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First I want to start this post by saying that this is something I do not talk about super often, this is not a sermon, and I am not an expert. This post is going to contain simply my personal experiences and my interpretations, and by no means do I feel that my way is the only "right" way to be or believe. People come from every walk of life, cultivate different experiences that shape their faith, and interpret scripture in their own way, and this is just mine, one of many stories in this space.
Read on and know, that if it resonates with you, I am happy, but if not, your own beliefs and interpretations are just as valid & Christ-centered.
So many of you have asked me to discuss my faith a little more, as it is something I do not talk about very often! Specifically how to deal with "The Christian Competition" as I have grown to call it. If this is something that interests you, I am going to give you just a surface-deep look into my faith & my personal experiences, and maybe it will resonate with you as well. Along with that, I have had the same devotional now for it feels like a million years! So I thought I would do a little review on it, to give you an inside view of something I practice as part of my faith. So here is a detailed look at my devotional in particular (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young), and even if you don't choose this one, why I think everyone who is on a faith journey should find a devotional book they like.
It is awesome to hear that so many of you want to take a dive deeper into your faith & be more intentional by picking up a daily practice of devotional reading, along with learning about the faith journeys of others. I feel like I used this devotional in high school, and it was fine and dandy, but it really didn't mean much or feel like a true experience, just something I did. I really started using this thing when college came around. I didn't have my home church anymore, my AMAZING pastor who seems to just get me and what I am feeling/going through, and I didn't really have a church family. This devotional was the piece I could take with me from the structure of faith I had back home. It was sturdy, dependable, and familiar when nothing else was, especially in terms of what my faith & relationship with God looked like now.
For those of you that don't know me personally, I am an ELCA Lutheran and attended a Lutheran college! Going to school, no one talks about their faith to people they just meet, at least not me. "Hi my name is Molli and I am a Christian!" might take some people aback, and quite frankly I just don't feel like I need to say that. It is my belief that I should not have to tell anyone I am Christian, they should know just by seeing how I treat people and carry myself. Of course I am not ashamed, and will gladly talk to anyone and everyone about my faith, God, the bible, my beliefs, etc. but I would never shove it down anyone's throat, as I believe everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, just like I am entitled to mine. One thing that I firmly believe is that there is no one right way to be a Christian, and that there is no Christian person that is better than another. I think we all have our own unique relationship with God, and that we all express that in different ways, and I think God sees that.
For me, my faith, relationship with God, and expression of my faith is a very private thing, and I think that is okay.
Coming into college I didn't have my own church like I did back home. I was with people I had just met, and to me that does not scream comfortability. I tried different churches until I found one I liked, but it still wasn't the same as my home church. I went to on campus worships, did bible studies, and they were wonderful and helped me connect with amazing people, but it wasn't always in the format of how I personally connected with God.
I felt like there was a lot of silence when it came to peoples' beliefs, or the opposite, "The Christian Competition" aka: people shoving christianity on others, comparing how much faith in God they had to another person, or acting like they were a better Christian than someone else because of XYZ. It was an area of discomfort that was foreign to me. I had never realized that your faith could be a competition. It felt like it was everywhere, and it was really discouraging.
However, my devotional was something that was familiar. I knew it was part of who I was in Christ, even when nothing else around me felt like it was, and it was something I was able to do for myself to strengthen my relationship with God the way I knew how.
If you are someone that has been or is currently in this situation, I recommend doing a devotional. It can be something that can connect you to God and something that no one else needs to assess or even know about. Something between you and God, to me that is a sacred thing.
I am no pastor, theologian, or perfect Christian, but growing up I remembered this passage from Matthew that has stuck with me, and maybe it will resonate with you as well.
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven."
"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words."
Matthew 6:1, 5 - 7
These phrases have been something I have modeled my faith after, and maybe some of you can relate. Maybe someone who actually studies the bible will tell me I am interpreting this all wrong, but to me this meant, "pray in private, don't flash your faith to everyone so they know you are a good person, and find time to be alone with God through prayer & practice, because that is the holiest time you can give." So a devotional is perfect, it is something I could do not in public that is meaningful to me & glorifies God. Something that is sacred, just between me and God. And let me tell ya, this devotional in particular is a total keeper!
I like this Jesus Calling devotional, as it has little devotions for each day, just a paragraph long, with one verse written out for your day. Then it has additional verses at the bottom to get you into your bible a bit.
Pros:
The devotions are short & manageable to read and understand
It provides a bible verse for you for each day
The devotions are relatable and not too over-the-top!
Cons:
It kind of gets old trying to search through you entire bible for 3 different verses sometimes honestly! (I might need a new bible though, so this may be biased, ha!)
No other cons! Just a lot of verses sometimes to look up on your own.
I love my devotional, and I recommend you try it if you are looking for one yourself! I have kept it for 8 years, so it must be a good one! And I encourage you wherever you are on your faith journey to look for your people, never be ashamed of they kind of Christian you are, and to connect with God in the best way you know how. In my opinion, the best kind of Christian is the one who realizes there is no such thing.
I hope you all enjoyed a little peek into my faith, and I hope you will feel comfortable sharing your's with me or someone else in your life. I am always wanting to hear from you all!
If you take nothing else from this post, please take this: love your neighbor, especially the neighbor who looks, lives, believes, and is much different from you.
you are blessed. you are gifted. you are loved and appreciated, just as you are.
mindfully, molli
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