I want to make it perfectly clear that Tumblr blogging is not (and should not be) about the notes. However, what notes do provide is an indication of what others enjoy reading, and connect with. At least, that’s been my experience. The moment I start talking about love, romance, future husbands, manhood, womanhood, the notes will skyrocket. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Our gender defines a large portion of who we are and what we do. But what matters is when they override posts wholeheartedly focused upon the Lord.
The fact of the matter is that I see posts about future spouses and future love getting at least ten to twenty times the amount of notes than the ones about Jesus Christ and the Cross. I find that completely messed up. And I just have to question—Christian, where are your priorities?
Yeah, I get it. The Cross is unbearably uncomfortable. But not for those who are in Christ. We should rejoice, and be very acquainted with that crucifix. The very thought of it should bring such thankfulness and joy in our hearts. For who are we, whilst we were still sinners, that God would die for us? Oh, that He may be glorified!
Now, the prospects of love, romance, and intimacy are all so very exciting, particularly if you are waiting and trusting the Lord. Those desires are wonderful. And some of the posts floating about on here can be absolutely darling. But they can also be absolutely dangerous too. Very much so. Perhaps leaning towards idolatrous.
Guys and girls, the truth is that this goes beyond notes or blogs. More often than not, you attract someone of your spiritual level—at least on the same chapter or page of life. And what I mean by that is that if you are paying the fantasies of a future spouse more attention than the Lord, or if you’re spending your time concentrating on “Dear Future Spouse…” posts, yet, neglecting your secret place (prayer closet and the Word), then you attract someone who does likewise. You cannot expect someone greater in godliness to come your way. You want a great man of God? Then stop playing with fire with idle dreams. Stop idolising the, “One Day…” as you conjure up visions of Ryan Gosling… Oh yeah, and with a Bible in his pocket, or whatever. Start by placing your eyes upon Christ. I mean that completely. Dismiss the idea of marriage right now. God has called you to be single for today. Guys, you want a great woman of God? Then become the man that she can respect, and admire. By being transformed by the renewing of your mind, through Christ’s blood. Go out, serve His bride, and die somewhere. Fall into the ground; produce much fruit.
I have learnt too, that the dearest and closest things we hold near our hearts should be protected, and considered sacred. As a garden locked up. That’s why I choose to rarely voice my hunger for a spouse someday on here. These thoughts and hopes must be guarded with much care for two reasons. Firstly, the heart is wicked. Either these desires are of the flesh, and need to be crucified. Secondly, they are God given, and thus need to be nurtured, not screamed upon the Internet. Either way, in both cases, the desires need to be presented to Him as a living sacrifice, and surrendered.
Let our hypothetical spouses someday see the calloused knees from prayer, the Bibles falling to pieces, all tattered and marked. Not the pages of blog entries filled with impersonal pixelated thoughts about what you hope them to be like someday.
I guess what I’m saying is that let the future unwind by God’s sovereign hand. And for today, focus upon the Cross. Tomorrow? Focus upon the Cross. Do not proclaim you love the Lord with your whole heart if you’re reblogging 99% “Future spouse—hurry up and get here,” posts. Does that not just show that you are not ready for the sacrifice of marriage?
Use your single years as the season of preparation. The funny thing is—preparation starts with dismissing the idea of preparation. What I mean by that is you do not work toward the goal of marriage. You work toward the goal of eternity with Christ Jesus. Being more and more like Him. In comparison, nothing else matters. Marriage is no longer a token of fulfilled companionship, satisfied sex drives, or emotional contentment. Marriage becomes about the Cross, and His bride.
So whilst I’m not saying that we should shy away from the posts on here about love, singleness, marriage, and gender roles (because there are some good ones out there), I am saying that the Lord and His sacrifice are essentially what matters in life. Everything else comes back to Him, and Calvary. I so long for the day when I see posts about the Lord alone challenge the ones about relational statuses in note value. Where are our priorities? Have we honestly forsaken our First and Only Love?
Worth the time. Not kidding.
Christopher Robin’s actual toys.
(via gwenhwyfaraway)
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I was trying to tell my brother to stop but then autocorrect RUINED EVERYTHING
(Source: pleaseholdmecloser, via stayawhilelonger)
“Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” — Revelation 6:15-17 (via bornofthespirit)
“The Spirit wants to make you a dangerous person; to make you threatening to all the forces of injustice and evil and greediness that bind the people around us and prevent them from really living. The Spirit wants to make you dangerously good in a broken world.” — (via -coffeeshops)
(via theartofdenyingmyself)
I really think L would most likely look like this. He’s just a quarter Japanese and THREE QUARTERS EUROPEAN after all.
WOW I DON’T EVEN LIKE DEATH NOTE BUT WOW
(Source: psychologicalbicycle, via loveandfolly)
(Source: caitlynpeacelovehappiness, via stayawhilelonger)
I caught myself saying “I love you” flippantly today, twice.
The first time, it was used after I teased someone, in a cutesy, “don’t be mad at me” kind of way.
The second time, it was after someone did me a huge favor.
“I love you” is not a joke. “I love you” is not conditional. “I love you” is for reunions in rainy parking lots with best friends, for skinned knees and birthdays and for saying every time you get off the phone and for saying every night before sleep.
Don’t abuse “I love you”, don’t dilute it. It’s powerful, if you’ll let it be.
And one of the most important lessons I learned from high school was that no amount of drugs or alcohol could ever numb me from pain. I think I felt this pain because we are all living lives that are just so sinful that we were hurting each other and ourselves, but I didn’t know that at the time. All I knew was that I hurt and I was going to numb myself with as much weed I could get my hands on or as much alcohol I could find at the time, and no matter how much I drank or smoked, the pain would always be there after the numbness receded. The pain would never go away, I would just forget about it for a time, and that time was short. That time was so short that when the numbness retreated, I would forget that I forgot and I would only remember the pain and it would consume me at times. There were other times when I would not even notice that the pain was there, I would just get high for no apparent reason. This pain was a spiritual pain, and I thank God that He allowed me to get to that point of darkness. I learned so much from that valley and I know now that no amount of numbing will ever take the sin in our hearts away, and the sin is what causes the pain. Christ is the only solution, and I am working my way towards freedom in Him now.
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Are we going to die with prayers in our journals or living out the will and voice of the Sovereign One?
Americana Christianity, you’ve just been slapped in the face.
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