I don't know how many would read this. If you do and it helped in some way or another, maybe you can drop a comment on that ancienct cbox somewhere on this blog.
I have a strong urge to blog again - to write out all my feelings that I have bottled up in my heart. You know I've so much pent up feelings, that I start thinking it's God's fault for staking the claims so high. It seemed so unreachable. And it often left us frustrated because of that. But then did we remember God's purpose and what He set out to do? Did He send His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us just so the entire world will be condemned? No. He did that to save the world He love!
So why the high standards then? How is it different from what is expected of you by the other 'idols'? I think the most distinct difference is where love comes in. Jesus died on the cross for us because of His love. It was given freely to all who believed in Him 2000+ years ago, where I believe all of us reading this hasn't been born yet. Love came in first. Whereas for the other 'idols', usually you got to do something first before you get 'their love' in return.
So what about this love is so important? Our God is our Daddy God. He sets high standards for us because He loves us. But that doesn't mean He just left the standards there and leave us to reach it on our own. He guides us, shapes us, mould us, if only we allow Him to. If we don't follow His voice and wander off like lost sheeps, or following other lost sheeps, we will only end up in dangerous situations, possibly results in us getting hurt in some way or another - whether it's physically or emotionally.
I've drifted away from what I originally intended to say. Let's get back to it now. I believe many Christian girls have probably heard of guarding your heart, and really waiting on God to put the (perfect) guy in your life. Yes God wants the best for you and He will only give you nothing but the best. But does that mean if the guy isn't perfect, he's not the best that God gives you? How do you measure perfectness then? By how Godly He is? So every girl should wait for a church leader, a missionary, or someone that holds a high position in the church, is it? Ohh.. Maybe the guy's Godly in other ways, like doing devotions everyday, serving the Lord in His own ways.. And the list goes on and on.
I apologise for sounding sarcastic in the few lines before. But does it seemed like now girls have began to be judges? To be fair, of course not all of them, but if you're looking at spiritual maturity this way, then probably you're missing out on some other stuff. Of course the fruits of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control - will be hanging all over the tree as a person matures. But are you only looking for brightly coloured large fruits? What about those that are small and tiny that are in the process of growing? Surely they might not be very eye catchy, but they still do deserve some attention don't they?
I think it takes both parties to continue together towards Christ.
"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:21-33 NIV)"
The above 13 verses shouldn't be quoted out of context and used to force any party into submission. I think that clearly explains the ultimate goal of all couples, and that's only possible through love - the love that stems out from Christ's love for us.
One last quote from an article I read to end it off:
"We throw around certain phrases, coating them with so-called faith, when really, often they are just rooted in fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of mistakes. Fear of getting it wrong. Fear that we don’t know enough about relationships."
Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/relationships/5-christianese-relationship-cliches-stop-using#qkto4Hs3LQwgKcDS.99
I think it's really a good article that sums up how I feel about this.
May we continue to walk closer to God.
Just my two cents.
2:42:00 pm