Why Worry?

Let me start off by saying worry is a sin.

There I said it. It's a sin, and it's probably a sin that most Christians commit without even realizing it.

I know I struggle with it on a daily basis.

As a matter of fact...I've caught myself doing it today.

You may be thinking to yourself, "How is worry a sin, it's natural to be afraid of certain things?"

And you may be correct in saying that, but let me explain...




To be afraid of something means to have a fear of it, to have a fear means to have "an unpleasant emotion", and an emotion is defined as "a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances".

So in a nut shell, to be afraid means you have an unpleasant, natural, instinctive state of mind because for a certain set of current circumstances.

How is that different from worrying?

Well, to worry means to "give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles."

Notice there is nothing natural or distinctive about worry. Worry is making a choice to allow you mind to dwell continuously on something, be it a "difficulty of trouble" (or a fear).

So how does that make it a sin?

Well, it makes it a sin because by choosing to allow yourself to dwell on things that are most likely out of control, you are taking your eyes off of God and you are saying to Him, "I don't trust you to handle the curve balls that are thrown my way! You don't know what you are doing."

That's what I have to say about it, but just like all my other posts...we need to turn to Scripture and see what God Himself says about it:

Matthew 6:25-34
            “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Philippians 4:6-7   
            "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

There are many others verses that could be used, but these are the passages that I am most familiar with.
So in reading them, what do you take from it? I take that worry is good for absolutely nothing!

As I've heard it put before, "Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but gets you no where."

How true.

 

Well, if I should worry, what should I do?

 

Look back up at Philippians, "...but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

Also check out this verse, 

1 Peter 5:7 
            "Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you."

If God doesn't want you to worry, do you really think He is going to make you handle it alone? NO. 

He wants you to call on Him. He wants you to give up your worry to Him, because "[His] yoke is easy and [His] burden is light" (Matthew  11:30)

 

Won't you give up your worry? Won't you hand over your anxieties to Him? 

Just call upon His name and make your requests known, that's all He asks you to do.

Imagine how much better your quality of life would be if you simply prayed, 

"Lord, I worry that I may lose my job, I worry that the people I love may make the wrong choices. I worry I may fail You. I worry that I'm not setting the right example to others. I worry that I won't measure up. I worry _______ (insert your worry here), but I cast that worry upon you because I trust you fully and I have faith that everything works together for the good of those who love you, and I claim Your promise of peace."

Only you can chose to let it go. Right now, this very moment.

Do you chose you continue to wallow in your worry, or will you chose to accept the peace from the Prince of Peace?

 

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength."

 

"Worry can keep us up all night long, but faith makes one fine pillow"

 

"If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today."

 

“If there is no solution to the problem then don't waste time worrying about it. If there is a solution to the problem then don't waste time worrying about it.” 

Live...Laugh...Love

Until Next Time, 

Racheal <3

The (Not So) Perfect Christian

I'm not perfect....

There, I said it.

Are you happy now?

I'm not perfect...

There, I said it again!

I'm not perfect! and guess what... neither are you!

Why do people get the idea in their head that Christians are perfect.

I never understood that theory.

I'll be the first one to admit that I sin. I sin every day of my life.

Society has this idea drilled into their heads that Chrsitans are like robots.
Once they give their life over to Christ, their life is going to be perfect. They will no longer sin and they will never stumble, fall, or trip up.

But the Bible is very clear that ALL have sinned (Romans 3:23) and that there is NONE righteous (Romans 3:10).

I think Paul summed it up best in Romans 7 when He wrote:
           
                             "For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.  So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.  What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Now in my personal opinion, I would say that Paul is one of the more influential people for the kingdom in all the Scriptures, and even he struggled with his sin nature overpowering his desire to obey all the rules he should.

 Well, if you don't become perfect after salvation, what does happen?

You become forgiven.

Imagine it like this...

