¿WWJD?

"What Would Jesus Do?" It's that phrase from Sunday School, the same place you tried to answer every question with "Jesus!" or with an undeniable attribute of God. However, if every Christian is asking him/herself this question, "WWJD?", shouldn't we see a society in which the Christian is coinciding with others in love, and spreading the gospel to the wicked, the corrupt, and the broken? Okay. Maybe that's a lot to ask. Christ was perfect, and well, we aren't, so there is a small bit of room for error even if we try our 100% best. However, even in this scenario, the world should still be teeming with our efforts to love & show compassion. I pose a simple question: Is it?

I think the powerful acronym, "WWJD", has been buried under problems that we think are relative to this day in age. Finances. Politics. Work. People think that Sunday's are for Jesus, and the other days are for personal success and growth. It's about "What Should I Do?" during the weekdays, and the "old-fashioned" phrase of "WWJD?" is a once-in-while "church" thing.

I hope you noticed my quotation marks around old-fashioned, and know that I don't agree with any coined terms like it that seem to be prominent in the church. I believe that the "WSID" mentality is the reason for the civil uproar directed at the church. Society has a negative prejudice against Christians because we are stunningly hypocritical, going to worship God on Sunday's and making statements of submission to the Prince of Peace, but going through our weeks with the mentality of only helping ourselves, and occasionally doing what we think Jesus would do, but usually just doing what brings glory to ourselves. For example, one might make a poetic FB post about an empowering lesson from church, and during their week, ridicule others and defy the very lesson they supposedly gained from church.

We must regain our footing, and stop stumbling on new-age motives of self-glory. Christ is the same as yesterday, unchanging. Therefore, in our valiant effort to be Christ-like, shouldn't we show unchanging devotion to Christ, and continuously exhibit devotion?

More Than Just a Soul~

In the words of the legendary author, John Steinbeck, "I have a new love for that glittering instrument, the human soul. It is a lovely and unique thing in the universe. It is always attacked and never destroyed." The soul is more than a mortal instrument  meant to bring prosperity. It is more like an amulet, being chased by two opposing forces, both forces capable of melding the amulet into destined eternity. Have you ever just stopped in the middle life's chaos, and thought about your soul? What defines a soul? Steinbeck defines the soul as a glittering instrument, a lovely and unique thing in all of the universe. Steinbeck clearly sees something explicitly powerful about the human soul, but do we? A soul, dictionary-defined as "the spiritual part of a person that is believed to give life to the body", is something more valuable than any material pocession. I don't think many of us really understand this though. The human soul is intricately woven, and is not only what Christ aims for, but the Devil too. The soul is so powerful that the spiritual warfare that intensifies daily all revolves around the human soul. Every soul won by Christ is a victory. So if the soul is the target of the almighty Father and is pursued by the ultimate tempter, why is it ignored? Glory in Christ's name, thank God for winning your soul, and pray for your brother's soul, because a soul doesn't just give life, but the state of a single soul decides one's eternal destiny.

Meekness~

What defines meekness? According to our dictionary, meekness is...

• : having or showing a quiet and gentle nature : not wanting to fight or argue with other people

  And furthermore,

  : enduring injury with patience and without        

  resentment

 I wouldn't have looked this up if it weren't for the powerful words in the "Sermon on the Mount" that I read the other night. Meekness was one of the beatitudes, and yet I'd never heard a real definition for the word, or if I had, I had let it sink like an anchor in life's ocean.

Meekness.

So what?

I think this trait defines Christ's attitude in his most trying times. When Jesus was brutally beaten and bore the weight of a sinner, did he retaliate? Meekness is something that should be practiced by all. I think many of us think of meekness as having a gentle nature in the midst of physical trials. Physical pain. Verbal accusations. But what about mental & spiritual pains?

Jealousy, Vanity, and Hate are all attackers of the mind an soul, so why not find peace when these things attack? I wrote "meekness" on my finger today at school to remind me that in the midst of a trying, annoying environment like high school, I need to maintain meekness. Not retaliate, but endure the mental and spiritual trials that walk the halls of school with me.

It's a New Year~

New Years' are scary. Not to say that they don't have a hopeful, reassuring, positive side, but I honestly believe every New Year also has a side that is haunting. This scare comes from the uncertainty of another 365 days, not knowing what will happen; who will walk in to our lives, who will leave, what will happen to us...

For me, this uncertainty pertains to the wondering I have as to the decisions I will make as I try to discover God's will for my life. Being extremely self-concious, I am already expecting looks of disagreement and disapproval when others see new activities I want to implement into my life, and old activities I'm ready to let go of. But besides the fact that these imaginings are irrational, who cares what other people think? I must learn to let go of others' opinions. The depth and cosmic hugeness of another 365 days can be frightening, at least to me. Maybe you only see hope in a brand new year, and these words make absolutely no sense. However, in the face of this fear that you may or may not be experiencing, hold on to the name of Jesus, cling to the cross, and pray with thanksgiving. God will deliver.