Sanctification is the act or process of acquiring sanctity, of being made or becoming holy. To sanctify is literally "to set apart for special use or purpose," figuratively "to make holy or sacred," and etymologically from the Latin verb sanctificare which in turn is from sanctus "holy" and facere "to make."Wikipedia
I have been ruminating on this post for several weeks now. It's the culmination of some chats I've had with my friends, what I've been seeing on facebook for far too long now, and just general thoughts.
It all came up for discussion when a somewhat famous Christian in the media got engaged recently. I looked at pictures of his fiance and was a bit flabbergasted at what I saw. She, as one commenter put it "had her bare bottom from here to Ohio for the world to see". Sadly, it was true. Google her name and pictures of her in lingerie and skimpy bikinis will pop up all across your computer screen. One commenter even said what I was thinking. For someone who is supposedly a Christian, she doesn't look too Godly.
Now here is where this could get ugly. I'm not judging her or trying to say that everyone who is a Believer needs to dress like the Duggars or in sack clothes. I know that I need to work on dressing more modestly. It's not always
easy with the styles of the word and different body shapes. I think you need to ask yourself what your intention is with your outfit? Is it for a guy to see your attributes and the "hot bod" you worked out so hard for? Or is it to be a Classy Woman. A child of God?
It brings up an interesting point. How are we to be set apart from the world and showing them Christ if all we can do is try to be as much like the world as possible?
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If
anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:15
Over Halloween (And New Years) weekend I continuously got disgusted every time I pulled up my facebook news feed. Girls, alot of girls, that I am friends with, and that say they are Christians, were posed scantily clad, boozing it up, and showing the world what their bodies have to offer. It literally made me a little sick inside.
What has happened to our younger culture? I see the kids I was in youth group with growing up and hardly any of them are walking closely with God. Granted I don't know their hearts and I'm not God myself to know what's going on inside of them, but the constant half naked pictures, the booze the bars, the poses with friends that are border line inappropriate..
Instead of trying to chase after God and be more like him, it seems that young believers are doing all they can to fit in with the world, to say HEY! Look at me! I wear low cut tops, and short skirts, I show my midriff, have you seen my tattoos? Look! I can play Beer Pong!
It breaks my heart.
I grew up in a Christian home and was saved at an early age. I was homeschooled, and was at church everytime it was open. I even went to a Christian college. But that wasn't enough for me. You see, I've been where these young believers are at. I've been raised with God and following him and been in the church all my life, but yet I thought the world had more to offer.
When I was 21 and moved to L-town from where I went to college in Florida, I had a massive rebellion. I walked away from God and everything that he stood for. For 6 months I sinned against him and did everything I could to convince the world that I was just like them. I drank. I dressed REALLY inappropriate. I cut off my family and my Christian friends. I did everything I could to be like the world.
And you know what?
I was miserable.
I have never been that miserable in my life. Looking back miserable doesn't even seem like a big enough word to describe how I felt.
During my time of sin and rebellion my beloved Grandpa died. The one blessing I can think of from losing him then was that he did not know what i was doing and had no idea that his precious Pumpkin wasn't walking with God.
That was a horrible time in my life.
Life on the other side looked like so much fun, and carefree and crazy, but inside my heart was ripped into pieces. I couldn't find happiness in anywhere in the world that I was looking for happiness at.
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
~ Romans 12:2, NLT
So I see these kids, who grew up in the church, who have been So blessed by finding salvation at an early age and I see them just throwing it all away. having been there, I feel like I can see into their minds thinking " well I'm saved. I can do whatever I want and I'm safe. I'm going to Heaven and God will forgive me. he put us on the earth to have fun didn't he? I'm going to have fun while I can!"
So wrong. So SO very wrong.
This is not why Jesus died for you! We are called to be set apart from the world:
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light
1 Peter 2:9
We are a chosen generation. Christ died for us, to save us from our sins, so that we could follow him, to bring others to him, to glorify him in all that we do! Is it glorifying Christ when we're dressed with our bodies for the world to see? When we're at a bar downing shots, and seeing how smashed we can get?
There is So much more to this time on earth than trying to be like the world! There is a life more abundant with Christ more than you can ever imagine! Happiness and peace in the midst of trials and heartbreak. Break away from the world and experience the great life that God has for us!
I am grateful everyday for my Savior who loved me enough to keep chasing after me, after I hurt him time and time again. Looking back on everything that has happened to me in my life these past 8 years I cannot imagine how I could have made it thru any of that without a solid walk with Christ.
Thinking about the hardships and the heartbreaks I have been thru.. 11 surgeries in those 8 years. Alcohol wouldn't have been there with me through that. My skimpy clothes and the loser guys I was attracting sure enough wouldn't have been there for me.
Everything that you're chasing after in this world, looking for happiness is like an empty Christmas present. It looks pretty and cool from the outside. But once you open it up there is nothing inside. And it leaves you feeling as empty and disappointed as the box.
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