A Heart Like Yours...

Being a Christian is hard. It is uncomfortable, uncompromising, inconvenient, challenging, tough, and involves self-evaluation and sacrifice on a deeper level than you could have anticipated. But it is worth it. It is the best and most worthwhile decision you will ever make. And once you’ve made the decision seeking God’s heart becomes an intoxicating, captivating process. It’s exhilarating and intense but it’s not always easy. It can involve risking everything- reputation, possessions, relationships but having a heart like Gods is pure unimaginable joy.

The challenge to seek God’s heart and what that means in our daily actions comes as something of a constant challenge. It can come in many guises- feeling convicted to speak to someone who might be a complete stranger, swallowing some pride and telling someone of the miracle of salvation or how God has worked in and changed your life. It could be taking the opportunity to tell some work colleagues about what God is doing in your life or it could be creating opportunities to invite friends to church. But while this may be in the back of our minds as Christians how many of us are willing to go out of our way to seek God’s heart when it’s most inconvenient?

So often in so many areas of our lives we seek and surround ourselves with the comfortable. We do not value change we fear and loathe it. We do not often value light shed on things we happily keep in the dark. But as Christians we must accept that we follow a God that is light and who will banish all darkness. So whatever it is we fear and keep secret is exposed that we may have not only abundant life but true freedom. With this freedom comes responsibility though, obligation you might even argue. See becoming a Christian is kinda like falling in love or discovering something amazing. Something so amazing you can’t help but smile about it and you want to tell the world about it. It becomes urgent and pressing. Or, at least it does initially.

Sooner or later though, like with anything else, you become familiar. It feels less amazing and more normal. But it is that sense of complacency that we must fight against if we are to keep seeking to have a heart like God’s. God doesn’t want us to ever get tired of the miracle of salvation, or feel bored with the amazing love, grace and mercy he has shown us. Ultimately the fact of the matter is if we want a heart like God’s the desire to share his love must remain as urgent and pressing in our hearts and minds as it ever was. Our testimonies must be on the tip of our tongues. We must try to be relentless and unstoppable in this, our mission. And I’m not just talking about incessantly handing out leaflets or standing on a soapbox on a busy Saturday I mean in our everyday interactions- our examples to friends, colleagues, shop assistants, waiters - everyone! Also, though, in our ability and willingness to step outside our comfort zone with new initiatives- creative ways of getting our point across.

This is not about ramming our beliefs down people’s throats or pushing a theological point. It’s about sharing what we know to be the saving grace of God, giving people the option to see and experience it for themselves. The choice will always be theirs. But the decision to share your faith is not. Will you take newer, bolder steps, or stay right where you are? And how much, therefore, do you really want a heart like God’s?

Give yourself a break.

Sometimes having faith is hard. Too hard. And all you can muster is hope- hope that things will get better and that you will learn to trust, that faith will come. That's where I'm at at the moment. There are things in my life where the road ahead is unsteady, my view is obscured, murky. There is light at the end of the tunnel but it looks so small sometimes I think I'm dreaming it. But it is there. It's not always your fault. Sometimes no amount of cajoling yourself into 'keeping the faith', sucking it up or trying to cheer yourself up can shake the blues. But even when you doubt, struggle, sink or swim God is there. He knows those times you wish you could believe for better but can't and He remains exactly where He is throughout. Sometimes I get angry at the implication of this. Sometimes the realisation of this moves me to tears and its impact renders me speechless. Why does he see so much and seemingly no do anything to alleviate the hurt? Sometimes its of comfort. Though I may feel alone, though I may not feel the warmth of His promises cloaked around me He's still there. He is steadfast. So irrespective of how I feel I cling to this truth. I give myself a break because I may not always be able to summon the faith but I do always have hope. When my pride is hurt and all I can do is whisper, whisper is what I'll do until I can shout again. So when there's nothing else to do...hope, pray and take heart that everything will be ok. He is there, He always was and He always will be.

Ever thought about a good kind of jealousy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO-Cp2kcFjc

How to have a happier new year.

And here's the other article I wrote for them.


How to have a happier New Year
So I usually spend most of my Christmas break overindulging and enjoying catch ups with family and friends I haven’t seen in a while shortly before inevitably seeing in the New Year obsessing about the over indulgence and setting myself some highly unachievable and ill-advised targets to transform myself from drab to fab. This New Year however, I am fully planning on enjoying the festive period indulging (slightly less heavily than normal) and beginning the New Year in high spirits without the usual ‘come-down’. Here are my tips to a happier New Year.

1. Don’t over-indulge too much
Sounds too simple to be true right? Really though not spending the first few weeks of Jan nursing a mammoth hangover is really worth it- makes getting up early to go to the gym that tinsy bit easier- trust me!

2. Develop an attitude of gratitude
Be grateful for what you already have. As the Christmas classic ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ says “No one is born to be a failure. No one who has friends is poor.” Work with what God gave you, get to know it intimately, and learn to love it! Those quirks, that weird flicky thing your hair does, your weirdo embarrassing sibling? –all God-given. Realising the difference between getting what you want and what you need and knowing that God always provides what you need and that we don’t always align that with what we want is key.

3. Work out what you want and fight for it
You have a vision or dream? Write it down, speak it out, confess it, stake it and claim it. Be prepared to fight for it. You love to be creative? Don’t be afraid to have a go, get it wrong, mess it up and try again. Give yourself a break when you do mess it up and congratulate yourself when you keep trying. American athlete Jesse Owens once said “We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort.”

