Chaos

Having been in Africa for almost two weeks now, I have had a lot on my mind these days. I feel like my worldview has expanded--become much more of a worldview, both literally and in the abstract sense--and I am very grateful for it.

Recently I have been reminded of the brokenness of this world, the struggles we go through as human beings, and the sense of hopelessness that we could easily feel if we try to take it all on by ourselves.

I have been reminded of the need for money, but more importantly, the need for God--Jehovah Jireh, the One who provides and "owns the cattle on a thousand hills." (Psalm 50:10)

I have been made more aware of the significance of social media in this generation; and although we can try to "get away from it all", in many ways, we cannot. It is something that will not go away and we will have to learn how to best deal with it and use it in a way that is beneficial.

I have been made more aware of the negative effect your emotions can have on you--and that you should not be ruled by them for they can be extremely misleading. For example, you may feel alone, but are you really alone?

There's plenty more that has been going through my mind over these last couple of weeks; it would be impossible for me to put it it all into words. The good thing is that I do not have to. God knows it all and is in control of all things. He will reveal to me what needs to be revealed, let me wrestle through what I need to wrestle with, and lead me to the people and experiences that He wants to use to shape me into the man He wants me to be.

Whatever you may be going through, be encouraged. Remember that there is a big world out there, and that in light of God and eternity, there are a lot of things that may not matter after all. Of course, there is a balance to this as there is with anything. God does care about the little things. But beyond that, He wants the best for you. Trust that that is true, because it is.

He has overcome.

Through Him, we have overcome.

We. Can. Overcome.

Homosexuality

I'm constantly amazed at how my generation as well as previous ones have handled the issue of homosexuality. I'm even more amazed (and not in a good way) with how the Church has handled it.

To the LGBT community, I just want to say that you are loved and cared for. Personally, I don't think any less of you. I'm not going to tell you what to do, how to live, what to think, or anything else, because frankly, I'm not in the place to do that. Will I tell you about Jesus? Of course I will. What good would it do to not tell you about the best thing that's ever happened to me, about the One who's changed my life? Do I expect you to accept it? Nope. Do I expect you to believe in God, as I do? Nope. I do believe, however, that there can be a mutual love and respect between both parties, whether they agree or not. That means you and me.

The Church has told the LGBT community many lies (note that this doesn't include the entire Church, just some of it). "If you only pray hard enough, God will change your sexuality." "You're going to Hell." "God hates you." "You're despised, unloved, hated."

Let me come against those lies.

Truth #1: You're not going to Hell. Whoever decided to be God and make the judgment call that gays are going to Hell is in need of a serious reality check.

Truth #2: God does not hate you. In fact, He loves you. He cares for you, wants the best for you, and wants you to experience the life He has for you. It's up to you to discover what that is and seek it out.

Truth #3: Although some do not respect you or treat you the way you deserve, there are many who love you, see value in you as a human being, and want to be there for you. I personally want to be there for you, being someone that you can trust and confide in. I want to be your listening ear, to hear you through the hard things, to help you through them. I want to and do support you.

As to the topic of "God changing your sexuality", I think that many tend to go towards one of two extremes. They either say that He can and will change your sexuality, or they say that He won't and can't. Frankly, I believe we limit God when we make either of those claims. I don't have the experience to testify to the former, nor do I have experience to affirm the latter. I do know that my God can do anything. I know He's changed my heart and set me free from many things, including condemnation, depression, and self-hatred. I know that when I seek Him, my life begins to change. Although He does not prevent me from going through any hardships, He does walk through them with me.

It saddens me that the LGBT community kill themselves (in many instances, literally) over the issue of changing their sexuality. I think that it is the wrong thing to be pursuing. As with anything we deal with, we should pursue God. Whatever we focus on, we give power to. If I focus on the thing I'm trying to change, whatever that may be, it's going to consume me and ultimately have power over me, in which case, it could potentially destroy me. If I focus instead on God, and seek Him with all my heart, He'll take care of the rest. The ways in which He changes me are to some extent outside of my control. All I can do is surrender and trust Him with all of it. Am I saying He will change your sexuality? I'm not affirming it or denying it. I am not God, so I am unable to answer that question. What I do know is that LGBTs deserve the love and respect as do any other human being. And that's nothing short of what I want to give.