’s because of that feeling however that so many relationships are ending after boundaries have been crossed and that feeling of completeness is lost.

This is because people are trying to draw closer to their partner or their spouse in ways other then spiritual. This could mean sex to verbal communication and when that feeling of intimacy is not being met, dissatisfaction takes hold.

People don’t realise that what they’re seeking is spiritual intimacy. Unlike physical intimacy, anyone can practice spiritual intimacy with their partner, regardless of being married or not.

It’s true that only God can complete you, but its also true that spiritual ties are available to you.

For ages I’ve been wanting to rid J and I of physical ties (as with any couple, we are struggling with temptation) and it wasn’t until God sung out to me that I realised there was a more powerful option. An option that was healthy for our relationship and the building of our faith.

So how do you create one?

The most effective way is through prayer.

I love praying for J. It helps me feel so much closer to him knowing that I’m moving the spiritual realm to aid his future and life and also the rest of the world. The feeling I have when he prays for and with me is also intense. I feel more close and spiritually vulnerable. When we pray together for others and different circumstances, I can almost physically feel the power that’s moving out of us and also surrounding each other. Cloaking one another in prayer is almost tangible and one of the most amazing feelings.

And at the end of it, you don’t feel guilty at all. you know what you’ve done was right and you’re building your relationship on a solid foundation. So many people aren’t aware how praying together can build a relationship and marriage because a lot of people don’t want to take the effort. It’s true that when an effort is made, something beautiful comes from it.

Reading the Word is also another way to build a spiritual tie. Being only a Christian of a few years, it’s exciting to study the Word with J because I’m learning new things along with him and that’s something that I won’t be sharing with others. He’s the “first” in spiritual senses.

A spiritual tie also fireproofs your relationship. Think about it: two people joined in prayer and in the Word are going to be stronger then a lone person or two unequally yoked. If we’re strong in what we do spiritually, we’ll make more of difference in our lives and the lives of others.

 

I believe this is what God planned from the beginning for relationships: a spiritual soul tie. One that’s rooted in God’s word. Physicality only lasts for some time, but the Spirit lasts forever.

 

God bless!! xx

~ C

 

 

Scriptures to Help Us Wait (*Nudge Nudge*)

Sex. It’s the joining of two people into one both physically and spiritually.

But there’s no hiding it: waiting for marriage isn’t as popular today as it was fifty years ago, or even twenty years ago. Now it’s almost surprising to see a fifteen year old pregnant or a fourteen year old getting an abortion.

Sex has lost it’s meaning in society, but there’s no disagreeing that it’s still very important to God. It’s God’s gift to a husband and wife and it’s very beautiful. It’s not something you want to abuse at all and that’s what giving in is – abusing God’s gift.

But it’s hard, even for the most conservative of us. So I thought I would provide some scriptures to inspire us and give us the strength to keep waiting for the “I do’s” exchanged at the altar!!

1. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13

2. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God” – 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

3. “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” – Colossians 3:5

4. “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body” – 1 Corinthians 6:18

5. “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” – Hebrews 13:4

6. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” – Psalms 119:9-11

7. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” – Philippians 4:18

8. “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” – Colossians 3:1

9. “But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.” – 1 Corinthians 7:2

10. “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.” – Psalm 16:8-9

11. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” – Titus 2:11-14

12. “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?” – Job 31:1

13. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” – Galatians 5:16

14. “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance.” – 1 Peter 1:14

15. “ I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” – Galatians 5:16-18

 

God bless everyone!!

~ C