Christians Are Wussies.

...come on Christian--you must agree. WE are WUSSIES.

Too often we let (or make) God fight our battles for us. We let Him do all the fighting for us... we don't take up our own cross and fight the crowd ourselves.... we always read "stand firm! stand fast!" "resist the devil & he'll flee!"--and we forget we're told (in Eph. 6), "...and after you have done EVERYTHING, to stand". Also--our sword is DOUBLE-EDGED. So that means we don't just stand: we DEFEND. (if you've ever done sports --you then know what it's like to be attacked.) It also means that we ATTACK. We PEIRCE. We push THROUGH. we FIGHT.

So you are probably asking where in the WORLD is this coming from Shauna? I don't know how to explain it than the fact that I was under attack last night. And somehow.... I realized that He was purifying me.... and somehow out of that came this new way to "see".......... I don't fight. I don't fight for God. I sit back and say, "oh, well, it happened so God must've wanted it to happen..." --But not necessarily. I know that I have to the gifts of discernment & intercession: but how often do I use those gifts so that I can fight for Him? So that I can fight for His glory? So I can fight for others hearts, minds & souls? Sadly enough...... I don't fight enough.

So this is my challenge: that we rise up and we fight. We fight the pain. Look like fools for Christ & for His glory and we live our lives as defenders of the God of whom we are NOT ashamed (or supposed to not be ashamed of...).

"Whatever happens... conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then... I will know that you stand firm in ONE spirit, CONTENDING as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved--and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him..." -- the Apostle Paul, Phil 1: 27-29

Ps..... if you don't think our Lord is a Lord of War.... read the Old Testament....

...just a glimpse....

You know it's funny... how at one moment we can be mad at the WORLD & all of humanity--and then a friend makes you laugh and suddenly, life is beautiful. Those moments that you lay in bed WIDE awake... dreaming of.... I don't know: what SHOULD be? What life COULD be? And you long for a place where you feel you've been... yet you've never reallly been there. Or you see yourself and how you wish you could be.... braver, stronger, more beautiful, fearless.... and then you fall asleep: dream of being that warrior or princess and then wake up to your SCREAMING alarm clock & remember, "Ohhhh, right, this is life...."

I know, i KNOW what you all are saying, "Shauna--come on... a bit "Eldridge-life", don't you think? And i have to TOTALLY agree with you but at the VERY same time... totally saying, "NO!" WE WEREN'T CREATED FOR THIS WORLD... and today--------- today I caught a glimpse of what we WERE created for. Intimacy. Love. Freedom. Worship.

It's funny how I walked thru the first few hours at church with my emotions of "Crap! i hate being single today!" "Crap! i have to go to work today!" --and yet at the very same time--knowing... no, aware? mmm... nope: SENSING that Jesus was there. So was His Father. And so was the Spirit. Something was going to happen......... there's nothing like feeling so inadequate when you know that the Three Most Beautiful Persons in all (and out) of--well-- EXISTENCE is there watching you....... and more than that-- LONGING for you to just.......... just BE. It's alarming and frightening and relaxing and beautiful, all at the same time.

As I look back on this morning, I remembered that the Scripture that was read aloud wasn't Scripture about us humans--but HIM. I guess i've just begun to realize so often that we put OURSELVES in Scripture. "He loves YOU" (yes! He loves MMMEEE!) "He died for you" (yes! He died for MEEEEE!). don't get me wrong--nothing wrong with that whatsoever: and we all know that we all need to remember that from time to time--but what about remembering that... well, it's all about HIM?! HE's the one (that loves us)... HE'S the one (that died...) He's the one who is literally holding our bodies together at this precise moment as we read this note.... HE's the one spoke creation out of N-O-T-H-I-N-G. HE's the one whom we will cast down our crowns at HIS FEET (that HE GAVE US, by the way)....--

Anyways, so I guess that i've just totally gone on about all this ramblingness from my brain: but one thing I remembered today was that ..... I was made for something more than "this".... I was made to exist with Him--to walk and talk with Him (and others).... I was made for a home that isn't in or of this world.....

"Even so, Come..."