I know what you're thinking.
"I have to get that done."
"This has been on my list all week."
"They're really counting on me to finish that."
"I don't have time for this."
Stop.
Breathe.
Slow in, release out.
You are alive!!
Can you feel your heartbeat? What about the oxygen coming through your throat and filling your lungs? The nerves in your fingers. The slight cramp in your foot.
Take inventory. Just five minutes. What do you feel?
Do you feel alive yet?
Ladies and gents, you have been given the gift of life. You are alive today. And yes, being alive means you have a purpose. You have things to accomplish. But don't let the needs of your checklist overshadow your need to appreciate the beauty of the life God has given you. This body you're in: it is marvelous. Is it perfect? No. You may not look the way you want to, there may be parts of you that don't function as they should, or as they used to, but your body has done wondrous things nonetheless.
One of my favorite YouTube stars, Kid President, once said, "Being a person is hard sometimes. You should give people high fives for just getting out of bed." So here I am, giving you a high five. Maybe you didn't even get out of bed, I don't know. But I do know that you are alive. You are in the middle of this crazy, chaotic, occasionally crummy thing called life. You're living it!! You may be thinking, "I don't know how I will be able to manage this work schedule." Or maybe you're thinking, "I can't keep doing this." But I'll let you in on a secret....
You ready?
You already are. You're already doing it. You're already managing it to the best of your ability. No one expects you to handle things perfectly. Okay, you're right. Maybe you expect that. But you shouldn't. You're already doing so much. I promise, you're doing great. Keep up the good work!
I hereby formally give you permission to take five minutes today to simply feel life. Turn the phone off, no music or television, turn off the internet. Just five minutes! Recognize the silence. Appreciate stillness. Feel your breath- imagine the perfect creator who made that possible.
Just....
Breathe.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
"I Got This!" The Follow-Up -Kat
This follow-up is long awaited, I'm sure..
A few weeks ago, I posted my struggle with trusting God. I asked for prayers and advice on how to continue trusting when things don't make sense. What I got in response was..... not exactly what I was expecting. I got a lot of prayer, a lot of support, but I didn't get a whole lot of feedback. I'm not complaining! I don't know that any feedback really would've helped. But I thought if I asked for advice someone would have magical words of epiphanic proportions. (Spoiler alert: it didn't happen that way.)
So I continued praying and struggling and trying really hard to trust the God who promised not to let me down. I was feeling so lost. What was I supposed to do?
Then, it hit me. It was like a reenactment of David's stone hitting Goliath's forehead. How could I have missed it!?
In November, just after my baptism, I was gifted a CD with songs of worship and dedication on it. One song stuck out at me and upon the third time of hearing it I had one of the biggest epiphanies of my lifetime. The song talks about walking across oceans of faith. I sent this massive message to my best friend explaining to him how I'd finally found words to explain to him something I'd been trying to tell him all along. It went something like this:
"I know that we have repeatedly been over this and my answers to you never change. I'm always telling you that you're not alone and you say you know that but you're basically alone and I've told you several times that you're not. And I don't exactly think I've changed my position on that. But I have changed perspectives. I was given a mix CD and I heard one of the songs on there (a beautiful song) several times and I think it applies to what I was trying to tell you.
You remember when Peter was walking on the water to meet Jesus?(Matthew 14, it looks like) From our understanding, Peter always chased after life. He was always the first to jump to action. Impulsive, he always seemed to get himself into trouble eating his own words. But the thing is, He was impulsive because he trusted. Stepping out on that water, he trusted Jesus. And Jesus didn't let him sink because he trusted. It wasn't until he stopped trusting that he sank. Peter was alone. There wasn't anyone else on that water with him. So in that sense, you're right. You are alone. BUT Peter wasn't alone. Because he couldn't have done that on his own. It wasn't until he let himself think he was alone that he started to sink. The opening line of that song says, 'You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown where feet may fail.' God does call us to go out on our own, but not to be alone. He calls us to go out so we can realize we're not alone. He needs us to trust Him. 'Your sovereign hand Will be my guide Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me You've never failed and You won't start now.' 'Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders Let me walk upon the waters Wherever You would call me Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander And my faith will be made stronger In the presence of my Savior.' My prayer for you has always been that you would trust God. And that's what I'm continuing to pray. I pray you jump into the sea. I know you're really struggling with your decisions. But I believe the Spirit is jumping around in you trying to make you jump into action. I pray you let it guide you and know that you're not alone."
I sent that message about two months before I wrote "I've Got This." Maybe a week after writing that post, I was listening to a playlist on shuffle and the same song came up. It was like a flood of realization washing over me (or, like I said, David's stone hitting me square in the middle of my face). I realized that was exactly the advice I needed to hear and it all came from my own mouth about two months before.
I was freaking out because I felt like I was drowning. And truthfully, I was. I wasn't looking to Jesus to carry me, I was looking around at the water I shouldn't have been walking on and that's when I started to sink. I had stopped trusting God's guidance because I thought I needed to know, and plan, what I was doing with my life.
That's just not how it works.
You see, we really can't plan. We can't expect to know what we will get out of life. We can't expect to understand. We have to trust. And trusting God means nothing more than looking to Him. Things around us won't always make sense when God calls us out for His purpose. Do you think it made sense that Peter walked on liquid water? Did it make sense that Jesus literally stilled a raging storm with his voice? Did it make sense that the Christ, who had just been killed 3 days prior was no longer in his tomb?
It made no sense to us, but it made perfect sense to God. It still worked. So my advise to myself? Don't try to make sense of everything. Look to Jesus, not the water you're impossibly walking on. Trust that God's not going to drown you with the waters He's called you to. Know your Father, your Savior, has a far more beautiful plan for your life than you could ever imagine for yourself. Everything doesn't need an explanation, everything doesn't need to be in your control; what would you do with that control anyways?
I pray the same trust on the ladies who read this. I hope you're all learning to walk with God, to lean on Him and to do crazy, impossible things because He has made you able.
Love you sisters!
Kat
"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)
A few weeks ago, I posted my struggle with trusting God. I asked for prayers and advice on how to continue trusting when things don't make sense. What I got in response was..... not exactly what I was expecting. I got a lot of prayer, a lot of support, but I didn't get a whole lot of feedback. I'm not complaining! I don't know that any feedback really would've helped. But I thought if I asked for advice someone would have magical words of epiphanic proportions. (Spoiler alert: it didn't happen that way.)
So I continued praying and struggling and trying really hard to trust the God who promised not to let me down. I was feeling so lost. What was I supposed to do?
