Spiritually Renewed

It has been entirely too long since my last post, but it was this lull in my "Semplistic Thoughts on Life and Faith" (corny, yes) that inspired me to get to typing again. The past few weeks have been chaotic, with work assignments, traveling, Thanksgiving, and entertaining (albeit, lovely) guests. The result of this fast-paced life is me feeling spiritually distant from God -- never a good place to be. I have been reading through the New Testament, and in the past week, hadn't picked up my Bible until yesterday. I got some good reading in yesterday and today, and with a little inspiration from a friend, I am feeling much more connected with God -- spiritually renewed, if you will. 

Why do we have this times when we drift apart from the Lord? Does it happen to everyone else too? I always feel so guilty when I let life get into the way of my spiritual connection to God. He is the reason I'm living, and I should be living for Him, not for other wordly reasons. Without God at the forefront of our thoughts, other things begin to distract us further, and we become susceptible to other temptations.

One of the most encouraging things about Christianity is that our God is a God whose love knows no limits. Even when we shun God, disregard His word, or act in a manner that doesn't glorify His name, the Lord never, ever stops loving us. In Luke Chapter 15, verses 23-24, Jesus tells a parable about a father whose son disobeys him, leaving the family to go and live selfishly. This story is typically told as the "Prodigal Son" -- but I prefer to think of it as "The Story of the Loving Father." When the son decides to return to his dad, the man does not reprimand him for his actions, he instead is full of joy and runs around saying, "We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has returned to life. He was lost, but now is found." God is that father, He loves us unconditionally. I honestly don't think we can fully wrap our head around that fact -- it is honestly very helpful to be blessed with two earthly parents who have been loving to me my entire life, but God loves us infinitely more. I know that the following verse is one of the most quoted in Christianity, but it is so applicable and inspiring: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) Love it.

This post isn't the most thought out or spiritually provoking, but I just wanted to remind everyone that it is never too late to turn back to God if you find yourself feeling distant and making decisions you normally wouldn't make. Chris Tomlin's song "Unfailing Love" is so beautiful. The lyrics move me and I thought I'd share some of them:

You have my heart

And I am Yours forever

You are my strength

God of grace and power

And everything You hold in Your hand

Still You make time for me

I can't understand

Praise You God of Earth and sky

How beautiful is Your unfailing love

Unfailing love

Unfailing love, what a truly magnificent concept. My last comments for the post are to offer some tips for how I get spiritually reconnected with God if ever in a "rut."

1. Go to church
2. Listen to an Austin Stone podcast
3. Talk to a Christian friend about your feelings and invite inspiration
4. Read your Bible
5. Write/journal
6. Go to a spot where you feel most attuned with God -- for me that's anywhere serene and outdoors
7. Read Christian novels ("Same Kind of Different As Me," "Redeeming Love," and "Blue Like Jazz" are my top picks)
8. Last, but not least, pray!

We all have those times when we feel distant from God, but turn back to Him -- He is waiting with open arms. I pray that you will be inspired to take action after reading this blog, whether that be in your own spiritual life or in someone else's around you. You may never know what is going on in someone's walk of faith unless you ask them. 

In Jesus' name,

Ailee

"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." 

-Hebrews 4:16

A Proverbs 31 Girlfriend

I am by no means an expert on faith-based dating (for lack of a better term) -- in fact, I've only seriously dated one person since becoming a Christian. However, this topic heavily impacts nearly everyone's lives as we are surrounded by people who are single and looking to date, already dating, and married. In my Sunday School class and in conversation with my friends, the issue of dating comes up regularly, and it has been weighing on my heart recently. Therefore, I decided to dedicate this post to my sisters in Christ by writing them a letter. The following are my thoughts regarding the role for women in a relationship. I hope that my opinions cause you to pause for a moment and think deeply on the importance of being an encouraging girlfriend, whether you are in a relationship now or are single.

Dearest Sister,
You've probably been told this a million times before, but I'll remind you again -- a guy needs to be so in love with the Lord that you must seek Him to find him. The number one most important attribute of a potential boyfriend is a common love for God. This commonality is like rock, whereas a relationship built on physical attraction is akin to sand.

When you begin your relationship, there are certain roles that the two of you are to fulfill biblically; he, the leader, and you, the encourager. Proverbs 31 speaks of the women's role in a relationship. Verse 10 reads, "Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings his good, not harm, all the days of her life." You must do whatever it takes to be supportive of your boyfriend's faith and help him to grow spiritually. You mustn't tempt him sexually or demand that he spend all of his time with you. Instead, act in a way that avoids temptation, encourage him to spend time alone with the Lord and in community with other believers, and engage him in spiritual conversations in which you push each other to grow stronger in your faith. By participating in the list of "don'ts," you are actually distracting him and causing his love for God to weaken, hence uprooting the core of your relationship which was built on your faith.

I understand that it is easy to fall into a pattern of wanting to spend all day, everyday together, and that sexual temptation is all too common nowadays, but remember that God is infinitely stronger than your greatest weaknesses and that although Christ died for your sins, we must aim to live in a way that brings glory to our Father in heaven.

Here is a prayer that may help you in times of struggle or may remind you to thank God for the relationship you have.

Lord, thank you so much for blessing me
With someone who loves You above all others,
I pray that you give me wisdom,
So that I can help my boyfriend to grow and mature spiritually,
In order for our relationship may strengthen,
Please remind me of the importance of respecting him,
So that he may in turn respect me,
Even when I am tempted, Father,
Remind me that You are here with me at all times, 
Continue to teach me Your ways.


I pray that You teach me to be selfless,
And put his spiritual needs before my selfish desires,
Help me to be an encourager in his life,
So that he may lead me in my faith,
Bless our time together and our conversations,
And help us to glorify Your name,
And never shame You with our thoughts and actions.


I pray that we be guided by the Holy Spirit,
And that our relationship can be inspirational to others,
That they may look to our connection,
And long to understand why our actions differ from those of the world,
Lord, You are good all the time,
And I am so grateful for the relationship which You help to grow,
Thank You for all You do in my life.

Dating is a topic I love to talk to people about. Many of the conversations I've engaged in recently about dating have been very encouraging and inspiring, yet some have been very concerning. I love talking to people about their thoughts regarding the posts, so please let me know if you ever want to talk about anything going on in your life, or if I can pray for you or someone else you know who is struggling.

In Jesus' name,
Ailee

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised."
Proverbs 31:30