You are born clothed in dirty, filthy, tattered rags.
 At the moment you accept Christ's sacrifice, He take off His spotless white robes and place it on your shoulders.
That way when God looks down on you, He sees the righteousness of His Son on you.
But, underneath you are still wearing your dirty clothes, because your original nature was never taken from you.
Does that make sense?

A close friend of mine has a theory that when you get to Heaven, she pictures that God is going to have like a power point slide showing of everything you did through out your life...good and bad.
Applause for the good, and when the negative appears...Christ hits the delete button and says to the Father, "Forget that mistake, it was covered by my blood!"

I like her analogy.

You may be thinking to yourself, "Great! that means I can go about my life doing whatever I please because it will all be forgiven anyway so I might as well live it up."

WRONG.

That's not the attitude a Christian should have. A Christian should WANT to do right and should strive everyday to become more and more like Christ, even though becoming equal with Him is unattainable.

We should show others the grace of God through our lives.
We should point others to Him through our actions and our words. When we do something good we should praise Him for giving us the power to make the right decision, and when we do something wrong, we should thank Him for the forgiveness He so freely gives to those who call on His name.

The most humble hearts are the hearts of those who are willing to admit that they have a problem and not fake it and hide it. People will have a lot more respect for you when you do that than when you try to construct a facade of neatness on your own.

Let Christ do what He does best allow Him to forgive you today. 

When I say ... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say ... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say ... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.

When I say ... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.

When I say ... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say ... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say ... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow


 Live..Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3

Voice for the Voiceless

"A person's a person no matter how small."

While the above is a line for the book "Horton Hears a Who!" by Dr. Seuss, the quote has been used in man pro-life campaigns to spread the word about saving the unborn.

on this date (January 22nd) 40 years ago, the voice of the smallest generation lost their voice.

What does that mean?
How should I feel about it?
What should a Christian's view point of abortion be?
What can you do?
Can YOUR voice really make a difference?


To start of with the basics,

Roe Vs. Wade was a land mark case in the 1970's to legalize abortion, or as I call it the killing of innocent babies...

At the risk of sounding overly political and to keep myself from just running off at the mouth about my hatred and disgust of the procedures, I will try to remain strictly with the scientific facts and Biblical truths.

I will start with the scientific facts.

Pro-choice people believe that abortion is no big deal because the fetus is just a blob of tissue and it is all about the woman's right to do with her own body how she pleases.

But science shows that the fetus is not her body, but a completely different body with its on identity.

Let's break down the development, shall we?

•  Day 22:  heart begins to beat with the child's own blood, often a different type than the mother's
•  Week 3:  By the end of third week the child's backbone spinal column and nervous system are forming.  The liver, kidneys and intestines begin to take shape.
•  Week 5:  Eyes, legs, and hands begin to develop.
•  Week 6:  Brain waves are detectable; mouth and lips are present; fingernails are forming.
•  Week 7:  Eyelids, and toes form, nose distinct.  The baby is kicking and swimming.
•  Week 8:  Every organ is in place, bones begin to replace cartilage, and fingerprints begin to form.  By the 8^th week the baby can begin to hear. 
•  Weeks 9 and 10:  Teeth begin to form, fingernails develop.  The baby can turn his head, and frown.  The baby can hiccup. 
• Weeks 10 and 11:  The baby can "breathe" amniotic fluid and urinate.  Week 11 the baby can grasp objects placed in its hand; all organ systems are functioning.  The baby has a skeletal structure, nerves, and circulation.
•  Week 12:  The baby has all of the parts necessary to experience pain, including nerves, spinal cord, and thalamus.  Vocal cords are complete.  The baby can suck its thumb. 
• Week 15:  The baby has an adult's taste buds.
• Week 17:  The baby can have dream (REM) sleep.  
•  Week 20:  The baby recognizes its' mothers voice.
•  Months 5 and 6:  The baby practices breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid into its developing lungs. The baby will grasp at the umbilical cord when it feels it.  Most mothers feel an increase in movement, kicking, and hiccups from the baby.  Oil and sweat glands are now functioning.
•  Months 7 through 9: The baby opens and closes his eyes.  The baby is using four of the five senses (vision, hearing, taste, and touch.)  He knows the difference between waking and sleeping, and can relate to the moods of the mother.  The baby's skin begins to thicken, and a layer of fat is produced and stored beneath the skin.  Antibodies are built up, and the baby's heart begins to pump 300 gallons of blood per day.