Then, it hit me. It was like a reenactment of David's stone hitting Goliath's forehead. How could I have missed it!?
In November, just after my baptism, I was gifted a CD with songs of worship and dedication on it. One song stuck out at me and upon the third time of hearing it I had one of the biggest epiphanies of my lifetime. The song talks about walking across oceans of faith. I sent this massive message to my best friend explaining to him how I'd finally found words to explain to him something I'd been trying to tell him all along. It went something like this:
"I know that we have repeatedly been over this and my answers to you never change. I'm always telling you that you're not alone and you say you know that but you're basically alone and I've told you several times that you're not. And I don't exactly think I've changed my position on that. But I have changed perspectives. I was given a mix CD and I heard one of the songs on there (a beautiful song) several times and I think it applies to what I was trying to tell you.
You remember when Peter was walking on the water to meet Jesus?(Matthew 14, it looks like) From our understanding, Peter always chased after life. He was always the first to jump to action. Impulsive, he always seemed to get himself into trouble eating his own words. But the thing is, He was impulsive because he trusted. Stepping out on that water, he trusted Jesus. And Jesus didn't let him sink because he trusted. It wasn't until he stopped trusting that he sank. Peter was alone. There wasn't anyone else on that water with him. So in that sense, you're right. You are alone. BUT Peter wasn't alone. Because he couldn't have done that on his own. It wasn't until he let himself think he was alone that he started to sink. The opening line of that song says, 'You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown where feet may fail.' God does call us to go out on our own, but not to be alone. He calls us to go out so we can realize we're not alone. He needs us to trust Him. 'Your sovereign hand Will be my guide Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me You've never failed and You won't start now.' 'Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders Let me walk upon the waters Wherever You would call me Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander And my faith will be made stronger In the presence of my Savior.' My prayer for you has always been that you would trust God. And that's what I'm continuing to pray. I pray you jump into the sea. I know you're really struggling with your decisions. But I believe the Spirit is jumping around in you trying to make you jump into action. I pray you let it guide you and know that you're not alone."
I sent that message about two months before I wrote "I've Got This." Maybe a week after writing that post, I was listening to a playlist on shuffle and the same song came up. It was like a flood of realization washing over me (or, like I said, David's stone hitting me square in the middle of my face). I realized that was exactly the advice I needed to hear and it all came from my own mouth about two months before.
I was freaking out because I felt like I was drowning. And truthfully, I was. I wasn't looking to Jesus to carry me, I was looking around at the water I shouldn't have been walking on and that's when I started to sink. I had stopped trusting God's guidance because I thought I needed to know, and plan, what I was doing with my life.
That's just not how it works.
You see, we really can't plan. We can't expect to know what we will get out of life. We can't expect to understand. We have to trust. And trusting God means nothing more than looking to Him. Things around us won't always make sense when God calls us out for His purpose. Do you think it made sense that Peter walked on liquid water? Did it make sense that Jesus literally stilled a raging storm with his voice? Did it make sense that the Christ, who had just been killed 3 days prior was no longer in his tomb?
It made no sense to us, but it made perfect sense to God. It still worked. So my advise to myself? Don't try to make sense of everything. Look to Jesus, not the water you're impossibly walking on. Trust that God's not going to drown you with the waters He's called you to. Know your Father, your Savior, has a far more beautiful plan for your life than you could ever imagine for yourself. Everything doesn't need an explanation, everything doesn't need to be in your control; what would you do with that control anyways?
I pray the same trust on the ladies who read this. I hope you're all learning to walk with God, to lean on Him and to do crazy, impossible things because He has made you able.
Love you sisters!
Kat
"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
"I Got This!" -Kat
Beautiful, beautiful ladies!
I don't know about you, but I don't have much confidence in my physical abilities. I have always been the clumsy, trip over my big toe, cry about the splinter in my pinky kind of person. I'm not sure when that started exactly because I've always been pretty independent. There was this one time in elementary school my brother, sister and I were playing with the neighborhood kids and my little sister decided she didn't want the training wheels on her bike anymore. All of us kids decided to work together to get the wheels off and I distinctly told the boy from across the street that "Even though I'm a girl I am capable of taking these wheels off." And boy, I have never seen him as shocked as when I said that to him, haha!
See, I'm not exactly timid. I know I can do things. But when it comes to sports (even pick-up games), physical activities or possibly life-threatening situations, my instinct is to say, "Absolutely not! I can't handle that. It's impossible." Spending time outdoors is my love. There is literally nothing in this world (aside from the time I spend with God) that calms me more than a quiet, still moment beneath the trees. I don't even usually care if the grass is wet- if I'm outside that's where I'm sitting. But ask me to go on a hike. I dare ya. My immediate thought: "That sounds so amazing! But I don't think I can do it. I'm really out of shape, my body's not used to that. I'm gonna be embarrassed if we go for that hike." And what I tell you is, "Wow, that sounds awesome! But maybe another time would be better."
So, imagine my surprise a few months ago when I wound up on the rock-climbing wall. Yeah. "What happened!?" My social club went on a retreat a little while ago and we went to a rock-climbing fitness center. I swore up-and-down that I wasn't really interested in rock-climbing. Truth-be-told, I sort of wanted to try it! But I knew I wasn't going to be able to do it. It wasn't that I was scared, I just didn't believe in my ability to climb the wall. ("My arms are too weak for that. I weigh too much, I'm not going to be able to lift myself." Yada yada.)
Long story short, I found myself on that wall. I had the harness on, I was buckled in, and my friends were sending me all sorts of good vibes. This was what they told us when they gave us the harnesses: "It's not that hard, just follow the rocks with the colored sticker. When you get to the top you can just jump. These chords will hold you. You're not going to fall." And I really did trust them. I trusted that the rocks weren't out to get me, I trusted that the chord wouldn't drop me.
I got to work. Left hand goes on this rock, right hand on the next. Left foot-right foot... I felt sort of like a four-legged spider climbing up a wall. There was a system and I sort of had it! I knew the goal and I could see, pretty clearly, how to get there. So the whole way up, I was solid. I felt great! In the zone-nothing was going to stop me! Until I got about half-way up. I was pretty much right in the middle of the wall when it hit me. "I don't know which rock to grab next..." That's all it took and then panic-mode ensued. I started doubting myself again. At that point I knew I had to let go of the wall. This is the part where you trust the chord and just jump. But I was frozen. I couldn't do it! I knew it wouldn't drop me, logically speaking I really wasn't afraid. But if you'd asked the muscles in my body, they'd have told you they were preparing to hold on for days. For them, death was certainly waiting for me if I let go of that wall. It was so bad I couldn't jump right away. I tried to climb back down first! (Hint: You can't do that...) When I climbed down as far as I could, then I jumped. And guess what: surprise, surprise! I didn't die!!
