Photography // Thoughts || Heart of the Matter

   Hello ladies! Happy New Year, Merry Christmas, and Happy Valentine's Day while I'm at it. ;) I'm afraid that sporadic blog posts are my new normal, but that will just make our time together that much sweeter. This post is quite long compared to most, so I will let you get to it. Please also enjoy a few beach photos I took last weekend. :)

*I have definitely not "arrived" (nor have any of us still living on earth;)) This post is for me too. God taught me new things as I was preparing the post. Anything good or encouraging that I have to say to you is from Him.*

   Have you ever stopped to think about why you do the things you do? I'm talking about the things that make a Christian feel, well, like a Christian! They aren't just activities like reading your Bible or going to church, but things like the way you dress or order your day. How do we know what is truly important? Let's take a look at Matthew 15:1-6:

"Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition."

   The disciples of Christ were judged by the Pharisees and scribes because they did not follow Jewish traditions. Jesus did not mince words in showing them that they were more concerned with their own commands than actually following God. All too often, we have this same attitude toward ourselves and others. We make judgements on what a Christian should look like based on the church or culture we grew up in rather than on God's word. We lose the Lord's beautiful forest in a sea of man-made trees of our own design.


"After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand. It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” (Matthew 15:10)

"Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man." (Matthew 15:15-20)

   In our natural state, our hearts are disgusting and deceitful. Though the world influences us, no one has to teach us how to sin. Even the most morally regimented person (think of the Pharisees here) is full of filth; Sin comes from within ourselves and no amount of rule-making will keep it away.We need help!
 

  "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Galatians 5:16-23

"However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.  If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness."
Romans 8:9-10 

 What is the difference between a Christian and someone in the flesh who has not been saved? We who have trusted in the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin have been given the gift of God making His temple within us. (1 Corinthians 3:16) The person of the Holy Spirit is dwelling within us, comforting and helping us along our path (John 14:26). If we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us and allow Him to work in us, the fruit will come and we will not be a walking list of the deeds of the flesh. 

   Ladies, we get too caught up in rules that we have put on ourselves or have had put on us. We stress so much over whether to date or court, work from home or in the world, or wear skirts or pants that it can bog us down, far away from the joy of the Lord. This can put us in a dark place, but for the true believer in Christ there is light at the end of the tunnel.

 What if we focused on being led by the Spirit to walk in what we already know God has told us to do in His word? In our relationships, it won't matter if we use the words "courtship" or "dating"; The purity of our romance will be a result of a desire to please God and respect the other person. In our manner of dress, we will be less concerned about keeping people happy and more concerned about honoring our Savior. In our work, we can stop living in fear of not being the ideal Christian woman and focus on doing our job heartily for the Lord we love. 


  Now, I am not suggesting a complete throwing off of regulations and embracing rampant anarchy in the church. There is a time and place for rules that aren't clearly stated in scripture to help us honor one another and function as a family. I am also not suggesting that personal convictions are not valid. For example, my choice not to drink alcohol is something I will stick to. However, I have no Biblical reason to forbid anyone else from totally abstaining from drink.

  What I do suggest is a greater freedom in one's personal walk with the Lord. Obeying what He has clearly told us to do is difficult enough without hedging in His commands with human regulations. So let us go, remember who has set us free and go live in Him and for Him. May we find ourselves growing in love for Him and the brothers and sisters He has given us. 

*None of the things I've said here apply if you've never truly been made a new Creation by the Lord. Please take the time to read this post if you want to know how to be new in Christ*

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

Colossians 3:1-2