Where God's Word Meets Our Mess
I’ve evaluated a few of Shawn Mendes’ songs—"Stiches" and "Treat You Better" and "There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back"—in prior posts. I’m not a big fan of those three songs because the lyrics are, well, somewhat questionable. But I don’t hate all of Shawn’s songs. In fact, we’re going to evaluate one today that has a great message.
Unfortunately, lies about friendship are sometimes believed by God’s people. I know this is true because I’ve fallen for them and allowed them to affect my life. Believing these lies certainly hurts our relationships with our friends, but it also hurts our relationships with God. I wrote this post to evaluate two specific lies about friendship so that we can realign our beliefs with the truth and understand how to approach friendship biblically.
If you winced when you saw the title of this post, you’re probably an introvert like me. I hate when people tell me I need to step outside my comfort zone. But to be honest, I often end up thriving when I take their advice. I hope you’ll consider taking mine.
I’ve never consumed alcohol—not even a beer at a party or a glass of wine at a restaurant or a sip of champagne at a wedding. There’s a specific reason I’ve avoided alcohol. It’s required intentionality. And while you may not agree with my reason, I promise it’s simple.
I like mysteries—specifically movies with mysteries. I’ve enjoyed many Hallmark mysteries over the years, but finding non-Hallmark mysteries without content issues is hard. That’s why I was so pleased when I learned about The Thursday Murder Club. Although it’s not a Hallmark mystery, it sounded like a good movie overall. Unfortunately, I was wrong.
Honestly, I’m not saying cynicism is a bad thing. I actually advocate it to some degree because biblical principles like wisdom often accompany it. However, I realize cynicism can result in callousness, so I want to approach the topic of guarding our hearts with that in mind. Here are a couple ways to take a cautious—but not cold—approach to romantic relationships.
I can’t believe it’s been over three months since I last published a poem. That one was tied to a specific verse—Psalm 34:8—but this one is based on several verses from Psalm 139. It’s about how intimately God knows us. It’s short and simple, but hopefully, it’s a reminder of His wonderful love.
I’ve seen it more times than I can count—the girl who decides to take matters into her own hands when she loves a guy who’s ambivalent toward her or even uninterested in her. She makes excuses for his lack of initiation, claiming he’s just too nervous or too shy to take the lead. So she takes the lead instead. She seeks him out, talks to him, flirts with him, texts him, and asks him out. But deep down, it’s unsatisfying because she wants what every girl wants—to be chased.
As a former anorexic who’s struggled to accept her body and maintain her health, the main thing I want you to know if you turned back to your eating disorder is that grace and forgiveness are available to you. It’s not too late to find freedom again. You can return to what's right and true, and your brothers and sisters in Christ can help lead you there—if you're willing.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 