Sunday 15 January 2017

A Work in Progress

God’s love for me allows me to make mistakes and learn from them. When I get things wrong I repent, I dust myself down and get back to war as a Christian Soldier.

Source: Tens Two Cents
I’m not sure if anyone will understand my experience of living life, but for me, outside of God I find life difficult. Life for me often feels like a complicated game where every player has been given a set of instructions except for me. I don’t understand the rules of engagement. The most confusing part for me is relationships, however I know that by God’s Grace I am very loved by many people.

I have been married since I was 19 years old to a wonderful, patient and very kind man. We have been married for 30 years and we have been blessed by God to have a wonderful daughter, a wonderful son and a ‘cheeky’ dog. However even in these most intimate relationships I can often find the art of communication confusing. Outside of God it is difficult for me to process data so I choose to live my life by standing on the Living Word of God. The Bible is my set of instructions on how to live life. In 1 Corinthians 13 the bible teaches me how to love others and it also teaches me how to guard my mind and to watch every thought that comes into it. The full armour of God found in Ephesians 6 protects my whole body and it is the helmet of salvation that allows me to gain victory at the place of thinking. As a body of Christ, it is important for us to understand that the origin of every action is a thought. It is therefore the Glorious Word of God that keeps me safe and allows me to function with some ‘normality’ in this complicated process of life.

I clung to Father God for my dear life through my childhood and continue to cling to Him every single day. It may sound a bit religious but I speak to God from the minute my eyes open and I continue to talk to him throughout the day. I love God with all my heart and I know that He loves me, Amen, but even in Christ some days can be tough. 

Source:ChristianQuotes.info
Every day at University was a struggle, standing at the school gate when my daughter and son were young with the other parents and never fitting in was tough, family events were a struggle, the list goes on and on. Everything was a struggle but the Good News is that God has always been my anchor in the storm; Hebrews 6:19 ‘We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain’, Praise His Holy Majesty. God has never ever left me or forsaken me; Deuteronomy 31:6 ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you’. He is my rock; Psalm 62:6 ‘Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken’, and I love Him and I thank Him continually for his unconditional agape love. God’s love for me allows me to make mistakes and learn from them. When I get things wrong I repent, I dust myself down and get back to war as a Christian Soldier. Romans 8:1 encourages me to get back in the fight because it tells me; ‘Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’, Amen. Even when we dwell in the Kingdom of God difficulties will still come, but there is always the miraculous possibility of a new morning: Lamentations 3:22-23 ‘Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness’.

This blog may seem to be a little depressing and for that I sincerely apologise, but in my heart I believe God wants me to share this testimony to help support and encourage those who the world sees as ‘different’ and for others to understand that we are all not the same. God has made us all unique and wonderful. God asks us to not only to love one another but to love our enemies; Luke 6:27 ‘But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you’. It makes me feel sad when I see people not accepted because they are different, they are too loud, too quiet, too fat, too thin, do not wear the right cloths, have the wrong colour skin, they are the wrong sex, to tidy, to untidy, always on time, never on time etc. The point I am trying to make is that according to God’s holy word we are all unique and wonderfully made; Psalm 139:14 ‘I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well’. The Pastor of our church calls us a ‘motley crew’ (he calls us this in love) and praise God for our differences because we are God’s motley crew and He loves us all just the way we are, a work in progress.

If someone is behaving in an ungodly manner we should pray for them and to ask God to send the right person to speak to them. We often do not know another person’s history so we have no idea know why they may be a drug taker, a criminal, a wife abuser, a child abuser etc. but God knows everything, Amen. A painful childhood or past experience does not give anyone the right to abuse another person, but when someone is behaving badly they may be crying out for love; but only God knows all things. I pray to God that He will use me as His vessel to present Jesus to those who are desperately in need of him. Jesus came to heal the sick; Mark 2:17 ‘Jesus said to them, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners’, and to tell the prisoners that they are prisoners no more; Luke 4:18 ‘He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free’. There is only one judge and Praise God He is a fair, Holy and a Righteous Judge.

Enjoy the worship song below especially when it says ‘the weak are made strong in Christ alone’, Amen. God Bless all the readers of this blog with his peace, love and Joy.


Author: Christina O’Neill

May God bless and enrich your life

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5 comments:

  1. Each one of us are unique and we all have our own characteristics and 'quirky' ways. The blog reminds us that even though we may be different and often see others as different, we are all made by God. He made us exactly the way He wanted. We are the way we are for a reason and that reason is to fulfil the purpose that God made us for, to love and Glorify Him. God does not make mistakes and He made us all perfect in His eyes. As the blog tells us; Psalm 139:14 ‘I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well’. Amen. Thank you for the blessing of this article.

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  2. Thanks for the honesty of this blog Tina and your bravery in sharing your vulnerabilities. This blog has helped me to think differently about a situation I gave to deal with this week. Thank you Lord for your direction. Thank you Tina for sharing xx

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  3. How true it is that we are all different, that we are all unique but that we are All created in Gods image. We are a body and a body is made up of different parts, all unique but all needing each other to function, and just like a body we all need each other to function. The only way we can truely do that is to love each other unconditionally with the love that Christ has for us. This blog powerfully reminds me to take the plank out of my own eye before trying to take the spec of sawdust out of someone else's. We don't know what others have been through or experienced so we should never judge or have preconceived ideas, just let God be God through us to them. Thank you for blessing us with this open and powerful blog. Be blessed.

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  4. Thanks Tina for another encourage words that we know on our life journey when things are tough and things are good hold on his words for strength and guidance because Jesus is our rock and our fortress his words tell us he never leave us or forsake those that trust him bless his holy name God bless you all amen

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  5. Thank you for this encouraging Article . God will aLways use people who feel that way to minister to those who for whatever reason are marginalized by society? and will relate to them in a special way . the love of Jesus Christ will always compel those people to have a special ministry in that area. This blog for me speaks of victory over adversity and makes me think how wonderful it is how God uses us with all our fears and mind sets? Praise God how he turns negatives into positives when we seek to glorify our Lord and Saviour . Well done sister your open hearted Article will touch many hearts x

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