My physical body and my mental body were in two completely different places as I climbed that wall. My mental body was so chill: it was just like, "Yeah, man! Look at us go! We're so on it! Woo hoo!!" But physically, my body was like, "Hold up. I don't know what that silly brain of yours says but we don't like this idea. Since we don't like it, we are voting on a veto and we've decided not to participate. Good luck!!" I truly believe this is how our trust in God works.
Spiritually, a lot of us are really ready! We are ready to trust Him, ready for Him to throw us out into the water, ready to be upheld by His hand. And physically, when we can see our path we are on fire! No distractions. We see God's plan and we go for it full-force! But when we reach the part where the road winds and we can't see what the next step is (or even better, we see the next step but don't believe we can reach it) we panic and we give up. Our spirits say, "I am a servant to the God almighty. All things are possible through Him- He is the maker of the universe and nothing could ever stop Him!!" But physically we say,"Actually, on second thought, this isn't possible at all. There's no way I can pull this off. That's great God can do all that stuff but I'm just gonna sit here and let Him do something if He wants to. He doesn't really need me. He's not actually going to use me, anyways. That's Old Testament-y stuff."
I'm about 98% certain I'm not qualified to be telling you ladies this right now. My trust in God's ability to guide my life has never, ever been as low as it is right this moment. As I'm sitting here typing this, I'm struggling more than ever with this. God has asked me to stop. Stop planning, stop working, stop doing, and just start being where He wants me to be. He is making me wait. Making me stop running, and start breathing. He doesn't want me working all day long to the point I can't even stop to take inventory. I love being that busy. I love being silent, but ask me to be still and I'm going to complain about it. And He has asked me to be still.
The truth is, I am far less ready to trust Him than I think I am. Most of the time, I will tell anybody who asks, "Trust God! He can and will make every situation into the best. There is nothing God can do better than turn a bad situation into a good one." But now that He's asked me to trust Him in the stillness I'm freaking out. I don't know how to listen to Him, all I know is I'm not happy with where He has put me. I'm a spiritual being, ready to take the world on as God pushes me forward, stuck in a physical world, not able to see what's going to happen in the future or what my "best choice of action" is. I have the uncanny ability to see all the possibilities and see the good and bad in whatever I choose-- but you ask me to choose and I freeze up because "I don't know which one is better."
How do we stop letting the physical world crush our spirits? I could post countless scriptures telling us to trust Him. Here are just a few:
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Trust God even when you don't understand?)
Galatians 3:6, 9 "..just as Abraham 'believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness'..So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." (Who could ask to be more blessed than Abraham??)
Romans 8:28 "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Even right now??)
The songs we (I) grew up singing:
"Be still and know that God is real. He leads me beside the quiet waters; I am still and I know God is real."
"Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
"I stand to praise you, but I fall to my knees. My spirit is willing but my flesh is so weak. Light the fire in my soul; fan the flames, make me whole. Lord, You know where I am so light the fire in my heart again."
"When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, it is well with my soul."
I know all of these verses, all of these songs and I can truly say I believe them. My spirit is so strong, so willing, but my flesh is so so so week. How do we go about making this more than just a spiritual strength?
I pray that you ladies might be praying with me over this. I wouldn't normally be here reaching out for prayers. But if there's one place I can seek them, why not from you? After all, we are each other's support systems, are we not?
As always, I am praying over your weeks, sisters. I pray you see the lights at the end of your tunnels, the reasons for celebrations, and the opportunities to change your neighbors' lives. I love each and every one of you as much as I did when we first started on this blogging journey together.
God bless,
Kat
I don't know about you, but I don't have much confidence in my physical abilities. I have always been the clumsy, trip over my big toe, cry about the splinter in my pinky kind of person. I'm not sure when that started exactly because I've always been pretty independent. There was this one time in elementary school my brother, sister and I were playing with the neighborhood kids and my little sister decided she didn't want the training wheels on her bike anymore. All of us kids decided to work together to get the wheels off and I distinctly told the boy from across the street that "Even though I'm a girl I am capable of taking these wheels off." And boy, I have never seen him as shocked as when I said that to him, haha!
See, I'm not exactly timid. I know I can do things. But when it comes to sports (even pick-up games), physical activities or possibly life-threatening situations, my instinct is to say, "Absolutely not! I can't handle that. It's impossible." Spending time outdoors is my love. There is literally nothing in this world (aside from the time I spend with God) that calms me more than a quiet, still moment beneath the trees. I don't even usually care if the grass is wet- if I'm outside that's where I'm sitting. But ask me to go on a hike. I dare ya. My immediate thought: "That sounds so amazing! But I don't think I can do it. I'm really out of shape, my body's not used to that. I'm gonna be embarrassed if we go for that hike." And what I tell you is, "Wow, that sounds awesome! But maybe another time would be better."
So, imagine my surprise a few months ago when I wound up on the rock-climbing wall. Yeah. "What happened!?" My social club went on a retreat a little while ago and we went to a rock-climbing fitness center. I swore up-and-down that I wasn't really interested in rock-climbing. Truth-be-told, I sort of wanted to try it! But I knew I wasn't going to be able to do it. It wasn't that I was scared, I just didn't believe in my ability to climb the wall. ("My arms are too weak for that. I weigh too much, I'm not going to be able to lift myself." Yada yada.)
Long story short, I found myself on that wall. I had the harness on, I was buckled in, and my friends were sending me all sorts of good vibes. This was what they told us when they gave us the harnesses: "It's not that hard, just follow the rocks with the colored sticker. When you get to the top you can just jump. These chords will hold you. You're not going to fall." And I really did trust them. I trusted that the rocks weren't out to get me, I trusted that the chord wouldn't drop me.
I got to work. Left hand goes on this rock, right hand on the next. Left foot-right foot... I felt sort of like a four-legged spider climbing up a wall. There was a system and I sort of had it! I knew the goal and I could see, pretty clearly, how to get there. So the whole way up, I was solid. I felt great! In the zone-nothing was going to stop me! Until I got about half-way up. I was pretty much right in the middle of the wall when it hit me. "I don't know which rock to grab next..." That's all it took and then panic-mode ensued. I started doubting myself again. At that point I knew I had to let go of the wall. This is the part where you trust the chord and just jump. But I was frozen. I couldn't do it! I knew it wouldn't drop me, logically speaking I really wasn't afraid. But if you'd asked the muscles in my body, they'd have told you they were preparing to hold on for days. For them, death was certainly waiting for me if I let go of that wall. It was so bad I couldn't jump right away. I tried to climb back down first! (Hint: You can't do that...) When I climbed down as far as I could, then I jumped. And guess what: surprise, surprise! I didn't die!!
