Originally posted by lamp_on_a_hill
Everyone warned us about married people being disadvantaged when it came to serving God. Everyone warned us about putting each other above God. So we cancelled our wedding.
It sounds pretty awful to me, that people/Christians think married people cannot commit to God as much as non-married. The only thing important is that you married another (also) in Christ, that you two can serve the Lord together: and no one will abandon the other since we (the believers by faith in Christ) all will become one with Jesus as Paul told in the Bible -
Ephesians 1:10 .
Originally posted by lamp_on_a_hill
When I wanted to move out of my parents' house and get my own apartment, it was the same thing again. People warned me about being defiant, going against authority. Wanting to be independant might take away from wanting to serve God. Was I "truly" doing this for God, or was I only trying to please myself? I stopped looking for an apartment.
I remember once a pastor raised a question in the church: "does it mean we must live with our parents (given we loved them so much)?" I can't remember his answer, but I won't equate loving family as living together. In fact family can be a source of challenge to faith (maybe non-believers, or other acts of crime or corrupt). For some people in poor country they have to leave their family to another town to get a job, send the wages earned back to their homes and perhaps pursued other opportunities.
If the Lord
is guiding you, and you are
being attentive to any of His sign (do pray often to seek his guidance), He will be there for you to tell you what to do. Who knows? Maybe there's another mission for you later on in your life. (Paul's repentance and conversion was typical, he used to persecute the Christ and anyone who followed Him. Since after his meeting with the Lord on his journey in Damascus, he changed to become the one who followed the Christ and dedicated his life completely and soley for Him. Our Lord
does give his guidance and instructions as long as you pray and seek for Him -
Acts 9:1-19 ; Deuteronomy 4:29-31.)
Originally posted by lamp_on_a_hill
When I started to devote my life to working with kids and child welfare, pthe Christians in my life questioned this, too, even tried to find sin in the volunteer work I was doing. I had to be careful I wasn't doing it to fill some void that God could fill. I had to watch my motives. I just might put my devotion to the kids above God. I just might put too much effort in to doing for the children that I could be putting into doing God's work.
....
There are more resources in Texas, which would make more things accomplishable for a child advocate like myself.
To develop your professional career, basically is nothing wrong - as long as it's doing no harm to others. You just need to
manage it so that you won't lose your sight, time, and commitment and after all, your faith and love to the Lord - which means you need to commit to BOTH your child welfare career and church service. The Christ is
the one who can save believers from death (by resurrection like Jesus when He comes back) and gives eternal life, just keep in mind of that.
Originally posted by lamp_on_a_hill
I need a new beginning so badly. My life has been full of pain heartache, failures. I need so badly to start over. I know that not only God supports me in this, I know he wants it for me. It was Him who told me that Houston was where I need to be.
Try to pray for His answers for a while. If you believe the Lord is really guiding you there, you should go, and no doubt about it.
Originally posted by lamp_on_a_hill
I know that the mighty Christian thing to do is to try and find things wrong with everything in everyone's life. But I have always succombed to those "challenges" and it has landed me in endless failure. I need to do this one thing for myself.
I am not the best Christian in the world. I am not this perfect Christian who does no wrong. I do not have the perfect church answer for everything, I don't.
I don't believe in such a mighty Christian - the most mighty one is the Lord Jesus. The Lord doesn't ask for failures, it is people who believes failures will keep others in check. "just as the Son of Man did
not come to be served, but
to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." -
Matthew 20:28, the point is to serve, wherever you are.
Also, there is no one who can decide who's "the best Christian", but Lord and Lord Himself who decides that. Jesus' answer to Zebedee mother's request clearly indicated that "these places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father" -
Matthew: 20:20-28.
Originally posted by lamp_on_a_hill
But I am the only one who is responsible for myself. All of thsoe stronger, better Christians, who try to find things wrong with everything in my life, even my decision to move away, they are not responsible for me.
I know that God wants me there. I am tired of making myself unecissarily into a sinner just to please other Christians.
Those people who only found what others wrong at are
rather cynical and believe in the Law rather than the faith in Christ. For I believe a person in general should be able to find BOTH people's merits and weakness. Learn from the merits and avoid the weakness, or make them irrelevant by helping each others out. Last but not least, to be responsible for your life is important, but the Lord will be with you and take care of your life too! - if you have faith and believe in Him.
Don't just listen to what other people or bible teacher/commentator said, try to read the bible yourself. It's important to find the truth first hand in your own, the letters (chapters) written by Paul in the New Testament provides great encouragement and support for the disciples (daily struggle). Paul's repentance and faith are great. He told people to repent and believe in the Lord, not just act within the Law.