4. Know who you are and recognise who you want to become
Every athlete will tell you that vital to succeeding in sport is knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Know who you are, what drives you and motivates you and what you struggle with. Overcoming your struggles and battling those demons becomes easier when know what your identity is and where it’s grounded. My identity comes from God. I know who I am in him. I know what I need to work on and where I fall short but also where I’m strong.

5. Be intentional
Procrastination is responsible for the biggest waste of talent. Don’t sit around fretting about not achieving your goals or worrying get out there and shake things up. Whether it’s a few extra pounds you want to lose or a novel you want to write nothing ever became of doing nothing. Choose how you spend your time wisely. Spend time with positive life-affirming people who build you up and encourage you.

So those are my tips for a happier new year. For the most part I think they’re applicable to almost all situations. Don’t be too hard on yourself and learn to enjoy the challenge. Who knows this time next year you may not have too much you wish to change! Merry Christmas and a happier New Year.

What if we want to date?

So recently I've been writing for this site www.milkandhoneymedia.co.uk

I've only two articles. Here's the most recent....


What if we want to date?

We all know what it’s like Boy meets Girl. Boy likes Girl. Girl and Boy flirt a little bit and then become boyfriend and girlfriend. And then comes the hard bit- the opinions from the world and his wife on how to act, what to do and when to say those three little words. Defining your relationship and finding a formula that works for you can be tough. Most people get most of their dating advice these days from magazines and rom-coms but what are the rules for dating today? And what does the church say about dating?
Dating can be complicated when you’re a Christian so to simplify I like to go direct to the Bible for some basics. As a Christian I do my best to ensure I live a life that’s holy and pleasing to God and that conforms to the way of life set out in the Bible. It hasn’t always been this way but it certainly is now.

Do not define a godly relationship by worldly standards
As it says in Romans ‘Do not conform to the patterns of this world.’ (Romans 12:2). Do not let the rules and regulations, the dos and don’ts of this world define a relationship where God is in charge. This one I’ve found most helpful in helping define a relationship and its boundaries within a Christian context. It takes the pressure off and keeps me grounded.

Protect your purity and cherish it.
The Bible is clear that to live a Godly life sex must be saved for marriage. It is something God has set aside for the context of marriage and is to be enjoyed within the safety of marriage. Knowing you must not have sex outside marriage is one thing, seeking to cherish this and value your purity is quite another. It has taken me a long time to achieve an attitude that sees it a gift or privilege to set yourself aside for the one man you are going to marry. But I think if you get there it’s worth it and makes the waiting a lot easier!

Date like-minded people
For me this means dating Christian men. To date someone who doesn’t share my faith or believe in God would be strange because it’s so important to me. Also this point has biblical basis: 2 Corinthians 6:14 says ‘Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.’ This makes clear the standard that God sets for relationships in my view. And from personal experience of not heeding this rule it’s a lot harder to establish or maintain a pure relationship with a non-Christian who doesn’t share your raison d-etre.

What form these rules can take and what following them can lead to in a relationship I haven’t figured out yet. But for now, these are my dating rules. Borne partly out of knowing the other side,
making these mistakes and learning from them, and partly from desiring to meet and have a relationship with a godly man. I know now what I want and what I don’t and a little more on how not to act when I think I’ve found it.
For those who feel these rules may not apply because of past actions in previous or current relationships I have written this not from a place of self-righteousness or smug moral and spiritual superiority but having made many of the mistakes these rules advocate avoiding. I have not always been a Christian and my relationships to date have not always had God at the centre. The result has been an unequal yoking and often has ended in heartbreak. But I believe these rules can absolutely be applied to my life now as a single Christian and to my next relationship (which believe you me will be with a Christian, grounded in Godly authority and enriched because of it) so if you’re wondering whether having broken these rules in the past whether you are exempt from having a good, Christian relationship the answer is no. Why not turn over a new slate today and see whether any of these rules might work for you?

Beauty

Believe in the beauty you were given

Strive for it,

Fight for it's promise to be real to you. Fight for the strength, safety and confidence acceptance of it brings.

Above believe that you like a clay jar becomes ever more transparent and invisible showing his greatness and glory. Believe for the beauty you possess to be less assumed and more innate.

Unlocked

Today I have been challenged by this: http://vimeo.com/31897200 a short but moving and powerful film about the power of letting Jesus unlock your capacity and greatness. What you can achieve and the freedom you can gain from being unlocked in this way is unparalleled by anything this world or any one person can offer. The ways in which my life have been revolutionized by letting God unlock my heart, soul, mind, thoughts, words, deeds etc are too numerous to recount here. And yet there is a sense in which each revelation, each deliverance, each change in my life has been significant. So much so that I'm reminded by watching this video how powerful and impacting the process of allowing areas of your life to be unlocked can be. Following this I wrote a poem. It's not great it only took my 5 minutes or so but I kinda liked what it says to me.

I am to be unlocked,
Open and visible.
I despise the dark and welcome the light.
I am no longer clandestine and closed.
No longer impersonal and reserved
Or secretive and ashamed.

I am blatant and intentional
Not locked away and separate
I feel warmth and see growth.
Uncurled and unshackled I am free.
I stand proud and tall
I smile-  no longer will my head be bowed.

For I have been unlocked