Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
When isolation from those we love draws us closer to God
We don’t always agree with those in our immediate sphere of influence, do we? As the world becomes too loud and boisterous, too polarized, I’m finding myself needing to mend my vexed spirit. How can I keep my planted feet from fighting the urge to mobilize, to keep my mouth from speaking clumsily, to keep my heart from going astray? I don’t agree with a lot of what Christianity today looks like; it’s become unrecognizable to me. I don’t know what Christianity looks like anymore.
I’m by no way perfect but I desire to serve God and magnify His name in my writing, blogging, and with the discipleship of my children via the homeschool. I believe my purpose is not about magnifying my name, but His and what He has done for me. I don’t want to get caught up in the winds of trends and tribes, in the illusion of a better place. Christians are at war with the enemy every day and they must redeem the time. I can’t change the world—it hates me because it hates my Saviour. What I can do is work on one heart at a time, at home, within my sphere of influence, with those that God puts in my life for His glory. I don’t want to fall prey to a trend that is relative, and which will later condemn me for standing contrary to a set of thinking. It’s like the tribalism mindset excluding its own.
I crave to find women, mothers, homeschoolers, victims of church abuses, second-generation US citizens who walk the line with Christ, who know the Saviour as an unchanging force.
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Isaiah 52:7
I’m making a concerted effort these days to hide in the comfort of the Lord. Only through God can I equip me with the fortitude needed to longsuffer through the waves of disagreement among those we call family, those we worship the Lord with, those we are confronted by due to our dissenting views. Amos says: Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
But under God we can agree to be steadfast, to be uncompromising in the faith, to be swift to reconcile and in my quest to retreat to the bosom of God’s comfort, I won’t slip when I am asked to give an answer for what I believe.
We all can do that – work on one heart at a time…in our sphere of influence. Yes, indeed.
I think that is the best way to go because we can’t do it all nor are we called to. We can influence, however, those who are nearer and dearer to us. This world has way too many megaphones and sadly, we are prone to wander and fall into the wrong path if we’re not careful. Thank you for stopping by to respond, Jennifer!
This was a beautiful post. So many of us can relate to feeling different and thus isolated. When we feel so alone, we are afraid to reach out. We don’t know how to find our “tribe.” How well I know that feeling! Thank you for your vulnerable sharing!!
Thank you, Tracy, for understanding this post. It is a lonely world despite all the social avenues we tread every day…
That’s beautiful and I agree totally. Christians are not all Christ followers. They might be in name only. I agree that we need to join together and that’s why I run Growing Through God’s Word Facebook Group where we seek to learn His Word.
Blessings
Janis
FMF #46
Hi Janis, I’ll have to check out that Facebook group!
Changing the world, one heart at a time…exactly that. I once worked in a profession in which the harsh but true motto was ‘making the world a safer place, one round at a time’. I would not have survived with my soul intact without Ps. 144.
Praise be to the LORD my rock,
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle…
#1 at FMF this week, with Barbara standing in my stead.
https://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2018/02/your-dying-spouse-442-from-barbara-fmf.html
Thank you, Andrew, for this Psalm. It is one to follow closely…
You are so right. The look of Christians is becoming like a “tribalism mindset excluding its own.”
So very well put. This is something to pray about as this was not Christ’s intent or purpose for giving his life.
You’re right. We are one body. Tribalism usurps the place of focus on us and our sentimentalities, and not on Christ.