This blog is for me, but I made it public so you can read it too.
When I decided to become a Christian I knew that it meant taking up something new, a new way of life(a rebirth). Therefore my old nature or identity (practices, lifestyle, thoughts) should be left behind.
What I didn’t understand well when I first decided to follow the way of Jesus was that most of the work, of “changing my ways” or changing my identity was already done.
My end of the exchange for this life is saying “YES” with every part of my being.
I think I (as well asmany believers in Christ) at times still live out of the the mindset of who I was before I made the decision, not who I truly am.
So for some examples when I notice that I talk ugly to someone, neglect to seek justice for the oppressed/poor, seek material possessions, experiences, or look to people to give me Joy instead of knowing that Im living in the source I begin to feel “messed up”. that is followed by thoughts like, “will I ever learn or get it right?!”
The truth is:
If I have accepted Christ to be my life, He is not sitting up in the sky waiting to smite me when I do wrong. Though I don’t particularly think that way about God, I have been confronted by roomatrs and friends about how critical I am of myself for not being where I think I should be In my spiritual growth.
When Jesus died he literally paid for my past, current and future probs., allllll of them.
Then gave me a new spirit.
And that newness inside of me really wants to love others as wholly and fully as possible. and earnestly desires to live for the One I love, and hungers to know more of who He is and who I am. (Hence a reason I am on the World Race)
What is this ”New Spirit“ that has been transforming me from the inside out since 2015?
Love (because God is love, the complete fullness of)
Light (light illuminates darkness),
Truth (because He is the way the truth and the life).
SO. Maybe you are wondering….. how can I (Nora cox), as a being that bares this light (that is literally the Arabic meaning of my name Noora= Light. And Nora means Nobility!), still do things that are dark or not very noble?
Why is there still bad fruit on my my tree?
Because I am in the process of being renewed.
Also because I have a choice.
I can choose to think and live out of who I actually am inside and who God is making me to be
Or Who I was?
So I am no longer choosing to look at myself in any other way than HE does.
If I continue to constantly look at everything I am “spiritually missing” or my flaws, than I am living out of that mindset, and essentially out of a lie.
I hope to encourage people that may have felt or thought the same way as I have. Being in anguish, constantly feeling like they are not living up to who they are supposed to be, or feel like they are striving impatiently, because they are just “not there yet”. Or just simply trying to work their way to being “good”.
fear doesn’t come from the outside
It comes from within.
My mind was holding me back y’all.
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so don’t you want to believe these lyrics with your whole heart and sing them at the top of your lungs like you mean them???
I do:
“I am no longer a slave to fear.
I am a child of God.”
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My favorite verse that I read this week that has helped me so much:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In Love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons & Daughters through Jesus Christ in accordance with His pleasure and will. Eph 1:3-5
It takes my breath away to think that little ol me has access to every spiritual blessing.
If you have time for a great 11min video
check it:
