Have you ever looked at someone else and thought, "Man, I just wish I could be where they are?"

In life, in career, in marriage, in family, in social status... whatever it is, many times we want what someone else has. The whole deception that we are never quite doing enough or being enough leads us to jealousy and greed.

I remember just a couple years ago, the huge desire I had to be a mom. It drove me to tears to see a pregnancy announcement because I was praying so hard for that to be me.

Fast-forward to now and I am savoring every bit of my very precious alone time while the kids are napping. Today I'm blogging. But typically it wouldn't be far-fetched to find me snuggling up on the couch trying to play catch-up with my DVR. Which some days may, in fact, be the most fun thing I do that day. Depending on if the show hasn't already been spoiled for me. That's a buzzkill.

The truth is, I got everything I coveted for (a family) and yet I still find myself wanting to resort back to the days of wasting my time watching TV. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but it's true.

Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

All these things. All the things that we need in life will be provided for when we seek God first. It's not prosperity gospel - it's thegospel. Because when we seek after God, when we truly chase after building Hiskingdom... we can do without and we feel blessed with little.

The reason we become greedy is because our kingdoms look small. Our jobs don't look important enough or our homes pretty enough. We can't seem to find the right friends or right clothes to make us feel good. And we are too busy staring at people who are too busy staring at people who are too busy building their own kingdoms.

Seek first His kingdom...

God's kingdom looks a lot like giving with no strings-attached, loving with no conditions, serving with no reward. There is no status involved in God's Kingdom, no Pinterest board dedicated to it's cause. Because the things that actually give us value are not measurable here on earth.

I love being a mom. It has been the most fulfilling and God-honoring thing I could have ever asked for. But if I'm not careful, I could build my own kingdom around it. I could try and become "super-mom" with super kids who wear super-hip clothing and are the super-athlete/musician/student. Trust me, there are Pinterest boards for all that.

But more than anything, my desire is to raise children who are united in building God's kingdom instead of their own. It's going to take a lot of work and prayer - I can already see the sinful nature has been passed down from me and planted deep into my children's DNA. But if I can become good at anything, I want to become good at seeking first the kingdom of God. Not for my own boasting, but for the ones who will model their kingdoms after mine - most importantly, my children.

And so next time you are tempted, like me, to become envious of where someone else is in life - remember whose kingdom you are seeking. And that in order to build the Kingdom of God, our kingdoms must look small.

DSC_0197 _Snapseed

Have you ever felt the need to be quiet? To not say anything, even when what you are watching/seeing/hearing is wrong, for fear of the backlash, the label, the stigma that you are "one of those" Christians who is all about judgment and little grace? This seems to be where I am finding myself these days. And it has caused me to retreat from blogging or sharing my heart on anything, besides what I know to be politically correct and accepted by all. Which is basically nothing. Because we debate everything under the sun these days, even down to what type of diapers we put on our babies' butts.

And so silence seems like the best position to take in the name of love and peace and, you know, actually having friends.

But the more I think about it, the more I realize that silence is less about loving people and more about them loving you.

We don't want to offend. So we tread lightly. We don't want to call out any particular sin in someone's life. Because, I mean, who are we to judge? We speak in generalizations and never really say anything.

And we feel validation in the fact that people like us. People find us approachable. People can be themselves around us - eat, drink and be merry!

And without even realizing it, we've made it all about... us.

I know some have come in the name of "Christianity," with their boycotts and picketing, and made the rest of us feel like we need to spend our lives making up for our tainted reputations. But we don't. Not really. That's just a lie that we've believed. Our reputations are always faltering and changing anyway, Christian or not. If there's anything we can be certain of as followers of Christ, it's that the world will hate us.

"And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world." - John‬ ‭17‬:‭14‬

"If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you." - John‬ ‭15‬:‭18-19‬

"And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved." - Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭22‬

But, people loved Jesus. I hear you. That's always been my defense too. But did people really love Jesus? All the time? Like remember that time when he was preaching that he was the bread of life and that no one could come to the Father unless the Father gives them to him? (See John‬ ‭6) It said many people turned away and deserted him after that. Because it was offensive.

Listen, I'm not saying we need to join the protests or fill our churches with sermons of condemnation. But I believe there is a third option. Speaking the truth, in love. With gentleness. Proclaiming to a lost world that Jesus is the way! That sin is sin. And that repentance is necessary.

