A lot of us rely on church, church camps, conferences and seminars etc to 'quench' our thirst and hunger for God. This isn't wrong, but this isn't right either.
Honestly, I feel really sceptical when I'm invited to church camps and conferences and seminars that I have to pay a fortune for (ironically, I just came back from a church camp a week ago).
Reasons:
1. I'm always told that it's worth it to attend because God's presence would be there. Well, yes God's presence is important. Thing is, God's presence isn't just going to be there. I know that God's presence is with me everyday (John 3:16, Romans 8:9).
2. Camps, conferences and seminars are usually incredibly expensive. To some people who may not have grasped the idea behind why it's so expensive (accommodation, food, transport purposes), it may seem as though they have to pay money to get closer to God, obtain gifts etc. Check out Acts 8:18-21 regarding paying money for gifts from God.
3. I'm told that there would be awesome speakers there that would deliver the Word of God powerfully. Thing is, all of us are suppose to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, who teaches us and talks to and through us. We should not rely 100% on speakers for the Holy Spirit to speak through. God gave us eyes and ears, we should use them to tune in to the Holy Spirit, and see and hear what He wants us to see and hear (Matthew 10:20, 11:15, 13:9, Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3: 6, 13, 22). (Don't get me wrong, I love hearing different speakers teach because sometimes God uses them to teach me different things.)
Having said that, we, as Christians are instructed to remain in the house of God and have fellowship with one another (Hebrews 10:25). Attending church, church camps, conferences and seminars etc is good for us, because it encourages ourselves and other Christians to run the race and wait on God. However, our relationship with God isn't meant to solely rely on church, church camps, conferences and seminars etc.
One question for you, if for 20 years, you lived in a country that had no church, no church camps, no conferences, no seminars, would you still be on fire for God? How do you stay on fire for God?
Monday, April 15, 2013
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Insecurities
Have you ever had people calling you abnormal? Weird? Laugh at you?
I can bet you, every single girl goes some form of insecurities. Be it from the people around them or the media. For me, it was both. While I was struggling with mine, God sent me an image of a flower blooming, perfect in every way. He was telling me that that beautiful flower was me, and I've got so much potential. But I'm keeping myself from blooming, believing that I'm not destined for great things, believing that I'm not worthy, not beautiful.
Well. I'm still learning. Learning every day that God created me the perfect way he wanted me to be in. And being upset over myself is kinda like offending God, saying that His creation is not perfect. He is the Potter, I am the clay. He decides how He wants the clay to look, and will make the clay beautiful. The clay has no right to object and whine and say "hey God, can you do this instead?"
I'm posting this up because I've got friends that are so envious of other girls, it is driving me insane. Part of me want to cry because they don't see themselves as beautiful as how I see them as, as how God sees them as. They'll constantly get upset because they don't look a certain way etc (honestly, this sounds like me too).
I once told my friend I thought she was beautiful. She said to me, "Really? I don't think I am!" Sure, according to the world, she is a freak. Well, to be honest, the world calls me a freak too. And according to the world, everyone is ugly. (Because I'm quite sure that the majority of the people in this world have 'something wrong with them' be it physically or mentally, it just isn't prominent/obvious enough to be checked). The world keeps such a high standard of what is considered normal and beautiful that it nearly impossible to reach that standard. Everyone who doesn't meet the criteria is considered ugly.
But. God created us. He knitted us in the womb. God put so much detail into creating us, and His work is forever up to perfection. Who are we, to make measurement tools and standards to label how 'normal' or 'beautiful' someone is? God created us the way we are, and that is perfect.
I can bet you, every single girl goes some form of insecurities. Be it from the people around them or the media. For me, it was both. While I was struggling with mine, God sent me an image of a flower blooming, perfect in every way. He was telling me that that beautiful flower was me, and I've got so much potential. But I'm keeping myself from blooming, believing that I'm not destined for great things, believing that I'm not worthy, not beautiful.
Well. I'm still learning. Learning every day that God created me the perfect way he wanted me to be in. And being upset over myself is kinda like offending God, saying that His creation is not perfect. He is the Potter, I am the clay. He decides how He wants the clay to look, and will make the clay beautiful. The clay has no right to object and whine and say "hey God, can you do this instead?"
I'm posting this up because I've got friends that are so envious of other girls, it is driving me insane. Part of me want to cry because they don't see themselves as beautiful as how I see them as, as how God sees them as. They'll constantly get upset because they don't look a certain way etc (honestly, this sounds like me too).
I once told my friend I thought she was beautiful. She said to me, "Really? I don't think I am!" Sure, according to the world, she is a freak. Well, to be honest, the world calls me a freak too. And according to the world, everyone is ugly. (Because I'm quite sure that the majority of the people in this world have 'something wrong with them' be it physically or mentally, it just isn't prominent/obvious enough to be checked). The world keeps such a high standard of what is considered normal and beautiful that it nearly impossible to reach that standard. Everyone who doesn't meet the criteria is considered ugly.
But. God created us. He knitted us in the womb. God put so much detail into creating us, and His work is forever up to perfection. Who are we, to make measurement tools and standards to label how 'normal' or 'beautiful' someone is? God created us the way we are, and that is perfect.
On a tiny side note, I wouldn't want to change how I look like now. Because if I do change the way I look, then that wouldn't be me anymore. That would be a different Sam. Not the one God originally created. Imma stick to what God gave me and dance.
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