what do i believe?
i believe we have freedom in Christ.
i believe leaders are called to a higher standard.
i believe we need to constantly evaluate why we do what we do
what does this mean?
it means i have boundaries
boundaries that keep me safe, and protect those around me
are those boundaries legalistic?
"why can't Christians have fun like everybody else?"
a lot of the "rules" i live by come out of my desire to be God-honoring.
a lot of the "rules" in the Bible which teach me to be God-honoring are there to keep me safe.
a lot of the "rules" in the Bible are really all about relationship.
sure, my fiance and i could have slept together. after all, we were getting married anyway.
i knew he'd be the only one i'd have sex with.
but is that God-honoring? why does God want sex to remain within marriage?
because it protects our hearts - and when our hearts are protected, our relationships are strengthened. God is all about relationship and love.
when i had sex on my wedding night, i trusted my husband completely. i knew without a doubt that he would love me no matter what. i knew that no matter what happened, tim would love me. i knew that my heart and my body belonged to him alone, and it was safe to be vulnerable. our relationship has strength today because our intimacy is just that - intimate. no one else has experienced what we have with each other.
what does drinking have to do with being God-honoring?
drinking alcohol alters our perceptions, even if only ever-so-slightly. when our perceptions of reality are altered, our relationships and perceptions of other people change.
i want to be fully in control of my mind and my heart when i'm in relationship with other people, and those relationships cannot be confined to only certain times and places. my life is constantly being viewed by others, and the decisions i choose to make affect the decisions they choose to make.
i want people to see me coming. i want there to be not even the slightest shadow of a doubt that i love Jesus with all my heart, and i am committed to living as he did - in relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