My physical body and my mental body were in two completely different places as I climbed that wall. My mental body was so chill: it was just like, "Yeah, man! Look at us go! We're so on it! Woo hoo!!" But physically, my body was like, "Hold up. I don't know what that silly brain of yours says but we don't like this idea. Since we don't like it, we are voting on a veto and we've decided not to participate. Good luck!!" I truly believe this is how our trust in God works.
Spiritually, a lot of us are really ready! We are ready to trust Him, ready for Him to throw us out into the water, ready to be upheld by His hand. And physically, when we can see our path we are on fire! No distractions. We see God's plan and we go for it full-force! But when we reach the part where the road winds and we can't see what the next step is (or even better, we see the next step but don't believe we can reach it) we panic and we give up. Our spirits say, "I am a servant to the God almighty. All things are possible through Him- He is the maker of the universe and nothing could ever stop Him!!" But physically we say,"Actually, on second thought, this isn't possible at all. There's no way I can pull this off. That's great God can do all that stuff but I'm just gonna sit here and let Him do something if He wants to. He doesn't really need me. He's not actually going to use me, anyways. That's Old Testament-y stuff."
I'm about 98% certain I'm not qualified to be telling you ladies this right now. My trust in God's ability to guide my life has never, ever been as low as it is right this moment. As I'm sitting here typing this, I'm struggling more than ever with this. God has asked me to stop. Stop planning, stop working, stop doing, and just start being where He wants me to be. He is making me wait. Making me stop running, and start breathing. He doesn't want me working all day long to the point I can't even stop to take inventory. I love being that busy. I love being silent, but ask me to be still and I'm going to complain about it. And He has asked me to be still.
The truth is, I am far less ready to trust Him than I think I am. Most of the time, I will tell anybody who asks, "Trust God! He can and will make every situation into the best. There is nothing God can do better than turn a bad situation into a good one." But now that He's asked me to trust Him in the stillness I'm freaking out. I don't know how to listen to Him, all I know is I'm not happy with where He has put me. I'm a spiritual being, ready to take the world on as God pushes me forward, stuck in a physical world, not able to see what's going to happen in the future or what my "best choice of action" is. I have the uncanny ability to see all the possibilities and see the good and bad in whatever I choose-- but you ask me to choose and I freeze up because "I don't know which one is better."
How do we stop letting the physical world crush our spirits? I could post countless scriptures telling us to trust Him. Here are just a few:
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Trust God even when you don't understand?)
Galatians 3:6, 9 "..just as Abraham 'believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness'..So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." (Who could ask to be more blessed than Abraham??)
Romans 8:28 "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Even right now??)
The songs we (I) grew up singing:
"Be still and know that God is real. He leads me beside the quiet waters; I am still and I know God is real."
"Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
"I stand to praise you, but I fall to my knees. My spirit is willing but my flesh is so weak. Light the fire in my soul; fan the flames, make me whole. Lord, You know where I am so light the fire in my heart again."
"When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, it is well with my soul."
I know all of these verses, all of these songs and I can truly say I believe them. My spirit is so strong, so willing, but my flesh is so so so week. How do we go about making this more than just a spiritual strength?
I pray that you ladies might be praying with me over this. I wouldn't normally be here reaching out for prayers. But if there's one place I can seek them, why not from you? After all, we are each other's support systems, are we not?
As always, I am praying over your weeks, sisters. I pray you see the lights at the end of your tunnels, the reasons for celebrations, and the opportunities to change your neighbors' lives. I love each and every one of you as much as I did when we first started on this blogging journey together.
God bless,
Kat
Monday, January 5, 2015
A New Year, A New You! Or Something.. -Kat
Ladies.. I've been so distant from this blog!
Do y'all remember the days when I posted every week? *sigh* Those, my friends, those were the good days! I remember sitting in front of my laptop screen, a Bible in my lap and a steaming cup of coffee in my hand. I miss it!
For me, writing is my thinking time. The busier I am, the more I need that time to think but as of late, I've had to find ways to think sans written word. That's been difficult for me. I've missed you all so much! I know, realistically there are maybe three of you. But hey! Let me have my moment, okay? ;)
So, it's the new year. Yay! Just as it is every year, all the marketing right now is aimed at "Creating a new you." Have you ever thought about how desperately we need a "new" self? I don't think I know a single person (at least, not personally) who wouldn't admit they're flawed. We all have our stuff, right?
Having a self-awareness is so important. We don't need to beat ourselves up all the time, but I think it's healthy to know where you're strong and where you're weak. This goes for health, attitude, social skills and spirituality. I could rattle off for you an extensive list of all the things I still have to work on but you know what? I can also list for you all the things I have worked on! I can tell you (quite proudly!) how far I've come. And I don't know which I'm more grateful for- the fact I have come so far or the fact I can recognize it! For years, my self-awareness was skewed: I had no idea what I was good at, all I could tell you was what needed work. So the simple fact I can recognize good in myself is something I couldn't be more thankful for!
The thing is, we need to be mindful that no matter what we work to fix, we know which things really matter. It's really spectacular that I've started working out (yoga counts, right??) and I believe I've gotten healthier because of it. It's awesome that I've learned how to spend time on my own without going into major freak out mode (social anxiety is fun...not.). But you know what I'm most proud of? I'm studying my Bible every day. I'm learning to pray. I'm learning to be thankful for every blessing of every day. I'm not anxious, I don't care much for material things, I'm training to be the woman God wants me to be.. My spirit's cup is overflowing!! Goodness, I can't wait to see where I will be a year from now! Truthfully, I am not capable of this much growth on my own..
"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). Ladies, do you really believe that you can be a new person? Each New Year's resolution we make ends at some point, right? I think most of us have failed at trying to change at least one thing about ourselves... So can we really "walk in newness of life?"
My answer? Absolutely.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). If you've been baptized, you have been cleansed. You are a new person if Christ is your identity. The catch is, you have to let that new person come to life. The Spirit has been given to you so that it can work through you (Acts 2:38), but you have to let it! The beautiful thing is, if you give the Spirit a mile he pushes you ten. What I mean by that is, you give Him just a little bit and He will return to you more than you can possibly imagine.
