***When I came back to Chicago 3 years ago for my surgery, I started a blog as one place all family and friends could go to read updates on my health. I then realized it was also a way of promoting awareness. Shortly after that, I started a second blog, for the purpose of sharing my faith. As time went on, I became convicted about something.
It was wrong of me to separate the two, as my faith, Jesus, is the absolute reason for my strength in getting through this. I could not exclude Him from my health blog even if others suggested to do so. Thus, I started talking more about my faith on my main blog. Now, many times, it's more about Him than me, which is where I came up with the current title 'About Me, Not About Me'. This story may be about me, but really it's not about me, it's about Him. That old blog still sits out there no longer being used. So I decided over time I will begin to move those posts from there to here to have everything in one place.
In just beginning to read some of my first posts, I've realized the amount of work God has truly done in me. A lot of times we hate the journey and want to get to our next destination, but it is in that very journey that God molds you into who He created you to be. Enjoy each mile of your own journey and know that God is working through you if you let Him.***
Originally Posted: October 9, 2013
I am a sinner!
I have to say something and I have to get it out quickly before the thought leaves me....
I am not perfect. I am not even close to perfect. I am not even good. Do you hear that? I'm not! I am a sinner. A sinner I tell you. And you know why I'm a sinner? Because we all are. We live in a fallen world. That is why we must not trust in the world. That is exactly why we need a savior. We need someone to save us! Jesus Christ! He is our Lord and our savior and we belong to Him if we have been saved by Him. He is the ONLY way into Heaven. And if you don't get into Heaven, the other place is not going to be a joy to spend all eternity. PLEASE now is your chance. Give your life to Christ. You aren't giving up anything. You are in fact receiving the greatest gift that may ever be received. You are receiving salvation through our Lord. Please repent your sins, ask for forgiveness and become humble in Spirit.
I am currently reading- no that's verging on a lie- I am currently BROWSING through a book titled "Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I say browsing through instead of reading because it is due in 2 days and this was the last of about 20 books, no joke, that I checked out from the library. So now I have to quickly scan through it and then check it out again later because someone currently has it on hold. Today I came across something that I stopped and read in full. I love it. It's exactly what I want to say without having the words to say it. And I quote:
"...a Christian is not a man who never goes wrong, but a man who is enabled to repent and pick himself up and begin over again after each stumble - because the Christ-life is inside him, repairing him all the time, enabling him to repeat (in some degree) the kind of voluntary death which Christ Himself carried out.
That is why the Christian is in a different position from other people who are trying to be good. They hope, by being good, to please God if there is one; or - if they think there is not - at least they hope to deserve approval from good men. But the Christian thinks any good he does comes from the Christ-life inside him. He does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us; just as the roof of a greenhouse does not attract the sun because it is bright, but bright because the sun shines on it.
And let me make it quite clear that when Christians say the Christ-life is in them, they do not mean simply something mental or moral. When they speak of being 'in Christ' or of Christ being 'in them', this is not simply a way of saying that they are thinking about Christ or copying Him. They mean that Christ is actually operating through them; that the whole mass of Christians are the physical organism through which Christ acts - that we are His fingers and muscles, the cells of His body."
Wow. That is powerful. This book has a lot of good thoughts to ponder and assist in the transformation of becoming more Christ-like or taking that first step. And so it is... we are ALL sinners and in order to get into Heaven we NEED a savior. Being Christian doesn't mean we are perfect or won't sin. Being Christian does NOT in any way mean we are better or think we are better than non-believers. It means that Christ is living in us and through Him we can do all things. All the glory goes to Him. We mustn't take it for ourselves. We must glorify Him in all good that we do and repent to Him when we go wrong. It's ok that we go wrong as long as we're striving to do right and have every intention of not repeating that sin or wrong doing again (even if we do).
Love God because He loves you. He loves every one of you and it would be a joy to Him and to all Christians to see YOU come to know Christ too. Whatever hurtful thing you did, whatever sin you committed, however far off track you think you are, however much you think there is no way or you can't do it... you CAN and you will. I believe in you and God does too. Don't give up. The blessing may be just a step away. But you have to take that step. Step into a life of Christ and fulfill your God given destiny.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24
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