Tag Archives: strength

All Messed Up

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Just got home from a brief convo with a few friends. I feel like we’re doomed. I know, I should be optimistic but how we think about love, dating, sex, it’s all messed up. Biblically speaking, it’s all wrong. First of all, we can’t love, truly love, selfless love, unconditional love because we don’t know God. How can we love or know love if we don’t know the creator and giver of love. God is love. What we think is love is something else and it pulls us in all kinds of wrong directions. Giving oneself away physically does not mean love.

Many of us are slaves to sex sin and don’t even know it. Slaves meaning it controls us, our relationships, life. We may think it’s normal because everyone says it is. If no one else has told you, let me, it’s not normal. Actually, it may be the societal norm but it shouldn’t be our norm. It complicates thing in present relationships and future ones. Sex before marriage will never satisfy. Why? Because it isn’t the order God intended it to be and it isn’t true intimacy. One can only experience true intimacy after marriage, the way God intended it to be (Hebrews 13:4). You can’t connect with someone physically if you haven’t connected with him/her spiritually, mentally, emotionally, socially. As a Christian, if you haven’t entered into the covenant of marriage, there will always be some level of inhibition, lack of openness, comfort or trust.

If I can just keep it real, I didn’t want to post this. I wrote this weeks months and months ago. I feel it’s one of those topics that most people feel, act, validate based on their lifestyle and social norms. Girls Ladies, it doesn’t make you a stronger woman, more free and comfortable with whom you are because you have more partners. And boys men, talking about how many girls you’ve been with doesn’t make you more manly. Who is man enough, strong enough, bold enough to change that narrative? Some things (i.e. abstaining) may never be the cool thing to do, but are you cool enough to make it cool to talk about how many girls you’ve abstained from in your circle of friends?

As a Christian, any man or woman who isn’t willing to wait until marriage isn’t ready for marriage. There’s a selflessness, obedience and honor to God that should come first. For the ladies and the men, let me say, you are worth the wait and for anyone who says or acts differently #deuces.

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:34-36)

If you are a Christ believer, you are no longer slave to sin. You are a son of the family of Christ, of light, righteousness, life. You are free. You have a right to be free. Free to overcome EVERYTHING you believe you cannot overcome. Everything you’ve given up on overcoming. Who is ruling? You can overcome whatever it is, depend on God to do it in and through you.

I know this is a topic that may make us uncomfortable. It doesn’t fit our lifestyles anymore so we tend to find ways around it. We start calling the Bible outdated, irrelevant, etc to justify or validate our sin as ok. If you’re a Christian, let’s acknowledge God’s truth in all things instead of disputing it because it’s difficult to accept or convicts us to the core.

I know some of you are reading this like, oh well I’m satisfied with where I am and what you believe or what you have might be good, but it’s not for everyone. Remember Christ. Jesus paid the price on the cross for us. For you and your intimacy, that you may know true love. He made a covenant with God just for you so you could be free.

❤ Carin

 

You Have Nothing to Prove

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“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” This. Because so many of us are in bondage to people. We dress, we work, we act, we do for others. What will so and so think, how many likes can I get, can I get promoted for this? It’s easy to let perception, influence, recognition run us.

Naturally we want to please our family, friends, baes, boos, bosses, fans, people in general, but reality is we’ll never be good enough for everyone. We can’t please or find favor with everyone. But God. The one who matters will be well pleased with us if we trust in and follow Him over man. Sounds easy, but it’s not. Actually think about it, how often do you make decisions based on what someone will think of you vs what you really want to do or feel led to do? From the little day to day things to the “bigger” life things… be honest 🙂

Let’s talk about this “proving ourselves” thing a little bit more. It’s such a part of our culture that it seems to be a natural, normal thing. Truth is we should only be concerned with what God thinks of us, “well done my good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21) And please don’t take this out of context… I’m not saying to neglect responsibility or don’t do things that are expected of us. I’m talking about our tendency to put people before God. Something I believe comes from a desire within to prove ourselves. At some point in life, a seed was planted that we aren’t good enough or that we don’t and never will measure up. Maybe it was something someone directly or indirectly said to us, a teacher, family, friends, society, circumstance or our own selves… missed expectations? Maybe it was something we’ve just internalized over time making us feel lesser than. It could be anything that’s led us to this point of believing we have to do whatever it takes to make it, to prove ourselves.