Commit to being the new creation the Spirit will shape you to be. If you haven't already, talk to a mature Christian and find out about being baptized: study hard, find out what the commitment is about, and make the leap of faith. Let the "old you" pass along with the "old year," but know this is bigger than any New Year's resolution. It's a New Life's Resolution! You can be a whole new person starting now. I'm learning to let Him work through me. Will you?
I love you sisters! I look forward to talking to you all again soon!
Kat
Do y'all remember the days when I posted every week? *sigh* Those, my friends, those were the good days! I remember sitting in front of my laptop screen, a Bible in my lap and a steaming cup of coffee in my hand. I miss it!
For me, writing is my thinking time. The busier I am, the more I need that time to think but as of late, I've had to find ways to think sans written word. That's been difficult for me. I've missed you all so much! I know, realistically there are maybe three of you. But hey! Let me have my moment, okay? ;)
So, it's the new year. Yay! Just as it is every year, all the marketing right now is aimed at "Creating a new you." Have you ever thought about how desperately we need a "new" self? I don't think I know a single person (at least, not personally) who wouldn't admit they're flawed. We all have our stuff, right?
Having a self-awareness is so important. We don't need to beat ourselves up all the time, but I think it's healthy to know where you're strong and where you're weak. This goes for health, attitude, social skills and spirituality. I could rattle off for you an extensive list of all the things I still have to work on but you know what? I can also list for you all the things I have worked on! I can tell you (quite proudly!) how far I've come. And I don't know which I'm more grateful for- the fact I have come so far or the fact I can recognize it! For years, my self-awareness was skewed: I had no idea what I was good at, all I could tell you was what needed work. So the simple fact I can recognize good in myself is something I couldn't be more thankful for!
The thing is, we need to be mindful that no matter what we work to fix, we know which things really matter. It's really spectacular that I've started working out (yoga counts, right??) and I believe I've gotten healthier because of it. It's awesome that I've learned how to spend time on my own without going into major freak out mode (social anxiety is fun...not.). But you know what I'm most proud of? I'm studying my Bible every day. I'm learning to pray. I'm learning to be thankful for every blessing of every day. I'm not anxious, I don't care much for material things, I'm training to be the woman God wants me to be.. My spirit's cup is overflowing!! Goodness, I can't wait to see where I will be a year from now! Truthfully, I am not capable of this much growth on my own..
"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). Ladies, do you really believe that you can be a new person? Each New Year's resolution we make ends at some point, right? I think most of us have failed at trying to change at least one thing about ourselves... So can we really "walk in newness of life?"
My answer? Absolutely.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). If you've been baptized, you have been cleansed. You are a new person if Christ is your identity. The catch is, you have to let that new person come to life. The Spirit has been given to you so that it can work through you (Acts 2:38), but you have to let it! The beautiful thing is, if you give the Spirit a mile he pushes you ten. What I mean by that is, you give Him just a little bit and He will return to you more than you can possibly imagine.
Commit to being the new creation the Spirit will shape you to be. If you haven't already, talk to a mature Christian and find out about being baptized: study hard, find out what the commitment is about, and make the leap of faith. Let the "old you" pass along with the "old year," but know this is bigger than any New Year's resolution. It's a New Life's Resolution! You can be a whole new person starting now. I'm learning to let Him work through me. Will you?
I love you sisters! I look forward to talking to you all again soon!
Kat
Thursday, December 18, 2014
A Matter of Perspective -Kat
Good morning lovelies,
What is perspective? Have you thought about it?
According to Dictionary.com, perspective is: "the state of one's ideas, the facts known to one, etc., in having a meaningful interrelationship." Alright, there are two words in that definition I'd like to look at: the words one and meaningful.
The word one, here, is referring to one person. This makes the word "perspective" a personal word. Perspective is unique to you and it's unique to me. Your perspective will not ever be the same as another person's perspective. You can agree with another person on a general perspective (for example, you and your best friend both believe very strongly that a best friend should be given the right to eat the food in your fridge), but your individual perspectives as to why that's appropriate won't ever be exactly the same. Why is that?
You, as a person, are a collection of the experiences you've had. Your beliefs, disbeliefs, fears, hopes and quirks all stem from the life you have lived up to this point right now. The next word is meaningful, which literally means full of meaning. Whether intentional or not, you have created meaning for everything that has happened to you. We very rarely accept, "It just happened," as an answer. And even when that is our answer, that's the meaning we have created for the event. When we make memories or learn, we have to put meaning behind words, actions, images or feelings. This is just how life works; it's not a bad thing! You have to make meaning with things to understand them.
Your perspective is personal and it's formed by what you've created meaning with. So why on Earth am I telling you this?
When we study God's word, we don't have the full story. We don't have God's full perspective. Please don't misunderstand me; the Bible is God's word and it is perfect in its own right. However, we don't have all of the details. Ecclesiastes tells us, "..I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out" (Ecclesiastes 9:17). I can guarantee that we would not fully understand if the entirety of God's perspective were written out. To write out the entire history of what God has done, how and why he did it or what exactly he thinks about different things we would probably need every single piece of paper that ever has been or will be made. That still wouldn't be enough! And then we have the problem that written words can not express everything. All they can do is try to explain in ways we humans can understand.
So while what we do have is perfect, it simply is not the entire story. And what we do have is a big collection of words. If each person has created different meanings for words, our understandings of the same words will be different. You may have seen this illustration before but stick with me.
Cat.
When you read the word "cat," you may think of your pet cat. Suzy may think of the little tiger cub she saw at the zoo, but Bobby would think of the mother tiger he saw while at the zoo with Suzy. I could think of myself because people call me "Kat," or Jack could think of the angry cat meme he sees all over the internet.
Do you understand my point? No matter how general or specific the word is, we have all created different meanings for every word. Sure there are specific definitions. But that does not remove the fact we have different meanings. This is not a matter of right and wrong. This is a matter of us each being given different life experiences.
When we get into disagreements and debates with people, it becomes easy to state a fact and expect that other person is going to automatically agree with us because we've given them fact. But if perspective is built on individual meaning, the conclusion that fact leads you to may not be the same conclusion the other person is lead to. We must remember when we talk to people that things are not as simple as a word on a page. It is possible (and, I believe, necessary) to understand someone's perspective, to examine what they're saying from an unbiased standpoint, and still disagree. Perspective can be changed; but first, the perspective has to be understood. I have to know what my perspective is before I can change the way I see a situation; I also have to know what Suzy's perspective is before I can show her the bigger picture.
I pray that I remember my brother is a different person whenever I must approach him about something we disagree on. I pray I learn to seek my sister's perspective so I know how to respectfully guide her to a better relationship with God. I pray my perspective always reflects the way God's perspective might. Lastly, I pray we all start working on our hearts so that we grow in the likeness of our Savior each and every day.
