Written By: Alora Yee
I’m a relatively new Christian. My 7th baptism anniversary is coming up around the corner, and I must confess I often feel seven years old around many of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Questions flood my mind: Am I doing a good job following Christ? Am I allowing the Holy Spirit into every detail of my life? What about my eyes and my body? Am I protecting them with what I allow in or out of my life?
Here is where I recently had to take serious pause. What and who am I allowing into my life? I must give another confession that I’ve often thought of creating my own Christian paradise. Everything I hear or see or surround myself with should be of God alone. But what does this transform into?
I find myself on the far end of the pendulum, shunning, and judging everything and everyone that is “not godly,” creating a Christian bubble for myself, for my marriage and family that becomes denial and the sand I have buried my righteous head into. This is a great problem of mine. Wanting to control, protect, and to plan according to what I think God would say was good. I cannot take control of the wheel with what God calls into my life and then say, “It’s okay, God, I’ve got it from here.”
“We take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
New friends have recently come into my life and shaken the foundation I was living on. They forced me to look inside and see the absence of what God wanted to fill me up with all along. I am not without sin. I am not perfect. I am in dire need of Jesus every second of my life. When imperfect people come along who love on me and my household, who am I to shun them away for not being “righteous enough”?
This probably sounds harsh, but I had questions. What will my children hear and learn from non-believers? Am I allowing doors to open that will cause harm to myself and my family by bad influences? I feel the pressure once again of playing dictator and protector over my family.
God is in control. God is protecting my family. And God has blessed my family tremendously with believers and non-believers because, honestly, my faith gets exercised with both. To be challenged by brothers and sisters in loving convictions and to be challenged by new friends to continue to be the light and salt of the earth Jesus died for.
Please know, boundaries are essential. We must always rely on the knowledge of God and not our own. Being bold and confident in the Spirit is not the same thing as being careless and reckless in the world. When God hands us a blessing, it often doesn’t look like it. We must allow the Holy Spirit to be our eyes looking within for values of heaven rather than scanning with our fleshly eyes for fools gold.
All of this said, love anyway as Jesus did. Love those who are Christian and love those who are not. Love those who are called and love those who are far from answering God’s calling. There is beauty in Sunday morning. Coming together, united as the body of Christ to worship together. And there is beauty in being of Christ in the world to share His merciful love with others- boldly.
To answer my own questions, I opened with: Following Christ is a very personal process and journey of transformation. We must continue to repent, to allow Him to change our minds about all things to reflect His, and turn to Him, again and again, and again.
The Holy Spirit is with me at all times! I must have faith in this. If you were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, you have His Holy Spirit. And know that God protects His children. We do not need to worry or create our own peace or fight for our provision or lose sleep over protecting ourselves. Our God is sovereign over all, and Your Heavenly Father wants nothing more than to love you with His peace, provision, and protection. Let go of the wheel, be the light, and trust in His plans for you.
Is there something God is calling you to that feels dangerous? Know that all is possible with Christ, He has gone before you, and the Holy Spirit will be your words and strength.
Written By: Alora Yee