Why is thinking this way faulty? Because f r e e d o m. When we’re living to please others over God, we lack freedom and we’re bound to man. Freedom starts with an inner contentment with who we are in Christ. It means to desire what God has for you first and foremost, the willingness and ability to allow God to be in control of your life versus being influenced or controlled by our desire to be accepted by man over God. We can’t be free AND be subject to man. Isaiah 2:22 says, “stop trusting in mere humans who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?” 

Putting God first makes everything easy. Really. The challenge is that we often times are not putting God first. The demands of the world are too much and they aren’t for us to carry. The world enslaves us, causes us to live in bondage rather than freedom. We can easily get consumed with pleasing people, robbing ourselves of the joy that life should give us. When you’re feeling super pressured to deliver, as many of us do all the time, remember, the only one that really matters is God.

As a Christian, you aren’t meant to fit in with the world, doing the things the world does in the world’s way. Your life shouldn’t look like anyone else’s life. And as long as your life does or you fit in with the world doing worldly things, you’ll be unhappy, unfulfilled even because God has so much more for you. So, if you feel like a loner, or like no one gets you or that you don’t fit in, that’s awesome. It’s time to ask God where it is that He wants to take you. There’s a reason He’s unsettled you. Cheers to walking in a freedom that only God could give. I promise you, you’ll be happier than ever 🙂

As long as we’re living for him and trusting Him and letting Him be God in our lives, God will be well pleased with us. Keep things in order, God first for real, and everything else will be alright.

With love always,

Carin

When Will You be Done Living a Simple Life?

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You are running away from peace, love, happiness and don’t even know it. You may think you are doing what brings you happiness, but, it feels like you’re in a constant state of confusion. You are digging deeper in the things you are trying to run away from: loneliness, emptiness, unforgiveness, the desire to be loved, the list goes on. The relationship or job promotion, the drugs, sex, alcohol, shopping or whatever it might be loses it’s appeal after so long and you’re back at step one, you feel empty and you are pursuing that love, the success, your purpose, only to find these things no where. That’s because they can only be found in one place, with God. If you are saved by grace and know God, the ways of the world shouldn’t be your ways (Romans 12:2, 1 John 2:15-17). If they are, you will forever be running. So, when will you be done living a simple life?

A simple life is not living by God’s word. It is simple to say yes to the flesh, to your desires. It is simple to say that the Bible is outdated and to pick and choose what you want to believe because society is “evolving”. A simple life is being like everyone else around you, doing what everyone else is doing, accepting what everyone else is telling you to accept. It is simple to live how you want to live. It is not simple to live by God’s grace. But, why, shouldn’t it be? If you believe and walk by faith, then why is it so hard to live by His word? We make it tough on our own because we do not walk in the fullness of the Lord (Ephesians 3:14-19).

It’s not that God doesn’t want you to be happy or to have fun. It’s that the more we sin, the further we go from God. The further we are from God, the further we are from being where He wants us to be, doing what He wants us to do. There is no peace in that. You will forever be empty and looking for something more because true happiness, true joy and purpose only comes when you are wholeheartedly serving Christ and letting Him lead you.

My reality isn’t your reality and your reality isn’t mine. Yes, there are biblical truths that none of us can deny, but when it comes to living, each of our journeys are unique to us and that is between God and you. You just have to keep it real.

I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth (John 17:14-17).

Are you willing to stand apart, to go through the trials, to be bold, to be different? I don’t mean different like the world defines different, but different because God is calling you to stand apart and go somewhere only you can go if you let Him lead you and take you there… Through the fiery furnace like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, through the wilderness to the promised land like Moses, through trials and prisons like Paul. Are you ready to live more than a simple life?

