choice

Agency in Our Belief & Praise

January 20, 2021 — Leave a comment

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession — to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:13-14

Hearing leads to belief. Belief leads to inclusion. Inclusion leads to promise. Promise leads to praise. The middle part of this journey — inclusion & promise — are guaranteed! When you have the belief, you are included. Period. When you are included and stamped with the Spirit of God, you are part of the promise and your inheritance is locked in. It’s the beginning and living out of this journey where we have more agency.

Hearing to Belief. There is a choice to be curious and open. You don’t have to be ripped naked and have all other noises zoned out. You simply need to have some part of your heart tuned in to the message of the gospel. The beauty of the gospel is that it comes in all languages, mediums and methods. If there is space, it can find its way in. And the belief doesn’t have to be outwardly demonstrative. I believe gravity exists — I don’t think about that every moment of my life even though that belief is my whole existence on earth. Same with belief in the gospel. It can come in and out, and be louder at certain moments when you choose to notice, and quieter when you simply trust it’s swimming in your existence.

Promise to Praise. There is a choice here to be generous and brave. You don’t have to be annoyingly overspiritualized and add #blessed to every social media post. You simply are aware of this full deposit that you have. The beauty of the Holy Spirit is that it expresses in all kinds of manners. If there is a desire to share, it will ooze out. How can your praise exist in words and deeds? In moments of quiet and mundanity and in sacred and full times? If you have the promise and know the promise, can you open a little more today so we can see inside that transformed heart?

Day 10: Purity culture

December 26, 2018 — Leave a comment

Genesis 32-34; Psalm 10

When they talk about sex, the Bible refers to it as “being known.” That’s sweet; the intimacy and connection that is at the heart of sex. The OT has so many stories of non-consenting sex as well. Women are often raped. Dinah here is defiled, because she was raped and treated like a prostitute. The lack of consent and the using of another’s body are where the injustice exist. Has the Christian world drawn the boundaries for sex too close-minded? Rape, non-consent are wrong. We cannot cross to that. But where is the line between that and being known? Is the purity culture created out of fear because it lacks a trust in people to act out of wisdom? Yes, we should value our bodies as if they are sacred like temples. How do we define value? Upholding Consent and choice? How does the purity culture create more fear and bitterness rather than freedom? What is good in the purity culture that we can learn from? Is treating our bodies with respect the goal? Who gets to define that?

God I pray for the peace and knowledge of knowing how to honor my body without strict fearful boundaries. I pray for fear to go away when it comes to my body and sexuality. I pray for a freedom with wisdom when it comes to my body and sexuality.