April 5, 2012 • 31 notes • crystallized-sugar
January 30, 2012

Seeing the World Through Jesus

This is a college admissions essay that I wrote for Barrett’s.  The prompt was to write about how some aspect of your life influenced your worldview.  At first I struggled with whether or not my essay was too abrasive.  I worried that my essay would be sent to an extremely liberal, atheistic professor for review.  Then I realized that Jesus never worried about stepping on anyone’s toes, and that I should be completely honest in my essay.

“My relationship with Jesus Christ has defined my life since I was a child.  As I have gone through high school, I have had to reconcile my personal opinions and the Christian worldview to form how I see the world.  Glorifying God and following the path that He has laid out for my life is my priority, but sometimes I find myself thinking in a way that is contrary to the Word of God and against the character of God himself. 

During times when I have not been walking closely with the Lord, I see things differently.  Sin and its consequences don’t bother me as deeply as they should, if at all.  Tragedies such as the murder of innocent children, and the destruction of marriage as God intended it break the heart of God, and it should break my heart as well.   When I am spending time in His presence and seeking His guidance, my vision and purpose is clear.  I am here as a servant.  God has called me and every other Christian who bears His name to serve others and I believe that it is this characteristic of God that if imitated, could change the world.  Jesus Christ was the ultimate example of a selfless man who lived a life dedicated to serving others.  We have lost sight of the importance of putting others above ourselves, which has contributed to the rapidly decaying morals of our modern society.

My God is a God of reason.  It is through this reason that I can even begin to understand the intricate facets of our society.  God laid down laws, morals, and principles, not to limit man’s behavior, but to induce behaviors that would benefit the common good of all men.  It is through this principle that I can look at the characteristics of God and judge an issue or situation even when Scripture does not explicitly say what is right.   

Establishing a deep foundation in Scripture has given me the ability to understand that everything going on around me points to some characteristic, or lack thereof, of God. I’m imperfect.  I don’t claim that I even come close to God’s omniscience, but a strong doctrinal foundation and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ gives me just a glimpse of how God sees the world.”

January 29, 2012 • 279 notes • joshmaldito
joshmaldito: This is why I love Brooke Fraser so much and how she became my influence. Also, I can relate so much in this passage; it’s a sort of a reflection of my own journey too. “My most powerful moments of ministry have not been, and will not be, on the stage. They’ve been sitting, knee to knee, in a darkened church side room with a 12 year old girl whose father has abandoned her for his new family. They’ve been on an international flight next to a Brit rocker, who, intrigued by a hymn album I had in my CD wallet, asked if I was religious. I replied, “No, I’m not religious, but I’m really into Jesus,” prompting him to put down what he was doing and asking me to talk to him about that. They’ve been crying with a producer in the dressing room of an Australian television network studio as God overwhelmed us both with His love for her. They’ve been singing “Shout to the Lord” to a group of orphans on the side of the road in Rwanda. They’ve been kneeling in prayer with a single mother out the back of a pub in the Waikato after a show, broken glass digging into our knees.” - Brooke Fraser (Soul Purpose Magazine)

joshmaldito:

This is why I love Brooke Fraser so much and how she became my influence. Also, I can relate so much in this passage; it’s a sort of a reflection of my own journey too.

“My most powerful moments of ministry have not been, and will not be, on the stage. They’ve been sitting, knee to knee, in a darkened church side room with a 12 year old girl whose father has abandoned her for his new family. They’ve been on an international flight next to a Brit rocker, who, intrigued by a hymn album I had in my CD wallet, asked if I was religious. I replied, “No, I’m not religious, but I’m really into Jesus,” prompting him to put down what he was doing and asking me to talk to him about that. They’ve been crying with a producer in the dressing room of an Australian television network studio as God overwhelmed us both with His love for her. They’ve been singing “Shout to the Lord” to a group of orphans on the side of the road in Rwanda. They’ve been kneeling in prayer with a single mother out the back of a pub in the Waikato after a show, broken glass digging into our knees.”

- Brooke Fraser (Soul Purpose Magazine)

(via sparks-and-embers)