Never Feed A Stray Dog

Suppose I come to you and start complaining that there is a stray dog in my neighborhood that just won't leave me alone. I complain that everyday he shows up on my doorstep at dinner time and I can't figure out why he keeps coming back. Then I tell you that I am feeding the dog everyday. The solution seems simple, right? If I want him to stay away then I need to stop feeding him.

I often hear Christians complaining that although Jesus is in their heart and they want to live a life that is pleasing to Him, temptation often gets the better of them. They can't understand how they could be so easily lured into sin. My question to them is this, "are you feeding temptation?"

Can we be shocked if we are tempted with sexual immorality when we watch movies with so much filth they could be considered soft-pornography? Can we be surprised that we are tempted to engage in a drunken lifestyle when we spend our time around people who do the same? Should it take us back that we are drawn toward violence when we spend our time playing violent games or listening to music condoning violence? We must be vigilant that the seemingly benign things we participate in do not allow a foothold for sin to enter our lives.

If you feed temptation it will keep coming back, just like the stray dog in the neighborhood. Soon, what you thought was a small part of you life will overtake you and you won't know how to turn back.

Salt and Fluorescent Light

I often shopped at a certain retail store when I was a teenager. As I (and my body) have gotten older, I stopped shopping there for one terrifying two-word phrase: fluorescent lighting. The problem with this lighting is that it reveals every little flaw and seemingly magnifies it. I prefer dressing rooms that lie to me. On the rare occasions that I have visited this store in the past few years I have left and gone straight to the gym-suddenly aware of what was there all the time.

It occurs to me that when Jesus calls us to be salt and light in Matthew, this is the type of light He is referring to. It's not always the most popular light, in fact it is despised by many, but it is incredibly important. This light is truthful, revealing, enduring light that forces us to evaluate ourselves and drives us toward change. In today's culture, many Christians say they want to be light, but they don't want to be the fluorescent light, they want to be soft-glowing flattering light. They want to be the light that strokes egos but really isn't much help to a world living in darkness.

You can't change what you can't see, and that is what makes the distinction in the type of light we will be important. We must be honest with people in as loving a manner as possible. We live in a world were being lied to is a daily occurrence. Christians should be able to be relied on as a source of honesty and truthfulness. As a Christian you have a choice; you can be the light that only slightly illuminates, or you  can choose to be the fluorescent light that brings others out of the darkness.

I Once Was Blind

When I was 18 I began to notice that I couldn't see the notes on the board in class. I went to the optometrist and found out that, in her words, I couldn't "see the broad side of a barn." I failed every line of the eye chart test and had to get glasses. How did I not know that I was essentially blind? I assumed that everyone's vision was blurry like mine. I remember the first thing I saw when I put on my glasses for the first time. I stood at the window of the optometrist's 2nd floor office and suddenly everything was so clear! All I could say was "wow!" I couldn't believe how much I had missed. When I drove home I found that (to the delight of the drivers in front of me) I had gained the depth perception I had been lacking. Road signs were suddenly clear. Everything changed.

In the past few months God has placed a new desire in my heart to know Him more. As I began praying and seeking a deeper relationship with Him, He began opening my eyes to wonders I never knew before. Just like when I received my glasses, the world now looks entirely different as I view it through the new spiritual eyes He has given me. The more I seek Him, the more I see Him. And just like with my new physical lenses, my perception has changed and the signs He has placed in front of me are becoming more clear. All I can say is "wow".

And that is what lead to this blog. I don't have all the answers, that's why I ask so many questions. I'm not a spiritual expert, I'm just a Millenial who's trying to navigate the waters of God's deep love, grace, and calling in my life. My hope is that as I share the things God has laid on my heart that it will encourage others to seek after Him as well and learn His voice for themselves. I pray that every word that is written would bless my God and serve to make His name great.