Now if that doesn't sound like a human in every aspect of the word, then I don't know what does. For more information on the fetal developmental process you can visit the "National Right to Life" website by clicking HERE. 

There are many Biblical truths about how God feels about abortion.

While no, you will not find the exact word in the scriptures the concept is presented quite clearly. Well, for basics "Thou shalt not kill."

But if that isn't enough to convince you lets take a look at Exodus 21:22-24
                "If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide.“But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life,eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,25burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise."


Something I get out of these verses is that fact that not only does God want to protect the unborn, He also equates the child's life to the life of a grown man. "life for life"

If you take the life of the baby it is the same as taking the life of the man.

A majority of abortions in the US are done out of convience. Because a woman gets pregnant and she can't take care of it or she doesn't want the baby to ruin her life. But you fail to consider ruining the baby's life. It did nothing wrong. So why should he/she be punished?

Abortion is murder in God's eyes.

 Whether that child was planned in your eyes of not, God knew it was going to happen. God knows every person and has plan for their life before they are even conceived

Jeremiah 1:5
        "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

But there are special circumstances...
What about in the case of rape or incest?

Well, yes. Those are special circumstances... but those circumstances doesn't make the little life any less important in the eyes of Christ.

By saying that baby doesn't matter and that baby shouldn't have a future, you are saying that God is incapable of taking a mess and transforming it into a blessing.

You are saying that God can't use the circumstances to bring glory to Himself, and that may friends is not an attitude to have.

I have witnessed Christ many times taking unplanned tragedies and disasters and turning it around into something remarkable that has brought many to Himself.

While yes having to carry the baby full term might me "embarrassing" or bring back "horrible thoughts", it's is the right choice.

So many options are available.

Adoption being the main one. Just think how many couples would love to have a baby that can't. How happy you could make someone through your pain.

Ok, I should wind down before I get too high up on my soap box...

But just one more thought before a close,
What would have happened had Mary decided to abort baby Jesus just because her friends ridiculed her for her pregnancy? (because they didn't believe her)...think about it. No birth...no life...no death...no resurrection...no salvation... Just keep that in mind.


In conclusion just remember:

Life is valuable...at all stages and ages
Everyone deserves a chance at life...who are you to take that away?
God has a plan for you...He always has
You may not understand what's going on...but you will one day
You may feel alone...but you're not
 

"I'm pro-life. I'll do all I can to see every baby is created with a future and potential. The legislature should do all it can to protect human life."

"I think at the heart of the pro-life movement is the idea that all people are created equal, endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights starting with life."

"Ive noticed that everyone who is for abortion is already born."

"It is a poverty that a "child must die", So that you may live as you wish."

"There are two victims in every abortion: a dead baby and a dead conscience."

"The real question today is not when human life begins, but, What is the value of human life? The abortionist who reassembles the arms and legs of a tiny baby to make sure all its parts have been torn from its mother's body can hardly doubt whether it is a human being. The real question for him and for all of us is whether that tiny human life has a God-given right to be protected by the law–the same right we have."
 

 Live..Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3

"When The Going Gets Tough...

...The Tough Get Going."

I've heard the above phrase multiple times these past 3 days from multiple people and used to mean many different things.

Upon further research I came to the conclusion that the quote can have 2 main interpretations...

1) "When the situation becomes difficult, the strong will work harder to meet the challenge."

2)  "Those who act tough and proud will vacate a situation when it becomes difficult lest they be proven not as tough as they appear to be."

