Christian Living
Introduction
Not so long ago, a beautiful young woman - new to the Spirit of Faith - asked me how she should deal with being confronted by those close to her, in regards to her new found faith and how it has changed her.
She asked because she had been in The Spirit of God for a few months, although all of a sudden some of her closest friends had reasonable adversary towards her Faith and the changes it had brought about in her.
My answer at the time was simply not to worry as we all experience this. The Devil is Evil - of that you may be certain - but he is also incredably and emotively intelligent.
He knows that the easiest way to get to us is by setting doubts in the hearts and minds of those we love. Their comments echoe in our minds and they strike a nerve due to our attachment to those people.
We start to doubt - not just whether or not we've made the right decision but is this and can this be real or am I just upsetting people for nothing? Am I allowing some man-made religion control my every move, my speech and my opinions?
The simple answer is no. When you are truly of The Spirit, the desire to live God's Word comes from within because The Spirit lives within - just like it does with Jesus.
However, it is not enough for me just to say that this is so. As a Christian, new to the Faith or not, we have to be aware of why these trials happen and what they mean...
A look at some text:
"One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on hime like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him. Mark 1:9-13
I would just like to draw your attention to one or two points here:
1)He was washed clean - not because He needed it but we did. He is our only and ultimate example. This is what happens when we believe and through that belief we then confess our Faith, for many this means full water baptism and for others it means to give your testimony or just to say yes to Jesus.
2)He was gifted with the Holy Spirit which came directly from Heaven as a gift from God - this too is true for us when we are taken into the arms of Our Creator and we feel the Holy Spirit running through us. For some, this happens immediately after point 1 but for others it can be during a walk, a solo/group prayer, a sermon and so on. Once given it is never taken away, regardless of how difficult or dark things may become.
3) He was assured of His place in The Lord's house - God tells Him who He is and how pleased he is in Him. Through Christ, God assures us of our place in His House and loves us as all that we are. He created us and He loves to take delight in us. Listen out for when God assures you and don't let your doubts take over.
4) He was tested but never abandoned - He was taken out into the desert - a land destitute of water and any reasonable food - and left to roam amoung the wild animals there. Matthew and Luke's Gospels give us some additional information about how The Devil tested His thoughts and challenged him. However, though he was left to be amoung the beasts of the desert and have Satan plague his thoughts - He was never abandoned. For it is written, "The Angels attended Him"/"And Angels took care of Him. Again, this is so true for us, God never leaves us in our pain. He tests us but no matter what the grade - His Grace never ceases and as according to Deuteronomy He will never forsake us or rather - He will never give up on us.
Tests, trials and temptations are there for a purpose. We should take delight in these as they bring us closer to God in our refinement by Him. To reach the finish line we must endure - we must love throughout our pain and we simply must look out for the signs and each of these steps in our lives.
Please do not be so blind to believe that becoming a Christian will make all the worldly darknesses cease.
Instead realise that you are amoung the chosen to carry The Light into this darkness. And so, you must be prepared to hold that torch and help the blind see - even if it means getting a few burns now and then.
Peace be with you!
Some final thoughts and some helpful reading:
I chose this topic because it is such a common issue and which better example to follow but Jesus' very own one. He lived this life and He experience our pains and our trials. The difference is that He passed and we just can't - not without Him and not by our own merit.
Here are some other passages that may be helpful:
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7
2Dear brothers and sisters,a when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4
So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. Isaiah 28:16
There are many more to be found in the Bible. This is an issue in every walk with God, God knows this and this is why He gives us so many great examples of it and how it is used for His Glory.
All rights currently reserved. For usage permission please contact me directly on [email protected]
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 549 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Aiysha Jebali or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 549 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.