I love you dear sisters,
Kat
What is perspective? Have you thought about it?
According to Dictionary.com, perspective is: "the state of one's ideas, the facts known to one, etc., in having a meaningful interrelationship." Alright, there are two words in that definition I'd like to look at: the words one and meaningful.
The word one, here, is referring to one person. This makes the word "perspective" a personal word. Perspective is unique to you and it's unique to me. Your perspective will not ever be the same as another person's perspective. You can agree with another person on a general perspective (for example, you and your best friend both believe very strongly that a best friend should be given the right to eat the food in your fridge), but your individual perspectives as to why that's appropriate won't ever be exactly the same. Why is that?
You, as a person, are a collection of the experiences you've had. Your beliefs, disbeliefs, fears, hopes and quirks all stem from the life you have lived up to this point right now. The next word is meaningful, which literally means full of meaning. Whether intentional or not, you have created meaning for everything that has happened to you. We very rarely accept, "It just happened," as an answer. And even when that is our answer, that's the meaning we have created for the event. When we make memories or learn, we have to put meaning behind words, actions, images or feelings. This is just how life works; it's not a bad thing! You have to make meaning with things to understand them.
Your perspective is personal and it's formed by what you've created meaning with. So why on Earth am I telling you this?
When we study God's word, we don't have the full story. We don't have God's full perspective. Please don't misunderstand me; the Bible is God's word and it is perfect in its own right. However, we don't have all of the details. Ecclesiastes tells us, "..I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out" (Ecclesiastes 9:17). I can guarantee that we would not fully understand if the entirety of God's perspective were written out. To write out the entire history of what God has done, how and why he did it or what exactly he thinks about different things we would probably need every single piece of paper that ever has been or will be made. That still wouldn't be enough! And then we have the problem that written words can not express everything. All they can do is try to explain in ways we humans can understand.
So while what we do have is perfect, it simply is not the entire story. And what we do have is a big collection of words. If each person has created different meanings for words, our understandings of the same words will be different. You may have seen this illustration before but stick with me.
Cat.
When you read the word "cat," you may think of your pet cat. Suzy may think of the little tiger cub she saw at the zoo, but Bobby would think of the mother tiger he saw while at the zoo with Suzy. I could think of myself because people call me "Kat," or Jack could think of the angry cat meme he sees all over the internet.
Do you understand my point? No matter how general or specific the word is, we have all created different meanings for every word. Sure there are specific definitions. But that does not remove the fact we have different meanings. This is not a matter of right and wrong. This is a matter of us each being given different life experiences.
When we get into disagreements and debates with people, it becomes easy to state a fact and expect that other person is going to automatically agree with us because we've given them fact. But if perspective is built on individual meaning, the conclusion that fact leads you to may not be the same conclusion the other person is lead to. We must remember when we talk to people that things are not as simple as a word on a page. It is possible (and, I believe, necessary) to understand someone's perspective, to examine what they're saying from an unbiased standpoint, and still disagree. Perspective can be changed; but first, the perspective has to be understood. I have to know what my perspective is before I can change the way I see a situation; I also have to know what Suzy's perspective is before I can show her the bigger picture.
I pray that I remember my brother is a different person whenever I must approach him about something we disagree on. I pray I learn to seek my sister's perspective so I know how to respectfully guide her to a better relationship with God. I pray my perspective always reflects the way God's perspective might. Lastly, I pray we all start working on our hearts so that we grow in the likeness of our Savior each and every day.
I love you dear sisters,
Kat
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
The Book Behind the Cover -Mia
Hi friends!
I’m sure you’ve all heard the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” before, right? I know I’ve heard it my whole life. Have you ever wondered why people say that so much?
I think I know why. Now, I may be totally wrong, but I think it’s because that phrase is a really hard one to live by. First impressions of people give us the only information we’ve got to go on for a person until we get to know them better, and until then, the first impression gives us our solid image of that person. But, as this old saying warns, the first impression might not give you an accurate image of the person.
First impressions can be good, they can be bad, they can be spot on, or they can be deceiving. It’s really a toss-up; until you really get to know someone, there’s no telling. My guess is that’s why the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” came about. In John 7:24, even Jesus warns us, “Do not judge by appearances…” It’s simple to go wrong when just looking at the outside, or how one may present himself initially.
Now, this misinterpretation can be completely harmless. The differences you discover may be completely trivial… Or they may be very important. Especially if they concern matters of the Bible.
For example, ladies, have you ever had an acquaintance before who, the more time you spend around them, realize they weren’t exactly the Christian you thought they were when you first met? I know I have, and it’s really a very eye-opening, frightening experience, to be honest. If you aren’t careful, having that kind of experience can really rattle your faith- trust me, I know firsthand. Jesus knows this as well, and warned his disciples (and by extent, us as well) to “beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” in Matthew 7:15. Of course, we aren’t specifically talking about false prophets, here. But can’t this verse be true of certain people as well?
In the next verse, he continues to say “You will recognize them by their fruits.” “Fruits” here means works or actions: Jesus is essentially saying to wait and see what their doings say about them before making an assessment of their character based on first impression alone.
There are bad people out there, sisters, but I don’t want to discourage you in any way from meeting new people. In fact, that is a must for Christians- how else will we spread the Word of God?
And after all, this “first impressions are sometimes only skin deep” thing goes the other way as well. One may make a truly awful first impression and be a wonderful person in reality. It’s always best to at least give someone a chance- they might prove their first impression was accurate, or they might turn out to be a great potential friend. Their reluctance to talk to you may just be shyness. Their frown may have just been caused by a bad day that had nothing to do with you personally. You never really know what’s going on in their life when you first meet them.
Even when someone makes a decent first impression, there is still so much more to that person than you know. As Paul said in Hebrews 13:2, “some have entertained angels unawares.” I don’t pretend to know if this is meant to be taken literally or not, but as Jesus Himself said in Matthew 25:40, “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” Better to be safe than sorry, right? People deserve the benefit of the doubt before judgment.
I suppose I said all of this to say what was summed up quite well in those seven words: “don’t judge a book by its cover.” As we live our daily lives, ladies, let’s remember the importance of not simply taking things- and people- at face value.
Mia
Monday, November 10, 2014
More than Fabric -Kat
Hello ladies,
I hope you are all enjoying your week; I know this week will be pretty busy for me!
If you were asked what devo topic you've heard more than any other, what would your answer be? I know mine..
