Pressing On

"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven..." Matthew 5:11-12

All around me, girls are pairing up and dating. Sometimes, it's easy to feel like the only one in the world without a boyfriend. Often I am looked at as strange. Abnormal. Not in the "click". It hurts to be avoided, looked down on, left out. For me, it hurts just as much to see other girls giving away their hearts as it does to be disliked by them. I was reminded this evening as I did my devotions of the Beatitudes in Matthew. When I realize I am disliked by other people, I have a really bad habit of having a "She doesn't like me at all, but that's okay because I do not like her back!" kind of attitude. Of course that is not the right kind of attitude to have, and I have to ask Jesus's forgiveness often. In Matthew 5, Jesus gives his Sermon on the Mount, each time starting a new sentence with "Blessed are". So what does a blessed person look like? Jesus says, Blessed are:

-the poor in spirit (those who are conscious of their lostness and hopelessness apart from Christ)

-those who mourn (speaking of mourning over sin)

-the meek (they shall inherit the earth)

-those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (they shall be filled)

-the merciful (they shall obtain mercy)

-those who are pure in heart (they shall see God)

-the peacemakers (they shall be called the sons (or daughters!) of God)

-those who are persecuted for righteousness sake (theirs is the kingdom of heaven)

He finishes it off in verses 11 and 12 by saying, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you [!] and say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice [!] and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven..."

According to this verse, we should be glad and rejoice when we are not popular because we follow the convictions God has given us! We also should pray for those who dislike us and mistreat us. A little bit further into chapter five, Jesus gives us an "ouch" verse. "But I say to you, Love your enemies, Bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." (Matthew 5:44)

I am definitely guilty of not loving those girls (and not just those girls either, other people in general) as Christ loves them. I should be praying for their hearts and purity continually. Crying out to the Lord to spare them. Self pity and jealousy have NO place in a heart full of Jesus and his love and forgiveness for others. Even though it hurts sometimes, and you don't think you can stand it any longer.....Press On! Finish the race, we aren't running in vain! Jesus says we are blessed when when we are persecuted for his sake, whatever form that "persecution" may come in. If we were doing this for man's approval, we would have given up and moved on to something else years ago! It's easy to feel like the only one running the race, but remember, even if the whole world is running in the opposite direction, greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world! 1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

                                          Philippians 3:13-14

Radiant Purity

"Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a *Pure Heart*"

                        II Timothy 2:22

Flee! Run from Temptation! Wait! Guard your heart! Stay Pure!

The bible fervently reminds us over and over. Verse after verse. Yet, in spite of it, we still seem to stumble. The problem lies in the fact that we have a redeemed spirit being housed in unredeemed flesh. We are constantly battling the flesh with its lusts and desires. With that said, why would we as young ladies choose to place ourselves in a dangerous position? With the decision to date and following the world's patterns comes many stumbling blocks. We place our purity, our reputation as a Christian, and even our well-being on the line. This lifestyle seems completely in opposition to verses like II Tim. 2:22 that specifically tell us to "Flee youthful lusts!" Dating sets us up for failure. Harmless fun soon becomes tragedy. A very small amount of girls leave a dating relationship, even with the best kind of guy, without scars or enter marriage later in life without regrets. Not only with physical purity, but emotional purity as well. Hearts can be given away through emotions, often prematurely. Breaking up is especially painful, and it tears at the heart and emotions of so many young ladies. As for me, I believe the Lord has called me to "come out from among them and be separate, do not touch what is unclean" (II Corinthians 6:17) I'm placing my hopes and dreams of a future spouse into His hands. The same hands that created the world and bled for me. I know I can trust in Him to bring me and my husband together in His perfect timing and in His perfect way. I am content to wait, with His help, to guard my heart, shine radiantly to a lost world, and save my purity for that one man He created especially for me. "...nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have trusted and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day"                                             II Timothy 1:12