By Treva Susuras

Sooo, you say you’re a Christian? Well, are you. Christian means Christ-like. Are you Christ-like or like- Christ I should say? Does your heart go out to the things of God? Are your desires His desires or are they your own selfish desires. Do you run to Him for the answer you need in a life situation, or do you figure it out yourself. And a really hard one, do you scream and yell at other drivers when they make you mad, and make ugly hand gestures?

Well, here’s the deal, there is only one way to the Father (God) and that is through the Son (Jesus). So, if we want to go to heaven, we need to know what the rule book (Bible) says and try and stay as close to it as we can.

I know this is very basic, like bible 101, but if it is so basic then why can’t we seem to get it down. It’s because it is easy to read or talk about but so very difficult to do. I know there are people that love the Lord with all their hearts and yet continue to do the opposite of what the word says.

They love the Lord but do they trust Him? Do they obey Him? Do they care about what the word says? Read if? Study it?

What in the world are they thinking. Or are they thinking?

Life happens and all of us have issues we have to deal with at some time or another. But most hang out on da-nile river. Yep, I know I spelled it wrong; I should say da-nile.

We walk around in da-nile, yes, I know (denial) I’m not angry, I’m not hateful, I’m not in addiction, I am a strong Christian, I just like doing things for my own good, you know, my way. I don’t pray or go to church, but I love God, He knows, He understands that I just can’t do all He asks right now. Later, when I have more time…

Have you ever met an angry Christian? I have and believe me it really makes you wonder; how does that work. Jesus was not angry, He treated people with love. God even added a full chapter on love. Let’s check it out just to make sure I know what I’m talking about.

1 Corinthians 13 (NIV)

13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Yep, guess I do know something about this. It is not hard for me to love others. It is one of my gifts from God. But for some it is very hard. If you are one of those people that just doesn’t like people then ask yourself this, have I been hurt in life, have I felt or actually been rejected in my lifetime? Have I been abused or used; have I been made to feel unimportant? Do I have a root of bitterness growing in my heart?

If you answered yes to one or more of the questions above, and you know you love God but just can’t get past the anger, addiction or what issues you may have, you need some help. Thing is, you are going to have to be painfully honest with yourself. Just look at verses 4-6 above, are your kind, do you envy others, are you boastful, or proud? Do you honor others or do you hang on to a grudge? Do you seek to please yourself? Do you got mad easily or hold a grudge? Are you ok with evil things but offended when someone tries to speak truth in love to you?

I know these are hard questions if you really want to know the truth. Or you could deny all of them, no I don’t struggle with any of them.

Sometimes it’s painful to be honest with yourself but in the end so worth it. We all have to face up to imperfections at one time or another. If you are struggling in this area and need help, please reach out to us. We are here and ready to help. Our number is 281-868-0537 you can call or text. My email is treva.ihhm@yahoo.com and you can always reach out there.

 

Freedom is so good; I wish all would receive the freedom Jesus Christ paid for. It’s there waiting for you. Have a great, blessed day!!