I can't even tell you how many devo talks I have sat through about modesty. I'll go out on a limb and say it's probably been at least three talks a year since I was in middle school. The issue of modesty is one I think has been harped on to the point it no longer has an effect on many of us girls. When we hear something enough, it stops pricking our hearts; our minds stop storing it because it's become "excess information."
Fashion trends, as we have all noticed, have walked farther and farther down the "Show As Much Skin As Possible" road. I don't believe that's appropriate. However, if I can be honest, I don't think there's a set standard we're supposed to be living by. I've been told, "To the knee." "Three inches from the knee." "Straps must be two and a half inches thick." "Don't show your back." etc.
Where, exactly, have those guidelines come from? I know it's been said that there's a basis in the Old Testament for these garment specifications. While there are specifications, I don't think they apply here. God did clothe Adam and Eve after they tried to cover themselves up with leaves (Genesis 3). The clothing He made did, in fact, cover up more skin than the leaves would have. However, can't we agree that leaves do not function as clothing? In the sermon on the mount, Jesus told the people not to worry about being clothed because God would provide for them (Matthew 6). Adam and Eve did their best, but they had not made clothing for themselves; they tried to cover up but they couldn't provide for themselves so God provided for them.
Now, I know we're not all Adam and Eve. We have clothing available. But bear with me. If you remember last week's post, entitled "A Heart Problem," I'm trying to get to the why we do things, rather than the standards for the things we do.
1 Timothy 2:9-10 reads as follows: “likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness- with good works" (ESV). Peter is talking in this passage about men's and women's roles within the church, and this is what he has to say about women.
First, Peter says we should adorn ourselves in respectable apparel. In case it needs clarifying, "respectable" means worthy of merit, or regarded by society as something good. More literally, worthy of respect. In our society, there is nothing wrong with showing your ankles off to the world. (I'm tempted to laugh when using that illustration, but there were actually times in history when that would have been forbidden.) I believe it is safe to say we have come to a point in history where knees are not distracting to our peers. There are certain standards that should have been held at one point, but we have safely moved past.
However.
(My favorite word again!)
Society has shifted our standards a little bit, however, let's also consider that our society is run much more by sex and sexual attraction than it has been in the past. Yes, it is more socially acceptable to wear cut off shorts, low-cut tops or bikinis. But it's also more socially acceptable to objectify others or be objectified ourselves. Truthfully, as those things have become more socially acceptable, porn has become much more readily available. In a day and age where rapes and molestations seem to be happening more and more frequently, why are we fighting so hard for the "right" to wear revealing clothing? Why do women complain so much about being objectified, but will clothe themselves as if they were objects for beholding at a glance? To dress respectably, we should each see ourselves as more than a "feast for the eyes." We shouldn't simply fit in with society; we should dress to respect not only our brothers (You've heard the Romans 14:13 argument about not being a stumbling block, or 1 Thessalonians 4 on controlling your body in issues of lust) but to respect ourselves, too.
The word: "modest" has its own definition, believe it or not. As in, "modest" does not simply refer to wearing clothes that cover the right amount of skin. The word modest can be compared to "moderate" or "unassuming." Dressing modestly doesn't refer to covering skin, it actually refers to dressing in a way that does not bring attention to oneself. As Christians, our purpose on Earth should be to bring glory to God our Father; what we wear should bring more glory to God than it brings to ourselves. Paul tells us to "do all to the glory of God," (1 Corinthians 10:31) and I'm willing to say that includes the way we dress. Do our made-up faces, our over-the-top beautiful dresses, or our bright patterned--whatevers really bring glory to God? Sure, in our hearts we may use those things as means to glorify Him. But to those who look at us, they see what we wear and give that glory to us. We get compliments on that particular outfit so we wear it again. We should publicly glorify God so that others see us and recognize our glory is not given to ourselves. That's not to say we are to be showy, but as Christians we are the only example some people will ever have of a follower of Christ and child of God. Don't we want them to see that glory belongs to our God?
Self-control is one thing we may not think about, but man is that a tough characteristic to come by. Here's the thing, ladies. Each one of us likes to look good. We want to be admired for the way we look. We want to be told we're pretty, we want to catch boys' attentions, and we really want to like the way we look. But self-control dictates we step back from that need to compensate insecurities and realize that our insecurities can't be filled with these temporary things. We should recognize that just because we can dress a certain way, doesn't mean we should (You can jump back to 1 Corinthians 10 here, if you'd like to. Verses 23-30, possibly?). We should feel pretty, catch boys' attentions, and like the way we look because we've been made, individually, by God. We are unique, we have personalities of our own, and we can do so much good for other people. We should yearn to be noticed for our actions, for our thoughts and for our love long before we're ever noticed for our looks. Is that not what Peter is getting at in verse 10 of 1 Timothy 2? ("but with what is proper for women who profess godliness- with good works").
"Gold, pearls, and expensive clothing" are kind of a weak point for us, aren't they? But if we sat down in our closets and tallied up how much money we spent on our clothing, would that change our minds? I already talked about modesty, but consider this point from a monetary standpoint. Do we really need several hundred dollars' worth of clothes and accessories? The early Christians were often described as pooling together all their resources to ensure that all people in the community's needs were met. We hoard our clothing, rarely giving to those in need and when we happen to give to those in need we usually give them the least of what we have. Having those expensive things draws a distinction between you and everyone else, and that shouldn't be our goal.
Can you see how big of a heart problem this modesty issue is?
This passage tells me two things: first, the standards for what we wear aren't quite as important as many of us have been lead to believe they are; second, what we wear is more important than what many of us have been lead to believe it is. As I've been trying to hit home, our modesty is not about a checklist. We shouldn't be pulling our rulers out to check the length of our skirts. We should, instead, be testing our hearts to see why we're wearing the clothes we choose to wear. What does wearing this item of clothing do? When we're honest, clothing is made for one purpose: to cover up our bodies. When we start tying our sense of self into what we wear, it becomes very easy for our hearts to fall in the wrong place. We easily stop glorifying God and start glorifying ourselves. Why be modest? Why wear the clothes you do?
Girls, I don't expect anyone to be perfect. This is a topic harped on because it's one we all deal with every single day. I just want for each and every one of you to consider why this matters. Why do you, personally, dress the way you do? What is the reasoning behind it?
When you start answering why questions, you can start fixing heart problems too.
I love you dearly, ladies! May God bless and keep you this week!
Kat
"Do not let your adorning be external- the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear- but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious" 1 Peter 3:3-4 (ESV).
I hope you are all enjoying your week; I know this week will be pretty busy for me!