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. - Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭15‬

I know just writing this out and reading over the Scriptures listed above has helped bring about a revival in my spirit. To quit seeking the approval of man. Forget silence. Forget political correctness... I'm mad at Hillsong! There I said it.

And not just them, but the whole movement that teaches you can't be straightforward about sin AND still be loving. I am a messed up sinner myself, and there are times my husband has been straight forward with me about areas in my life that need repentance. You know the one thing that never crossed my mind? He doesn't love me! If anything, I felt loved enough that he would point it out. And also, I felt loads of remorse and disgust for what I had done.

That's true repentance.

We're becoming a generation of "Thumpers." And not the "Bible-thumpers" that everyone loves to hate. The one from Bambi that coined the phrase, "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all." (Some of you just learned that wasn't in the Bible) It's time to quit hiding behind the veil of wanting to show love to people and admit it, we just really want people to love us.

Update: Brian Houston, pastor of Hillsong Church, has issued a statement which clarifies the context regarding his first statement. While this issue was not the sole reason for writing this post, I do feel like it needed to be clarified that I am in no way discrediting Hillsong Church or their ministry. I believe they are doing great things for the Kingdom of God! Praying that the gospel continues to be preached!

DSC_0544 _Snapseed

If you asked me to share one verse that sums up how to live the "Christian life" when it comes to relationships, I would point to Romans 12:15 every time. Let me tell you from experience, most of the problems we have with other people (whether spoken or unspoken) come from not obeying this simple truth.

Rejoice with those who rejoice...

This sounds easier than it is. I mean, who doesn't enjoy having others celebrate with them over a new job promotion? Or a new house? Or a new baby? We tend to forget this verse when it's our turn to rejoice for someone else. Especially if the rejoicing comes when we are struggling to get a job, or buy a house or have a baby.

Envy creeps in and we begin to look at that person's joy as a killer of ours. Oh, how many times this has happened to me.

I specifically remember the feeling I used to get every time a friend announced they were pregnant... when we had been trying for over a year. It was a dagger in my heart. And I spent many nights crying over someone else's joy.

I was wrong. I was hurting. But, I was still wrong. It wasn't the other person's fault and I should have been rejoicing over their blessing. Of course, it's easier for me to say now that I'm on the other side. But that's the thing - we could all find ourselves on the other side one day, wishing others to rejoice with us.

... and weep with those who weep.

Pain and suffering scare people. And when our greatest fears turn into a close friend's reality, we often shy away. Afraid of what may come out of our mouths or in some cases, what may not. We live at a close distance, offering our condolences and the "here if you need me" statements, when... of course, they need you.

They need you to be the friend you always have been.

This struggle is hardest for me when I am experiencing joy in an area where someone else may be suffering. Because sometimes, in order to genuinely weep with them, I need to squelch my joy. It's caring enough to understand that it's not about my happiness in that moment, but about their pain.

A living sacrifice. 

Our lives are like a pendulum swaying back and forth between these two emotions. And often times we find it easier to rejoice when we are rejoicing and weep when we are weeping. Like the saying, "misery loves company" we tend to be blinded by our own circumstances and forget to love others in spite of them.

What makes this verse even more important is the context in which it is placed.

It is found in Romans 12, which is titled in my bible (and maybe yours too!) as the chapter devoted to being a "A Living Sacrifice." Everything leading up to this verse is focused on being the opposite of what our sinful, fleshly nature desires. And I don't find it ironic (because nothing in Scripture for me is coincidence) that the verse right before it says to, "Bless those who persecute you." A command that is so easy to gloss over on a page, and so very hard to put into practice.

None of this is easy for us to do on our own strength. It is an act of worship. We worship the Lord by giving our bodies to Him as a sacrifice. We worship the Lord by loving those who say mean things about us. We worship the Lord by working enthusiastically at all we do. We worship the Lord by hating what is evil. We worship the Lord by genuinely loving people. We worship the Lord by rejoicing and weeping with others whenever they need it.

I just want to challenge you today, friends, with something I have been striving to live out in my own life. Take notice of those who are rejoicing and rejoice with them! Take notice of those who are weeping and weep with them. Let this be your act of worship. It will blow your mind how much this changes your relationships with people. And even better, how much you feel the Holy Spirit at work in your life.