christianwritingsamples

[christianwritingsamples]

What I have learned since returning to Christianity

Most of my life, including my upbringing I have been a Christian. The thing is, I was living in a family of lukewarm Christians. None of my family members have ever read the Bible, nor have they ever followed Jesus Christ closely. For as long as I can remember, no one in my family prayed or fasted which also meant that no one taught me about the importance of these things in the first place. There were so many things that I just didn't understand. You can only imagine what kind of an impact that can have on a child. Do not get me wrong, I believe that it is every parent's responsibility to decide whether their child will have a religious upbringing or not,  but I can honestly say that I was stuck somewhere in between those two. I didn't know why we were Christians and I didn't know why it all mattered. For all I knew was that my grandmother, grandfather and both of my parents were Christians, which of course had to implicate that I had to be one as well. I guess, at this point, it is safe to say that we only identified as Christians, but we were not living entirely in such a way. All of this confusion culminated in my early teenage years, when my depression started to develop and I just could not find a way out of it. As the time went on, I was becoming more and more angry with God, the one who let me suffer so much. All in all, at that time, I didn't know what to expect from the future, I didn't know who I was and what my purpose was. So, one day, I decided to give up on God and proclaim myself an atheist. Frankly, there is a good side to every bad situation, thus I gained knowledge and wisdom from this experience and came to the light and Christian truth.

1.      God really works in mysterious ways

This is one of the things I've always dreaded being told, for as long as I can remember. When I was an atheist, I considered people who believed this to be foolish and naive. For me, that was an answer to any and every question people couldn't explain. But the saying is really true, though. You may not realize it until it happens to you and something just clicks in your head and it all starts to makes sense. Maybe something you planned didn't work out, and now you're angry and frustrated. You know you worked really hard for it and you deserved it, but it didn't turn out as expected. Or perhaps, you're in a bad place at the moment, and all the doors seem to be closed. I've had this happen to me before, and frankly, I'm sure everyone else had it too, since it is a widely common situation. It is never easy to keep your faith when you face some serious life struggles. But trust me, God always has you, your future and life on His mind. (For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11)  So many times I wished certain things would happen, but later on, I would realize that better things came to me, and things worked out just perfectly. The key is in patience and trust.

2.      Yes, you can feel God's presence in your life

And I really mean it. Even if you, like me, have never felt it before, and even if you've never understood people who would claim they are close to God. I've often thought that ''having conversations'' with Lord was somewhat like having an imaginary friend, and I continued to think in that manner until I developed my own personal relationship with Him, through prayer. To be honest, this is not something that is easily explained. After all, how could one describe such feelings to someone who has never experienced them before? But, I assure you, this is a life-changing relationship.

3.      Your past does not define you

Yes, I used to be a lukewarm Christian and atheist after that, but that doesn't define me as a person now. Do I feel sorry for the way I used to be? The answer is rather simple – yes. But the most important thing is to realize what you have been doing wrong, learn a lesson from your previous actions and let yourself grow spiritually and emotionally. I've asked for forgiveness and I do everything in my power to stay on the right path. I can say that I've surely found God during my strange journey and now I'm happiest I have ever been in my entire life. The past I repented for has no impact on who I am now, and I have no doubts in my faith and love for our Lord.

4.      There is salvation

As I have previously mentioned, after I had felt God's presence in my life for the very first time, I was ashamed of my actions. I was ashamed of pushing Him away, trying to deny Him. I still am sometimes, to this day. But there is salvation after bad things you've done, said or thought, too. If you honestly and wholeheartedly repent, God will forgive you. As simple and beautiful as that. For some really odd reason, non-believers love to hate God and see Him as a cruel and cold-hearted, distant persona. People love to point out how ''everything is a sin'' but nonetheless turn blind at a mention of forgiveness – one of the most important aspects of Christianity. In forgiveness and salvation lies the true power of our religion.

‘’If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.’’

Romans 10:9-10

5.      God loves you

This is one of the most important things I've learned in my entire life and this journey and it is a conclusion to everything I have previously said and something that had immense impact on me, for sure. It changed me to the point where I stopped feeling unloved, lonely and insecure. The truth is, God has unconditional love for us, His children. Even if we walk astray or do something that is not godly, sometimes. He is a perfect father to us, the one who protects us, forgives us, cares about us and wants us to prosper in every way. When I was angry at Him, He didn't turn His back on me or punish me, but instead, showed me the truth, gave me all of His love, mercy and glory. While becoming close to Him, I grew up on every level and came to the point of ultimate bliss and happiness. And all of this wouldn’t be possible without the unlimited love I received from Him.

Jelena

[christianwritingsamples]

I have never been in a romantic relationship, but also...

