Great idea, Cinders!
Hmm...this is actually sort of hard for me to answer. It's such a simple topic, but I'm having trouble putting it all into words...
I guess...it's not so much that I'm following certain teachings; it's more like I'm just...doing what I love to do. :-) When you choose to be a Christ-follower, you don't really consciously think "okay, from now on I'm gonna do lotsa good religious stuff". You just do it because you have a big thirst to do what's right, to make the world better and live in a way that makes God happy. What makes Him happy makes you happy. It comes naturally because it's all part of the new, born-again you and the amazing relationship you have with Him. :-)
I've known Him since I was four, so He's kind of like a third parent to me. xD His light's always been there; it's an everyday thing for me. And because of that, sometimes I forget about it or take it for granted.
Of course, there are certain "traits" I don't think I'll ever lose - like I never get mad when someone is nasty to me or makes fun of my faith. If anything, I just get sad for them and try even harder to make friends. =P I like talking to God and sharing little special things with Him, like a starry sky or a catchy strain of music, or even a cool idea for a story or a song. I'm quick to forgive, I love making people happy and encouraging them whenever they need it, and I have a deep thirst to reach out to broken people and let them know that He cares. And if there's something about Jesus or the Bible someone doesn't understand, I'm more than happy to fill them in...or if I don't get it either, I get all excited and "let's go find some answers and tackle this together, whoohoo!" xD
Those all come naturally to me, and so I use them all the time. But on the other hand, there are things that take a conscious decision to go out and do something. God commands us to go out and take action, and that's where it gets hard. ;-) A lot of us tend to get so comfortable in our cozy, personal little God-bubble that we ignore the hints He sends us and live our lives oblivious to just how broken the world is. And that includes me sometimes. It's something I think we all need to work on. :-)
I haven't helped out at a soup kitchen yet, but my family sponsors a girl in Africa through Comapssion International. And because my dad's a pastor, we have a lot of great opportunities to help people out. And there is one very special thing I did a couple months ago. Mom and I were driving down the highway, and God put an idea in my head: smile at every driver you pass. So just to see what would happen, I looked out of my window and did just that. Sometimes the other drivers would smile back, sometimes they'd frown and look back to the road, and sometimes they'd just stare or blink at me. But I drank in every second of it, and I'll never forget how good it felt...especially when someone would smile back. Oh, there were so many different smiles...some were cheerful, some were sad, some were strained or bemused, some were thank-you-ish (if that makes sense, lol). It may not have been much, but nevertheless I touched some lives that day, if only for an instant. It's amazing what smiles can do. Just imagine how much more amazing they can be when God uses them. ^__^
(Note to self: do that more often.)
Hmm...this is actually sort of hard for me to answer. It's such a simple topic, but I'm having trouble putting it all into words...
I guess...it's not so much that I'm following certain teachings; it's more like I'm just...doing what I love to do. :-) When you choose to be a Christ-follower, you don't really consciously think "okay, from now on I'm gonna do lotsa good religious stuff". You just do it because you have a big thirst to do what's right, to make the world better and live in a way that makes God happy. What makes Him happy makes you happy. It comes naturally because it's all part of the new, born-again you and the amazing relationship you have with Him. :-)
I've known Him since I was four, so He's kind of like a third parent to me. xD His light's always been there; it's an everyday thing for me. And because of that, sometimes I forget about it or take it for granted.
Of course, there are certain "traits" I don't think I'll ever lose - like I never get mad when someone is nasty to me or makes fun of my faith. If anything, I just get sad for them and try even harder to make friends. =P I like talking to God and sharing little special things with Him, like a starry sky or a catchy strain of music, or even a cool idea for a story or a song. I'm quick to forgive, I love making people happy and encouraging them whenever they need it, and I have a deep thirst to reach out to broken people and let them know that He cares. And if there's something about Jesus or the Bible someone doesn't understand, I'm more than happy to fill them in...or if I don't get it either, I get all excited and "let's go find some answers and tackle this together, whoohoo!" xD
Those all come naturally to me, and so I use them all the time. But on the other hand, there are things that take a conscious decision to go out and do something. God commands us to go out and take action, and that's where it gets hard. ;-) A lot of us tend to get so comfortable in our cozy, personal little God-bubble that we ignore the hints He sends us and live our lives oblivious to just how broken the world is. And that includes me sometimes. It's something I think we all need to work on. :-)
I haven't helped out at a soup kitchen yet, but my family sponsors a girl in Africa through Comapssion International. And because my dad's a pastor, we have a lot of great opportunities to help people out. And there is one very special thing I did a couple months ago. Mom and I were driving down the highway, and God put an idea in my head: smile at every driver you pass. So just to see what would happen, I looked out of my window and did just that. Sometimes the other drivers would smile back, sometimes they'd frown and look back to the road, and sometimes they'd just stare or blink at me. But I drank in every second of it, and I'll never forget how good it felt...especially when someone would smile back. Oh, there were so many different smiles...some were cheerful, some were sad, some were strained or bemused, some were thank-you-ish (if that makes sense, lol). It may not have been much, but nevertheless I touched some lives that day, if only for an instant. It's amazing what smiles can do. Just imagine how much more amazing they can be when God uses them. ^__^
(Note to self: do that more often.)
last edited 一年多以前
