After my last post, I've found some scripture to help me with being a true and genuine Christian.  Romans 12:9-21 is about the marks of a true Christian.  I read through it and looked up synonyms for some of the words to help me better understand.  Here are some things I'm going to work on and my explanation of them:


1.) Love genuinely- I love this and I think it applies perfectly to me here at Liberty.  God calls us to love everyone as He loves us and as much as I try to do that, this is a good reminder to not just love people, but to love them genuinely.  Genuine means to be real and authentic and honest, and so I'm going to strive for genuineness in my relationships and to love them how I am loved by my Father.  


2.) Hate/ abhor evil- This one is tough, I feel like I so easily forget to hate what is evil.  I become callous to it until I don't really notice anymore and it doesn't shock me anymore.  For example curse words, after a while, I'm not as aware when people swear or when I hear it in music.


3.) Don't be lazy in determination and eagerness- I have become lazy lately in my determination to spend time with God every day and instead have put other things in front of what is really most important.  I think God rewards those who aren't lazy in their eagerness to live every moment for His glory. 


4.) Be enthusiastic with Spirit and your soul- The word for this in my Bible is fervent.  I looked it up and another word for it is burning.  I thought that was really cool how God wants us to be so enthusiastic in our souls that were burning for Him.  I want to be so on fire for God that other people will watch me burn. 


5.) Rejoice in hope- I like this because Paul doesn't just say to have hope, but to rejoice in it!  We should be joyful and happy in the hope we have through Christ!


6.) Be patient in trials- I've learned this one this semester, but it is true that when you're in the midst of the trial, it is hard to understand the purpose, but by persevering with patience, everything becomes clear and you can see how you have grown through the trials.  


7.) Pray constantly- This is another thing I have definitely messed up with.  Praying is so important and it is so neat to me to think that all I have to do is call out to God and He hears me and that He knows exactly what I'm going to say before I say it.  But it is also hard sometimes to know that He hears me when I feel alone and helpless.  But I know that I will be blessed through perseverance.  


8.) Seek to be generous- The last thing is not just to be generous, but to seek opportunities to show God's love through generosity.  I definitely want to work on this, especially during the Christmas season.  I am blessed with so much and if I have the opportunity to share my blessings with others, I definitely want to do that.  


So I've learned a lot through Paul's wisdom and it really helps put things in perspective and helps me focus on things to work on so that I can be a true Christian striving to glorify God in all I do!