I am currently in that period of life where everyone is meeting new people, starting new relationships and trying to figure out where they are in life and what do they want from it. Some people even started their own families. It can be difficult and confusing, but it isn’t too bad. It is safe to say that I myself am like most of the people my age, I love making friends, talking about things I am passionate about, I enjoy reading good books, I watch a couple of TV shows, and I am also an art history geek. Nothing too special, really. I should probably mention one of the exceptions. While I know other people who feel uncomfortable talking about this, I am not. Therefore, I will admit it without hesitation or shame – I have never been in a romantic relationship in my entire life. People always assume that it has something to do with my religion and some religious restrictions, and I guess it is safe to say that they are partly right. I do not have a problem with them assuming that I am saving myself for someone special. But something that I do have a problem with is people assuming that I am unhappy and that my religion forced me into abstinence, which isn’t true. Everyone loves to assume that I will not date until the time for marriage comes, which is absolutely contradictory itself. I will date the right person, and that is really it. My reasoning is rather simple, but for some reason, others often find it difficult to understand. I would like to point out that this is my personal opinion and being this way was also my decision. I do not judge people who disagree with me. After all, there are so many of us, that it would be impossible to expect that we all think alike.  

 1.      I do not feel unloved

I have always had a major hard time trying to explain this to people who disagree with my choice. I am not in need of a man's love. None of us are, to be fair. We are all loved by our families, friends, and most importantly by our Lord, thus we cannot be unfullfiled when it comes to love. Deep down inside my heart, I know that is the only kind of love one could ever be in an actual need of. I am, in no way, trying to belittle or downgrade a strong relationship between two people. As a matter of fact, I think it is powerful and beautiful and I do aspire to have it someday. But it is not crucial. Another important thing that comes to my mind is just how easily people say ''I love you''. I feel like these particular words lost their true meaning being tossed around like that.

2.      I am not prude

I have been told that I should just relax, have fun and not make a big deal out of dating, way too many times. But how could you not make a big deal out of dating? I believe that I’m a grown and serious person and there is no place in my life for relationships that are not serious or do not have future. People always roll their eyes when I say this. I do not want to kiss just anyone and I do not want to date just anyone. And I do not mean that in a vain way. Every single one of us has amazing qualities and is worth loving, but I believe that I would make a better match with a certain type of person, than with someone different than that. These are my preferences and that is absolutely okay. For me, love is something special and I want to give all my love to the right person and that doesn’t make me a prude or a boring person.

3.      I do not judge people who disagree with me

For some odd reason, people like to believe that Christians are the most judgmental individuals out here. In all honesty, there are Christians who will have that attitude towards you, but my point is – judging others is not in the manner of Christianity. As a matter of fact, things are supposed to be exactly opposite and it has been stated so many times in The Scripture. Period.

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ‘’

(Matthew 7:1 – 5)

I strongly believe that it is not up to me or anyone else, for that matter, to make decisions for others. The only thing I can do is wholeheartedly hope that you choose the right path and what is best for you.

4.      I do not care how the rest of the world sees me

Judging other people based on their relationship status is malicious on so many levels. If I’m not dating anyone, that is absolutely my business. If I’m saving myself for marriage, that is the choice that I made. Don’t get me wrong, I do not mind people simply asking me about these things. I am always open for a discussion and I do not have a problem with this specific topic. If you are interested in that sort of conversation in a sense where you want to understand where I am coming from better, I will be thrilled to share my views with you. The problem is, often times, people will mock you or even make fun of you in an inappropriate and rude way. For all the young girls out there who share the same opinion with me, there is no reason to be ashamed or feel intimidated by the rest of the world. You know who you are, you have your own values and you should be respected just as equally as someone who disagrees with you. I remember going to this one hairdresser for a certain period of time. He was a funny guy and we would always talk about some random stuff while he would do my hair, and so we came to the relationship topic. He could not believe that I have never had a boyfriend! Apart from his disbelief, he was trying to assure me that what I was doing, or, to be precise – what I was not doing, was unhealthy. As the conversation went further, he told me that I should be with someone, just to try how it is. I do not mean to disrespect anyone, but I am not going to do something I consider wrong and I am not comfortable with.

5.      I am not afraid of what the future holds for me

People ask me aren’t I afraid that I am going to end up alone all the time. The honest answer to this is – I am not afraid and I do not believe in loneliness. No one who comes to Lord could ever be lonely. (Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Peter 5:7)

To conclude things, instead of stating what I am not, I should say what I am. I am confident, brave, patient, strong and loved by the Lord. Nothing can change that. I am growing on every level and someone special will come along the way, when the time is right. Jelena

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