Diving into Something Divine

I was reading 1 Corinthians 2 (The Message) today. Here are some of my own thoughts on the scripture...

This piece relates so well to teenagers in today's world. It talks about how we're so scared to go out and talk to our friends about Jesus and what He did (and is doing), God's Word, etc. Chew on something for me... Why is it so hard for us to talk about someone as amazing as God Himself, but we don't find it difficult at all to laugh and joke about the latest news in 17 magazine, or how wasted someone got on Jersey Shore the other night? I don't know about you, but I'm thinking God would be incredibly insulted that we find more time to talk about the disappointing lives in the world, than we do about Him, our Creator.

God wants to use our generation to do something great. If we reach out, initiate the subject, speak freely about how much we love God, how important the Word is, divine things are ahead of us. If we spend time talking to God, one on one, spend time in the scriptures, we won't have to try so hard. If we get used to speaking out on the subject, it will eventually just be free flowing. Something that gracefully, happily dances out of our mouths. Everyone has the right to know their Savior. Be a hero. Seek out the lost.

We don't have to impress the ones we're ministering to with big Christian words; the impressive thing is being real about our beliefs. We don't have to act as though we've got it all together. I believe people look for relativity. If the searching souls we're trying to reach know we've struggled too, and that we're hardly perfect it will be so much easier for them to feel like you can relate to them.

We as Christians have to dig deep, find what's lying underneath.. As the scripture says, "God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of His purposes.You don't find it laying around on the surface."

While the topic of Christianity might not win you the title of  Homecoming Queen, or give you an 'in' with the popular people, those are only temporary fixes for our underlying loneliness or self esteem issues. Most likely, the relationships/friendships you have right now as a teenager will not last you a lifetime; but God's in your life for the long hall. He isn't temporary. Maybe part of why people don't believe in the wonder that is God is because a lot of the good on earth is only temporary, and when it's gone hurt comes with it's departure. So they think, why should God be any different?

God has an incredibly intricate, thought out plan for each and every child of His, so why wouldn't we follow it? Personally, I'm sure that what He has planned is way better than anything I could ever come up with by my earthly self, and if He put so much love and thought into our lives, why would we be so stubborn as to turn away from it?

Verses 10-13 (approximately):
"The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you're thinking and planning but yourself? The same with God - except He not only knows what He's thinking, but He lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that He is giving us. We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions."

Verses 14-16 (approximately):
The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by Spirit - God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics."

Never could have said it better myself. That particular scripture really speaks to my heart and mind. The fact that if we open up our spirit for God to work freely in it, there's no judging that can be done by "unspiritual" outsiders. When we let go, and let God's spirit connect with ours, then it's between you and God, one on one.

The Message is an amazing way to more easily understand what the Word has to say with it's more relative phrasing. I really encourage you to dive into The Message version of the Bible as well as the original.


Rosie

Loving for Real, for God

As stated in my bio below, I’m in an amazing, real, teenage relationship with my best friend. We text each other often, gross people out with our Facebook messages, drive my parents crazy with the telephone bill. We are real. We have, what I fully believe, is a God-given Love Story. Every good romantic tale has a twist. What’s ours? We live one hundred and fifty miles apart from each other.

I love Matt wholeheartedly. The distance doesn’t change that, it enhances it. However, it doesn’t always make for an overly happy me. I have often asked God why He would allow me to know Matt and keep me so far away from him. Doesn’t He know how it saddens me? As my Father, doesn’t He want me to be happy?

This is where I have to remind myself that I live for a Being that is bigger than me. God didn't design relationships (be it friendships, romantic relationships, marriages) to cater to our happy hearts, but to glorify Him. All He that does is to bring praise to His name.

Last July, I was simply tired with missing Matt. I began praying, telling God about my tired heart. Suddenly, I realized that if I were seeking God and met a couple of teenagers maintaining the relationship that we had, I would be inspired. I realized that I was learning how to Love like Jesus (and I’m still learning). I realized that we had an opportunity to show others God.  You, as well, have such an opportunity. 

We as teenagers (whom society has given negative labels) have a unique door being opened. We can rise above the low expectations we have hanging over our heads, taking our labels off. When we choose to stay pure, stay committed to a guy or girl, Love in a way that withstands hardships (being in a relationship that goes against the crowd), our lives are pointing back to God.

Honestly, the way I see it, if you’re in a relationship only to get happiness from a guy or a girl – you’re setting yourself up to fail. Your relationship won’t be strong, there won’t be three strands (Ecclesiastes 4:12). If glorifying God is all you try to get out of your relationship, you'll succeed, and the joy and Love between you and your other will grow and deepen and touch the lives of others.

Elisabeth