If you were asked what devo topic you've heard more than any other, what would your answer be? I know mine..
I can't even tell you how many devo talks I have sat through about modesty. I'll go out on a limb and say it's probably been at least three talks a year since I was in middle school. The issue of modesty is one I think has been harped on to the point it no longer has an effect on many of us girls. When we hear something enough, it stops pricking our hearts; our minds stop storing it because it's become "excess information."
Fashion trends, as we have all noticed, have walked farther and farther down the "Show As Much Skin As Possible" road. I don't believe that's appropriate. However, if I can be honest, I don't think there's a set standard we're supposed to be living by. I've been told, "To the knee." "Three inches from the knee." "Straps must be two and a half inches thick." "Don't show your back." etc.
Where, exactly, have those guidelines come from? I know it's been said that there's a basis in the Old Testament for these garment specifications. While there are specifications, I don't think they apply here. God did clothe Adam and Eve after they tried to cover themselves up with leaves (Genesis 3). The clothing He made did, in fact, cover up more skin than the leaves would have. However, can't we agree that leaves do not function as clothing? In the sermon on the mount, Jesus told the people not to worry about being clothed because God would provide for them (Matthew 6). Adam and Eve did their best, but they had not made clothing for themselves; they tried to cover up but they couldn't provide for themselves so God provided for them.
Now, I know we're not all Adam and Eve. We have clothing available. But bear with me. If you remember last week's post, entitled "A Heart Problem," I'm trying to get to the why we do things, rather than the standards for the things we do.
1 Timothy 2:9-10 reads as follows: “likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness- with good works" (ESV). Peter is talking in this passage about men's and women's roles within the church, and this is what he has to say about women.
First, Peter says we should adorn ourselves in respectable apparel. In case it needs clarifying, "respectable" means worthy of merit, or regarded by society as something good. More literally, worthy of respect. In our society, there is nothing wrong with showing your ankles off to the world. (I'm tempted to laugh when using that illustration, but there were actually times in history when that would have been forbidden.) I believe it is safe to say we have come to a point in history where knees are not distracting to our peers. There are certain standards that should have been held at one point, but we have safely moved past.
However.
(My favorite word again!)
Society has shifted our standards a little bit, however, let's also consider that our society is run much more by sex and sexual attraction than it has been in the past. Yes, it is more socially acceptable to wear cut off shorts, low-cut tops or bikinis. But it's also more socially acceptable to objectify others or be objectified ourselves. Truthfully, as those things have become more socially acceptable, porn has become much more readily available. In a day and age where rapes and molestations seem to be happening more and more frequently, why are we fighting so hard for the "right" to wear revealing clothing? Why do women complain so much about being objectified, but will clothe themselves as if they were objects for beholding at a glance? To dress respectably, we should each see ourselves as more than a "feast for the eyes." We shouldn't simply fit in with society; we should dress to respect not only our brothers (You've heard the Romans 14:13 argument about not being a stumbling block, or 1 Thessalonians 4 on controlling your body in issues of lust) but to respect ourselves, too.
The word: "modest" has its own definition, believe it or not. As in, "modest" does not simply refer to wearing clothes that cover the right amount of skin. The word modest can be compared to "moderate" or "unassuming." Dressing modestly doesn't refer to covering skin, it actually refers to dressing in a way that does not bring attention to oneself. As Christians, our purpose on Earth should be to bring glory to God our Father; what we wear should bring more glory to God than it brings to ourselves. Paul tells us to "do all to the glory of God," (1 Corinthians 10:31) and I'm willing to say that includes the way we dress. Do our made-up faces, our over-the-top beautiful dresses, or our bright patterned--whatevers really bring glory to God? Sure, in our hearts we may use those things as means to glorify Him. But to those who look at us, they see what we wear and give that glory to us. We get compliments on that particular outfit so we wear it again. We should publicly glorify God so that others see us and recognize our glory is not given to ourselves. That's not to say we are to be showy, but as Christians we are the only example some people will ever have of a follower of Christ and child of God. Don't we want them to see that glory belongs to our God?
Self-control is one thing we may not think about, but man is that a tough characteristic to come by. Here's the thing, ladies. Each one of us likes to look good. We want to be admired for the way we look. We want to be told we're pretty, we want to catch boys' attentions, and we really want to like the way we look. But self-control dictates we step back from that need to compensate insecurities and realize that our insecurities can't be filled with these temporary things. We should recognize that just because we can dress a certain way, doesn't mean we should (You can jump back to 1 Corinthians 10 here, if you'd like to. Verses 23-30, possibly?). We should feel pretty, catch boys' attentions, and like the way we look because we've been made, individually, by God. We are unique, we have personalities of our own, and we can do so much good for other people. We should yearn to be noticed for our actions, for our thoughts and for our love long before we're ever noticed for our looks. Is that not what Peter is getting at in verse 10 of 1 Timothy 2? ("but with what is proper for women who profess godliness- with good works").
"Gold, pearls, and expensive clothing" are kind of a weak point for us, aren't they? But if we sat down in our closets and tallied up how much money we spent on our clothing, would that change our minds? I already talked about modesty, but consider this point from a monetary standpoint. Do we really need several hundred dollars' worth of clothes and accessories? The early Christians were often described as pooling together all their resources to ensure that all people in the community's needs were met. We hoard our clothing, rarely giving to those in need and when we happen to give to those in need we usually give them the least of what we have. Having those expensive things draws a distinction between you and everyone else, and that shouldn't be our goal.
Can you see how big of a heart problem this modesty issue is?
This passage tells me two things: first, the standards for what we wear aren't quite as important as many of us have been lead to believe they are; second, what we wear is more important than what many of us have been lead to believe it is. As I've been trying to hit home, our modesty is not about a checklist. We shouldn't be pulling our rulers out to check the length of our skirts. We should, instead, be testing our hearts to see why we're wearing the clothes we choose to wear. What does wearing this item of clothing do? When we're honest, clothing is made for one purpose: to cover up our bodies. When we start tying our sense of self into what we wear, it becomes very easy for our hearts to fall in the wrong place. We easily stop glorifying God and start glorifying ourselves. Why be modest? Why wear the clothes you do?
Girls, I don't expect anyone to be perfect. This is a topic harped on because it's one we all deal with every single day. I just want for each and every one of you to consider why this matters. Why do you, personally, dress the way you do? What is the reasoning behind it?
When you start answering why questions, you can start fixing heart problems too.
I love you dearly, ladies! May God bless and keep you this week!
Kat
"Do not let your adorning be external- the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear- but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious" 1 Peter 3:3-4 (ESV).
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