love them... please.

As Christians, we are called to love everyone.

     So why do we have such a hard time with that? I know, loving is hard. It's hard for me too. I'm sort of zoning in on the lost celebrities of our time. There's Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, One Direction, Taylor Swift... the list goes on. They get so much hate because they are lost, and it makes me sad.

     Christians! Wake up! You are supposed to LOVE the lost. How does it reflect upon Jesus when all you do is yap about how terrible celebrities are and the horrible things they do? I get that they do some pretty sinful things. I'm not saying to tolerate them. I'm saying to love them.

     Love is patient and kind. Don't be so comfortable in your little Christianity bubble that you are shocked and dismayed and feel the need to tell the world your opinion on the latest celeb news. We're all people. We all fall down and we all need help. The only difference between Christians and unbelievers is that we have that help. You were once an unbeliever, so get off of your high horse and start loving.

     I understand that we are to think of ourselves as royalty - we are sons and daughters of the King! All this is true and healthy to be thinking about. We are in Christ. We are loved unconditionally by the only One who matters. We have hope of eternal felicity in heaven.

So...?

Love. Love as Christ loves.

     Seriously. I'm tired of hearing - One Direction, for example - get hate just because they are that new boy band that tons of girls are freaking out over. PEOPLE. They are a talented group of singers. Christians these days can't even say they like a secular band without being judged for it! It needs to stop. We need to give people the benefit of the doubt. You can enjoy someone's music without supporting their moral standards. And you can love someone like Christ loves them without supporting their moral standards. And you can pray for them. Also, it wouldn't hurt to be able to recognize talent when it passes you on the street. ;)

I'm sorry if this got super passionate... but there it is.

s

Jesus is loving Barabbas - a Judah Smith video

     My sister showed me this video last night and it brought me to tears. It's so beautiful and true, and it reminded me of the truth of the cross in a way I didn't know I needed. Please take eight minutes to be blessed by this. Judah Smith is a dynamic and gifted speaker, and the graphics of the video help to intensify the message. For this reason, I suggest you view it in Youtube so that the screen is bigger. :)

-Sarah :)

P.S. My spiritual life has been a whirlwind lately. So many new things that God is introducing to me! I'm not sure I will be able to share them all; I'm afraid of coming across as confusing and I don't want to lead anyone astray. But I hope that I will be able to put some of my thoughts in order enough to give you a couple of posts soon. I haven't blogged in exactly a month! :P

a short thought on identity

     I'm a Christian, and that means that me and every other Christian are brothers and sisters. We are all sons and daughters of the King. This means that we're princes and princesses - we're royalty, and that's a BIG DEAL. So, to all of you Christians out there: remember who you are, and to invite those who aren't Christians to be part of the royal family too! :)

-Sarah :)

Optimistic Christianity

We got Chinese food for dinner last night. (Chinese food is SO good, but the whole time you're eating it your feeling like the fortune cookie is probably just as "healthy" for you as the other food.)

:)

Anyway, when my sister opened her fortune cookie and read the fortune, she read:

"You take an optimistic view of life."

Normally, we ponder the fortune and it's probability, and then laugh. But this time, God revealed something to me through the little slip of paper in the cookie.

 I realized that a Christian will take an optimistic view of life, because they have have hope that they will never sink so low that they are out of God's saving reach. They have an opportunity to serve others and bring others joy through their words and actions, and the hope of eternal life in glorious heaven.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the ressurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," 1 Peter 1:3


May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,


Sarah :)