As interesting  (and possibly accurate) as the first interpretation is, I would guess when used in casual conversation most of us would assume it is being used in the context of the second interpretation.

In today's society we want instant gratification. My pastor has often referred to us as the "Jiffy Pop Generation". As silly as that sounds, it is a perfect description of the attitudes carried by many.

We want it all now.

And at the risk of wanting everything now, we sometimes miss great opportunities because it might take a little longer to get it, or because there might be a little bit of work involved.

Let me tell yall something right now.

Relationships and friendships....take work! You just can't sit back and think everything is going to be perfect 100% of the time. That may be what the Disney movies taught us growing up, but that's fiction...not reality.

Reality is that people are going to hurt you, people are going to break your trust, people are going to press your buttons, and yes people are going to make you want to pull your hair out sometimes, You are going to fall flat on you face sometimes,  BUT that's all a part of the journey that makes you stronger.
Its having the power and pride to pick yourself back up, work together, and continue on.

It's easy to love someone when all is going great and perfect and life is full of rainbows and butterflies...
It's not easy to love someone when they lie to you. It's not easy to love someone when they break your trust.
But in those moments of heartache you learn from it and you grow from it.

I saw a picture on facebook not long ago that really go me thinking on this particular topic and I want yall to take a look at it....

 

What a powerful answer.

"...if something was broken we would fix it, not throw it away."

It doesn't even have to be applied to man/woman relationships.

 Too often I've seen friends split ways because of a stupid argument. And instead of  resolving the conflict and fixing whatever went wrong, they just threw their entire past into the dumpster and yelled, "I QUIT!"

That's not the attitude we need to have. That's not the attitude we need to have about anything!

So your friend talked about you behind your back? Is it really worth ending the the friendship?

So your spouse lied to you? Is it really worth a divorce?

Anything worth having is worth fighting for.

Imagine if Christ had the same attitude towards us that we have towards others...better yet, lets play out a quick scenario...

Jesus: "I love you so much, I will give my life for you so that you can spend all eternity with me."

Me: "Thank you Jesus! I love You too!"

**Time Passes**

Me: *denies Christ in front of my friends and uses His name in vain*

Jesus: "I can't believe you! How could you do that to do? I will never forgive you for this. I take back what I said earlier, rot in hell you dirty sinner!"

Could you see that happening? I sure can't and just typing made me feel sick to my stomach.

Not everyone is meant to be together, but even then your first reaction shouldn't be to jump ship at the first sign of trouble.

Think of how patient God has been with you and try to be patient with others. We are all fighting battles, we are all trying to get ahead, and we are all pressed down by the stresses and struggles of everyday life.

All the more reason to try and show a little compassion on people. 

How would you feel if every time you got close to someone they left you because of something trivial?

You may be thinking to yourself, "Racheal, your profile says you are single. Who are you to be talking on a subject like this. You have no idea."

And you may be right, I dont have a lot of relationship experience. But I do have experience with people in general. And I do have experiences having to decide if I should burn the bridge or mend it.

So I do know where I am coming from...

My friends and I have argued and fought, and even not talked for a lengthy period of time, but once we would finally sit down and work out our difference, our connection was stronger because of it.

The rope of our relationships are covered with knots from where it has been severed and tied back together, and this may sound cheesy...but the knots are stronger and secure and I am proud of my knots. They show character.

Maybe you are ready to give up on someone or maybe even something because it's to hard...

Don't let that be your only reason.

Maybe you are thinking there has to be something better out there...

Don't throw away a diamond just to pick up a stone.

Everything good in this life takes work. Love is not just something you feel, it's something you DO.

"When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place"

"Cheating on a good girl is like throwing away a diamond and picking up a rock."

"Relationships last long NOT because they are destined to last long; but because two brave people made a choice to keep fighting for it."

"True friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation."

 Live...Laugh...Love

Until Next Time, 

Racheal <3