Identity (Found in ourselves, others, or Christ?)

Who am I? How do I think of myself? Oftentimes, young adults and adults alike define themselves by their "marital status" - single, dating, courting, engaged, or married. That might be the first thing they think about in describing themselves, or the last thing they think about before going to bed, but (thankfully) God doesn't view that as the most important characteristic in our lives, and it certainly isn't something that we are judged by.

There are many "titles" (Dr, Mr, Mrs, Miss) or descriptions (brother, sister, son, daughter, boyfriend, girlfriend) that may or may not apply to us, but these are all only in submission to the most important descriptor of our life - that of being a Christian. Being single describes me only after my being a Christian and a woman, for while salvation and gender do not change, status can change several times throughout life. Thus, it should also not define our life, but instead be an aspect of, or, as Paul calls it, a gift.

As we know, all gifts come from God, and have a purpose, whether or not we know what that purpose is. So, all we can say for certain is if we are single, it is because it is God's will for us Right Now. Now, I know that I have heard (and perhaps, at times, myself thought) that "God will not give us a spouse until we are content with being single". While it is certainly important for us to be content with our position in life, thankfully God doesn't base His gifts to us on our work of being content - singleness and marriage are both gifts, not obtained from our own works.

In much the same way, our usefulness in the church is not contingent on our marital status either (isn't that a relief?!) - each of us, as part of the body of Christ (married or single) has a unique and important purpose, that is shown in how we serve God. That said, we should be diligently at work in the church, serving others, seeking God's plan for our lives (while we may be waiting for God's man for our life) by being active in His kingdom.

One other thing that is helpful to keep in mind is this: we don't know all the circumstances! Because we have no idea what the next year, day, or even hour will bring, we must trust and have faith that God knows best; and, that perhaps He is trying to teach us something even greater by not sending us a spouse at this point in our life. We must not expect Him to work by our own time table, and remember that God's "silence" in this area is not necessarily "No" - it may be a "Wait on Me, Trust Me, that I have your best interests in mind". Would God withold blessings from His precious children without good (perfect, actually) reason?

In closing, here is something that C.J. Mahaney said that really stuck with me:
"Your greatest need is not a spouse. Your greatest need is to be delivered from the wrath of God - and that has already been accomplished for you through the death and resurrection of Christ So why doubt that God will provide a much, much lesser need? Trust His sovereignty, trust His wisdom, trust His love."

- Written in reflection of Carolyn McCulley's chapter "Sex and the Single Woman", taken from Sex and the Supremacy of Christ, edited by John Piper & Justin Taylor

"As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." - 1 Peter 4:10

About the Name - Pure Passion

Inspired partly by a favorite book of mine, Elizabeth Elliot's Passion and Purity, this is also something I strive for in my life. Looking at those two words individually, here's what I found:

pure: (adj.) 1. Free from adulterants or impurities 2. Free of dirt, defilement, or pollution 3. Having no faults; sinless
passion: (n.) 1. Boundless enthusiasm 2. A powerful emotion, such as love or joy 3. The suffering of Jesus at the crucifixion

Putting those two words together, having a "holy desire", shows that which I must continually seek after, day in and day out. My thoughts are summarized nicely in the praise song below, as one believer speaks in earnest to his Holy God:

Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me on magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after You

To know and follow hard after you
To grow as your dicsiple in your truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you, my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you.

How often are my desires holy and blameless before God? How often do I even desire God? Oh that I had the faith to passionately pursue God above all else, instead of my own sinful desires.

What would this world be like if the Church had this passion? Can you imagine the impact Christians could have on the world if we truly had this "pure passion" for Christ and His kingdom?

"The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, but the words of the pure are pleasant." - Proverbs 15:26

"Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God wich lives and abides forever..." - 1 Peter 1: 22-23

Do we yearn for heaven enough?

I just finished this book, "10 Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health" (I know, it sounds cheesy, and not very 'reformed', but it actually was quite insightful), and the 10th question is just that - Do we yearn for heaven? As "youth", I think I express the thoughts of most when I say that most of the time, we can't wait for the next event in our lives to happen. We live our lives in anticipation of the next 'big event' (college, marriage, kids, etc...the list goes on), and rarely do we actually anticipate 'the end' of life. Or, are we so busy anticipating the next event on earth that we almost completely forget about the glory awaiting us in heaven?

Next question - even if we do actually desire to be in heaven with Jesus, why and what exactly are we desiring? Are we seeking only to escape from our troubles here on earth? Are we looking forward so much to our 'new body' that we forget about our new pure heart? And how much are we actually desiring to dwell with God? Whitney points out that, as growing Christians, we should not only be desiring our holy hearts in heaven, but we should also be striving after holiness on earth.

What are you striving after? The grade, the paycheck, the girl/guy, fun, or something else altogether? How much effort to we put into these "earthly treasures", and yet perhaps lack motivation to... be in the Word daily? commune throughout the day with God?


Final thoughts: "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." - Colossians 3:1-4