But sometimes, the best way to overcome those struggles and sins is to let others in on them. You'll always be accountable to God, but it helps when you have someone else to hold you accountable and not be afraid to ask "so how have you been doing with _____?"
Some people have mentors they look up to. Others have mentees who look up to them. Close friends, church leaders, your mom. The possibilities for an accountabuddy are endless. This blog is my way of staying accountable. Slowly I've started to share it with more and more people in my life. I'm nervous about it. I don't lie on this blog. I am raw and honest. About my failures and my life. It's only the beginning and I'm sure this journey is going to have rough spots and I am going to fall. I already have had some slip-ups and I was able to talk to a friend about them.
So today I started contacting more people and sharing my blog. These women (they ended up all being women...oops?) are women who understand what a relationship with God means and entails. These women have felt the same struggles. These women won't be afraid to ask "so how has that been going?" or say "you seem like you're struggling with emotional chastity. Let's talk about it."
These ladies have hearts looking to the Lord. They understand the virtue of chastity. They see the beauty in each of us that God has created. Just by knowing that they know the project I am working on and could ask at any point about it has fueled my will to stick with it. I want so badly to do this for God, but I also know I am weak and this is just the beginning of my reigniting of my relationship with Him. It will get easier to do this for Him, but now I need that extra boost from my sisters in Christ down here.
Sharing this has required a bit of humbling and that's good. God is working in me. I want to be able to share my struggles with others. I want to be able to own up to my sins and tell the world that I am not perfect and I am a sinner, but I am forgiven by God. By sharing that, I hope to open others to Him and show them that the Church is not full of people who think they are perfect. The Church is filled with sinners. The sins vary, but every single one of us is a sinner. I have gotten better at looking down at others for their particular sins. How is their sin of lustful thoughts any different from my proud thoughts? We are both choosing to entertain such thoughts away from God.
So this is my way of giving others the chance to see that I am a sinner too. I am a sinner that needs not only the help of the Lord up in Heaven, but from all my Christian brothers and sisters here on Earth. I need support. I need encouragement. I need someone to talk to when I am struggling. I need someone to embarrass me into better shape if I start falling. I am a proud woman who needs to be humbled and this is a great way to do it.
I've prayed hard about this journey with Christ. I took in the signs. I know this is something I am going to do and need to do. I will not fail. I may stumble, but it's good to know I have my sisters here to pick me up off the ground.
On a completely different note, this quote was posted today on the Facebook of Whole Magazine. This is a Christian woman written e-mag and I seriously love it. The articles are phenomenal and really speak to young women. I encourage you all to check it out. A friend of mine is actually a writer for The Identity Project! You can find her here. Anyway, this quote was perfect for my project and may end up being my go-to quote to keep me encouraged!
"Sometimes we have to steal away and get to really know our first love, which is Jesus. We must know that God is our spiritual husband and until we can learn not to cheat on Him and be faithful to Him, we will never be ready for our earthly husband." - Carla Cannon
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