With love,

Rinny

When It’s Good to be Weak

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I think we can all agree that no one wants to be weak or even to be seen or thought of as weak. Whether we are talking physically, spiritually or mentally, no one wants to be weak. We try to eat right, work out, study, read the word so that we can be strong. Check out 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 though, whenever I read this scripture, I want to be weak. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

Sometimes, we have to come to this place of utter weakness and dependency so we can learn what it means to really trust in God and let Him be God. No back up plans, no doubt, just pure faith. We are weak without God because only He can give us the strength we need. When we are broken, done trying to do stuff on our own, then we are most useful to God. He has all the space in the world to show Himself as strong and mighty, to show his power through our lives… and we will know it was Him who came through. We have no choice but to exercise faith in Him. This faith and lack of hope in ourselves and anyone or anything else is how we bring glory to His name. 

If we know we are working for and with God then why should we let anything come against us? When something is yours, nothing and no one can stop you. No failed meeting, bad grade, bad interview, lack of experience, broken relationships, no negative people should be able to make us stop believing that God is faithful. 

So take this seriously. The LORD has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work. “Every part of this plan,” David told Solomon, “was given to me in writing from the hand of the LORD. ” Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the LORD is finished correctly. (‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭28‬:‭10, 19-20‬ NLT)

I lovee this passage. Sometimes I think we forget how the characters in the bible are no different than us. I’m sure Solomon looked at that plan like whaaat!? That’s why David had to remind Him who he’s working for and with and where those plans came from. God has chosen us not expecting us to know it all, but wanting us to completely depend on Him and seek Him wholeheartedly to accomplish what He has called us to do. We are not meant to to do anything on our own. Isn’t that cool!? That makes me happy 🙂 

God gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:29-31) God will always be found and He will give us clear instruction as we seek Him. If we first let God give us His plans and instruction and we give God our plans, only then will we be successful. Proverbs 16:3 says to commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed. 

He has already prepared us in advance for the job He has for us and He’s equipped us with everything good for doing His will (Ephesians 2:10 and Hebrews 13:21). Wherever He has called you, you are already equipped with what it takes. He’s just asking you to trust and depend on HIM to get you there, not yourself. 

Pray and ask God to bring you to a place of weakness. If there’s something you can’t let go, you know it’s just not in you to let it go, you may need to be weak so that God can show you His power. It may not be easy for you, but God can do it. I believe what He will do in your life will be so powerful that your testimony will glorify God in a big way and be a huge blessing to others.

With love, 

Rinny

Late Night Thinking…

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Group think! Why do groups of young girls, teens, young ladies, grown women tend to choose someone to dislike, bring down, shoot down together?  I’m not sure I’ll ever fully understand…

This is so random but it was on my mind as I was getting ready for bed some time ago. I mentor a middle school girl who is smart, at the top of her class, well spoken, athletic, hard worker…etc. She’s focused and has set goals, her passions are so clear, its admirable. The stories she’s told me always shock me…girls want to fight her.

My advice to her: When you stand for something, are confident, won’t compromise your values or who you are for others, people feel threatened, annoyed, they want you to conform. You exhibit what they wish they had in them.

Speaking from experience, I’ve seen girls act crazy on other girls for no reason. None. And it never ceases to shock me. And I know people will say, “Well it’s not them, it’s her…why do people always have a problem with her?” Wrong. Look at the people saying that, usually they are intimidated, immature, feel inferior, want attention…one and/or all of the above.

Just remember,  everything happens for a reason. God put em in your life for a season and took em out for a reason. I’ve got a few stories of my own. Teaches you character, lessons learned, wisdom and knowledge gained. Don’t cling to things that aren’t meant to be. You won’t miss that “friendship” one bit.

If you walk with God, who can be against you? Romans 8:31 (I love Romans 8:28-31!) I think this goes for guys/men too even though its not always as blatant.

Y’all know I love open discussions soo share your thoughts 🙂