Question Three!

The final question in my series is "Who are you collecting?"  I want you to consider those who surround you, those who look up to you, those who are watching you and perhaps even admiring you.  If they were to answer these three questions, you might be listed under their question 1, "Who Are You Following?"  http://goldenruleliving.blogspot.com/2012/05/1st-question.html

Of all the three questions, this group (those you are collecting) is one that you don't really have control over.  You're not always sure who they are, where they are, or why you are collecting them.  They may be your own children, your co-workers, women and young ladies at your church or even strangers. 

I just finished teaching the teenage girls class at our Vacation Bible School, I also typically teach the teen girls half of the year.  I started this blog, speak at ladies days and write articles for other publications.  But last week during that class, I kept thinking about the seriousness of this question - who am I collecting?  I want to make sure what I say matches how I behave.  Many of the people who hear me or read my articles and blog are also friends with me on Facebook.  I want my posts and pictures to match up with what I say and write.  "Practice what you preach" comes to mind.

Titus 2:3-5 says "the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things- that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed."  I have always said that I am always older than somebody else, and I don't have to wait until I'm old to be this Titus 2 "older" woman.  To prove my point, I selected a few girls in the class and asked them their age, and then pointed out someone in our group who was younger than them and who might be looking up to them as an example.

With this question, the only one we do have control over is our self.  Are we making good choices in our daily life so that if someone was following us, they would make the same good choices?  Am I imitating God so that those who are looking to us for an example are ultimately looking to God?  I Corinthians 11:1

Question 2

Just a reminder, I'd posted 3 questions for consideration:

1. Who are you following?
2. Who are you connecting with?
3. Who are you collecting?

Today, I'd like us to look at question 2, "Who are you connecting with?"  These are the people who are your peers, your friends, those who you spend the most time with.  You may or may not like these people.  They're your co-workers, the other parents on the travel baseball team, your family.  Our goal is not to emulate, or become likes these individuals but circumstances in our lives determine that we spend time with them.

As we consider the people we are connecting with, I'd like us to think about how they are affecting us.  As with question 1, "Who are you following?", our lives can begin to mirror those we spend the most time with and this group is often the one with whom we spend the majority of our time whether we like it or not.

The Bible speaks many times about the affect others can have on us.  I Corinthians 15:33 - "Do not be deceived, 'Evil company corrupts good habits.'"  Proverbs 22:24-25 "Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul."  People can influence us by their direct efforts or by their secret, silent influence by their words, conversation and example.  Television, media, books, music all have an affect on us in some way.  Do you recall the first homosexual character on television?  He was made to be funny, laughable, and you weren't really sure if that's what he was supposed to be a homosexual or not.  Now, they are mainstream, in almost every television show, commercial and movie.  We've become more soft to the sin of homosexuality and it doesn't seem as dangerous.  Consider fornication, lasciviousness, drinking, bad language, etc.  The more we are in the company of the worldly, the more worldly we can become.

We often look at just the first part of this verse; 2 Timothy 2:22 "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."  Paul urges Timothy here to pursue those good things with good companions - those who are living a Christian life with a pure heart.  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 is a great passage about friends.  "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.  For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.  But woe to him who is alone when he flals, for he has no one to help him up.  Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him, and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."  There is power in associating with like-minded people, and there is power in associating with those who are worldly.

Consider for a minute the top 5 people you spend the most of your time with.  If you have children at home, you can count them as 1 person for this exercise.  These people may be your husband, parents, co-worker, friends, or whoever you spend the most of your time.  What affect do these people have on your life?  Are they basement people?  Pulling you down towards the cesspool where they live?  Or, are those 5 people balcony people?, challenging you to live to your best, helping you along the way with encouragement, smiles and even a hand when you need it.? The balcony people help you rise up to meet the challenges in life.  Are these people helping you be more Christ-like or less like Christ?

There is a great challenge we have living in the world to not become worldly.  I John 2:15-17 reminds us to not love the world or the things in the world.  Romans 12:1-2 however lets us know that we are presenting our lives as a sacrifice to God.  We are to be holy, and acceptable, not conforming to the world, but being transformed.  The difficulty in this lies in the fact that sometimes in our lives, we are placed in situations where we cannot control who we are associating with.  What we can control is the degree of association, remembering to reach up to Christ, who we are following (Question 1) and renewing our mind with His words.  There are times where we must change our circumstances and separate from those who are a negative influence on us.

I hope this second question has made you think.  Please take a minute and do the exercise of your top 5 - you may be shocked at how much affect those 5 individuals have on your life. 

 

1st Question

I recently posed 3 questions for you to think on. 

1. Who are you following?
2. Who are you connecting with?
3. Who are you collecting?

Let's spend a little time looking at the first question.  Who are you following?  I asked you to think of your mentors and people you admire and look up to. Who came to mind?  Did your mind automatically go to women of the Bible such as Ruth and Esther?  Did you think of the leaders on your job, in your school, in your church?  The president, governor, television personalities?  According to Forbes magazine, Jennifer Lopez is the "World's Most Influential Celebrity".  Is she someone you're following, or perhaps others on the list, like Oprah, Ryan Seacrest or Lady Gaga. 

In the world of social media, following someone has various meanings. Of course if you are following my blog, you'll get updates of new posts. If I'm following someone on Twitter, I receive updates from that person or group. Perhaps it means that I'm interested in what they are doing. It can mean that I admire what they do, and I want to learn more about them.  However for this article, consider following as in following someone while they're walking or driving.  By following them, I am walking in their path, and doing what they do.

My life will mirror the life of who I am following.  My pattern of speech may change, my dress and attitude will also go through changes to be more like who I am following.  This can be a positive change or a negative one.  Following popular culture may have me dressing in low-cut tops, tight bottoms and not having a concern for how my actions affect those around me.  Following my neighbors may lead to a "keeping up with the Jones's" attitude.  My goals will revolve around making my home a show place, traveling to the "in" restaurants and vacation destinations.  If I find myself following current political leaders, I will begin to stop believing in the sanctity of marriage and the home, allowing humanistic views to influence my every choice.  However if I look to find a positive mentor and example to follow, my life will take a different course.

According to dictionary.com, a mentor is a wise or trusted adviser or guide.  A mentor can be someone we follow to learn from.  King Rehoboam had a great set of mentors in I Kings 12.  These elders had stood before his father, the wise King Solomon and provided good, sound advice (vs. 6).  However King Rehoboam chose to follow his peers, young men who had grown up with him.  We can look at others in the Bible as well as examples of good mentoring:  Barnabas and Paul, Paul and Timothy, Naomi and Ruth, Elijah and Elisha, Moses and Joshua, Deborah and Barak.  Older women are to be mentors for younger women in the local church (Titus 2).  The worthy woman of Proverbs 31 shows an ideal woman.

Do you have a good Christian to follow in your daily walk?  I have been blessed by godly Christian parents who gave me examples to follow.  There have been people along the way whom I can look up to, admire and follow as well.  Paul in I Corinthians 11:1 said "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ."  Again in Ephesians 5:1 "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children."  The one we are to ultimately follow is Christ. 

In my business, I have women who have been extremely successful, and if I follow their examples, I know that success can be mine as well.  In following godly women by modeling their love of their husbands and love of their children (Titus 2:4) I can grow more successful as a better wife and mother.  However, following Christ above all others will give me rewards above anything I could ever imagine (Ephesians 3:20).  Because I know that ultimate success is living my life and going to heaven following Christ is my highest priority.