PRIORITIES
societal pressure of materialism
Passions.
What drives society to kill people’s passions just because they don’t align with what seems reasonable or achievable? Where did our faith as a body of believers go? Why do we lack so much?
Collectively, as a body of Christ, we should be encouraging each other to pursue whatever has been laid on our hearts by the lord, and I firmly believe my passion is legitimate because I know it came from God. I know it sounds crazy to dedicate my whole life to serving and loving the people of this world, but I know by trusting in the plan Jesus has for me can only bring me closer to joy, love, peace, and happiness. It is what I have been made to do. The love of God is something I hold onto with all of my heart. He has shown me unconditional love which I hope to show the rest of the world through the tools and resources he provides. I want to reinforce simplicity in our chaotic lives and comfort to those who can’t see the light. Being exposed to different cultures and practices has made me realize the importance of difference, community, and unification inside the church.
feeling ashamed
I am writing this because in my own life I have received hurtful comments that shook me to my core. These comments have tried to demean and diminish the importance of the path that has been placed before me. People tell me to be less focused on serving others and more focused on maintaining a “good lifestyle” which includes my priorities shifting to materialism. I am in no way saying living a life in America, driving a nice car, and having a beautiful home is bad. I am merely saddened by the pressure to become something I am not. I should not have to feel ashamed for making my priority to expand the kingdom of heaven. I should be celebrated just as much as anyone else.
shifting your perspective
From cultural perspective and experiences, to college classes, to spending time in prayer, I have realized that as a church we focus too little on unification; instead of celebrating and learning from differences we judge and distance ourselves. What would happen if we all looked at the life of Jesus and the story of the gospel for what it really is?
1. Jesus was a Jew, meaning he was born visually, culturally, religiously, and ethnically different. Most of world history is man subjugating or discriminating based on appearance; already Jesus identifies with the vast sea of humanity by appearing not as a Roman, the majority, but as a Jew, a minority.
2. Jesus was a poor Jew. When Jesus was dedicated at the Temple, the offering of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph is the offering of the poor dictated by Leviticus. Jesus displays his preferential option for the poor. He could easily have been high-born, as Paul was. But he was born poor, lived poor, and died poor. He surrounded himself with poor fishermen. Starting with Jesus, his religion was that of one for and with the poor.
3. “Jesus was a member of a minority group in the midst of a larger, dominant and controlling group.” Spiritually speaking, Jesus was fully man and knew the powerful sway the demonic kingdom sought over the mind of man, except that he never succumbed to it. Temporally speaking, Jesus knew the powerful sway of sinful man and his institutions and was never controlled by it. Even when crucified, it was on God’s timetable, by Jesus’ own free choice. He overcame them in it, and if they had known, as Scripture says, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
After we begin to understand who Jesus really was, we can examine our own unique qualities and celebrate with others theirs. Our perspective on success and priorities then becomes one of a kind for each individual. We each were made with different pieces of god and what better way to live out our calling than to do it with him? Additionally, by knowing who Jesus is, we can strive to become more like him. The extraordinary thing about our life is our purpose. We each have a unique one, and we each contain gifts specific to us. My prayer is to live a life entirely entrusted by God.
the true nature of God the Father in His character. “If you know me, you will know my Father as well.”
john 14:5-11
feeling prompted and being led by the spirit — prayer, and conversation.
You can build a relationship with the Holy Spirit, living in the awareness of His presence within you, just as you would build a relationship with another person. When you acknowledge that He is with you and speak to and hear from Him, you befriend and honor him. Allow Him to speak to you. He knows the best for you. Sometimes we strive to do things that are not meant for us to do and get burnt out and tired. But all we need to do is rest and draw from the vine. If you think you can do it without drawing from Him, you are mistaken. John 15 says- without me, you can do nothing. Why strive and fail unnecessarily? Make a decision to remain in Him, drawing all that you need from Him, and allow the fruit to come in due time. I have struggled with distinguishing my voice from His, but I know by continuous prayer and discipline God will not leave me astray. He will open and shut doors and guide me through this crazy life.
When Jesus was on earth, He shared a radical way of living and taught how to love unconditionally which was completely countercultural. He showed that no matter your status, no matter what may be wrong with you, or what you have done, you still deserve to be loved and have the chance for redemption. I’m so thankful my Jesus loves me, for me. I’m so grateful he has given me endless amounts of blessings in my life; I know my number one priority is to show my brothers and sisters around the world this same love. I believe it is our duty as Christ’s ambassadors to reciprocate that love to the ends of the earth.
In my own life, I have felt the holy spirit lead me to divine encounters and experiences. We are all made in God’s image, and we all contain unique characteristics we can live out with a loving heart. I am made in a way no one else was. God has given me an immense passion for cultural diversity and simplicity. I continually feel encouraged and filled with joy when I am living out the passions I have, and I can not wait to continue to explore this beautiful world I was placed in.
