Blogging anyone...?

Yes... i have a blog... don't ask me what possessed me to do it... just embrace it. It's not like I got a myspace or something. I'm not that crazy. Although, I have decided to admit that many good things do come out of the cyber world... it's pretty much what you make of it... just like with anything...

Evil is always around us while we are here. I haven't found a way to avoid it. I'm working on it. I mean, I guess all us Christians could close ourselves up in some church away from the world so we wouldn't have to see the suffering or experience temptation or talk to "pagans"... but then i guess we couldn't read the bible either... unless we wanted to feel completely convicted. Because of course, Jesus did the complete opposite of separating himself from us sinners... he intentionally put himself among the suffering and the evil of this world. Rick McKinley said, "Signposts of the kingdom [of God] radiate the most beauty when they're planted in the middle of the most mess." How true... and how beautiful.

So I guess we have to be in the very center of this fallen, sin-ridden world... but that doesn't mean we have to fall into Satan's traps. God gives us hope and encouragement in 1 John 5. "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world."

I am born of God... so I can overcome the world? Wow. That means I have won the battle over lust and temptation. I can overcome worldly desires... but ONLY through faith in Christ. And his commands aren't a burden? That's interesting because a lot of people think of commands as rules and simply a moral code that shuts us off from fun. And to be honest, I sometimes don't want to follow them... sometimes, I would rather sin. But the second I realize God's love... the second I let myself get captured in it... I know there's nothing better. I know I don't want anything to do with sin. I don't want any darkness to take away from the light of my Savior and my ability to receive his love. I want to stay wrapped in His arms forever. That's why his commands aren't burdensome... because they keep me closer to Him.

Thank you, God, for your commands and your love. Amen.