Post continued by Allison…

“The Christian life can be explained only in terms of Jesus Christ, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you- your personality, your willpower, you gift, your talent, your money, your courage, your scholarship, your dedication, your sacrifice, or your anything – then although you may have the Christian life, you are not yet living it.” – Ian Thomas

Yesterday I ended by talking about coming away with Jesus, that we need to reject what the world has to offer and follow only Him. And I will say again, this is extreme. Being totally set-apart from the world is difficult, but if Jesus is the first love of our life, then we will find this a joy to do.

But in what ways are we to be set-apart from the world? And how do I know if I’m not following the worlds’ standards for living? I recently read a book entitled, Set-Apart Femininity by Leslie Ludy. In the book she asked several questions that helped me answer whether I was following the world or Jesus, and I would like to share some of those with you.

Entertainment Questions:

– Have I been surrendering my mind and emotions to Hollywood’s ungodly messages?
– Do I watch movies and shows that glorify darkness or perversion, mock God, or make sin seem noble, even in subtle ways?
– Am I willing to use the time I would normally spend being entertained by Hollywood to further my prayer life and deepen my relationship with Christ?

Music Questions:
– Do I justify my participation in the ungodly messages of secular music?
– Do I idolize any music artist or music groups? (this applies even to Christian groups)

Internet Questions:
– Do I allow the internet to influence me toward materialism, idolatry, or pop-culture preoccupation?
– Am I addicted to the Internet (can you go without checking Facebook for a day?)

Magazine/Book Questions:
– Do I read magazines/books that glorify darkness or perversion, mock God, or make sin seem noble, even in subtle ways?
– Do I allow magazines/books to define feminine allure and make me preoccupied with my own body, my own style, and my own external beauty?
– Do I lean upon magazines/books to give me the rest and refreshment that Christ wants to give me?

For me, these questions were incredibly challenging and Jesus showed me several areas that I needed to change for His glory. I hope these were as much of a help to you as these were to me. I hope also that you will allow Jesus to mold you into a set-apart lady for Him!

I appreciate Allison’s honesty in sharing about the things that convicted her. I’ll admit – these questions are penetrating and revealing! She and I both have a long way to go as we seek to be like our Savior and being totally set apart for Him, but we’re thankful for the daily sanctification process and for the Spirit of God at work in both of our lives! It’s a grand journey, isn’t it?

With love,

I’m so very happy to have a guest blogger today – my younger daughter, Allison. What a blessing it has been to have her home from Bible college since the third week of December! She has a week left, so I’m savoring the time we have together!

While she’s been home she has shared with me some wonderful Truths that the Lord has taught her this last semester. It’s been such a blessing to me to see her growing in her relationship with the Lord. III John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. It dawned on me last night that I need to have her share here on my blog the things she’s learned. I pray it will encourage your heart as well.

Recently, I have been really challenged about what it means to be a Christian. I have always thought a Christian was someone who went to church, had devotions, and kept up a decent testimony before others. That’s what I’ve been doing, and I’m even attending a Christian university! How much more “Christian” can I get? But recently, God has really been showing me what it means to be a true Christian. And I’ll tell you this – it is far more extreme than I ever imagined it to be.
Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Now it is true that going to church and having devotions is part of following Jesus, but there is so much more than that. Jesus has called us as Christians to live a life that is set-apart for Him. He wants us to reject the things of this world and follow solely after Him.

Becoming set-apart for Jesus first starts with dedicating ourselves to Him. We must declare that we are His alone. Then, we must silence our selfish side. This is where it gets hard. When we decide to die to ourselves we are immediately entering into a continual battle with our flesh. But through Scripture reading and prayer, you can have victory over your selfishness. Lastly, we must come away with Him. To come away with Jesus means to completely turn aside from the pleasures and entertainments of this world so we can be unstained and spotless for our King. And to me, this is where living the Christian life gets extreme. Rejecting the pleasures of this world means not listening to the world’s music, not watching the world’s movies, not wearing the world’s clothes. It means not having all the toys and fun entertainment the world offers. It means spending more time in prayer than I do reading the latest fashion magazine. It means taking time to serve the poor and needy instead of going shopping with my friends. Jesus didn’t participate in the world’s activities when He was on earth; he was about His Father’s business. It should be the same for me, a Christian.

Tomorrow I will expound more on how exactly to become set-apart from the world and to live for the glory of our Savior. —Allison Cunningham

Until tomorrow,

This month’s Bible study of “A Woman After God’s Own Heart” is entitled, A Heart for Your Husband. Okay, so all of us that are married know that we’re in for some pain on our toes, right? It might go all the way up to our shins and the seat of our britches before the month is over!

Day One took us to Proverbs 31 – we all knew we’d go there, right? Because it is a very familiar passage I’m trying to study one verse each day and am asking the Lord to reveal what He wants me to learn. When I read verse 13b it says, “…she works willingly with her hands.” As I stopped and pondered that thought – especially the word willingly – I pondered my own work. How willing am I to work? Oh, it’s easy when everyone’s chipping in and helping out! What fun! But what about when everyone else is “chilling” and I’m still cleaning up the kitchen, or cooking again? The willingness tends to fly out the window only to be replaced by resentment. “If it weren’t for me there would be no Christmas celebration at our house! I decorate, write the cards, buy the gifts, wrap them, bake all the goodies, cook the holiday meals….blah, blah, blah!!!!” (Please tell me you’ve had the same wicked thoughts!)

Toe cruncher #1! – I need to ask the Lord to help me to work with willing hands and a willing heart!,

Elizabeth Elliot said this as she was on her way to Ecuador, “It was the thing I was made for, and I was full of gladness.” For those of us that are married we can all make that very same statement in regards to our work at home. We were created to be a helper suitable for our husband (Genesis 2:18), therefore this work should be done with a heart full of gladness! There can be gladness in preparing a meal, doing the laundry, straightening up the house, or decorating a room. The thing that makes the difference is our heart. Do we, like Elizabeth see these tasks as helping us fulfill the very thing God made us for? If so, we will have a right attitude. Instead of just throwing something on the table at mealtime, we can go at it with joy – preparing ahead, planning carefully and making it tasteful and beautiful. Instead of waiting to do the laundry, we’ll work at it methodically, rather than letting it pile up and become a daunting task.

We’ll do ourselves and our families a huge favor if we’ll go after our household responsibilities with willing hands. We’ll be creative and have a heart of gladness. Imagine the difference that could make on your family today!

Lovingly,

• Simplify stuff

I’m going to endeavor, with the Lord’s help to simplify my belongings. “Stuff” weighs us down, keeps us from being free to serve, and keeps us tied to this earth. One day it will all be left behind. I want the Lord to free me from collecting things I don’t need.

• Seek souls

The only thing we can take to heaven with us is other people. I’m asking the Lord to give me a greater burden for souls. As a person who knows the Gospel, I have the message that the lost world needs to hear. They won’t be saved by watching my life, they must hear the Gospel from my lips, and I’m asking God to give me people with whom I can share the Truth.

Have you asked the Lord to enable you to accomplish something this year? I’d love to hear about it so I can add you to my prayer list. May this new year and new decade find us loving our Lord more and bringing about eternal rewards.

With love,