One of the driving forces behind starting this website, this blog, this brand, has always been to create a community where people who genuinely love God and seek to serve Him, can meet online to discuss what it means to be a baptized believer in 2018.
Obviously Christianity isn't dead. Churches exist, and there are communities that are faith based. We have the place where we worship, and we have friends that profess salvation, but for me, I felt that the sense of community that I long for doesn't exist, or only exists in small pockets.
So Highly and Humbly was born out of the need to create a space where other Christians could express their faith, faith frustrations, Bible knowledge and Bible questions without fear, shame, or embarrassment. I've tried to be honest in my walk and in the things I've learned on this walk in hopes that it would encourage someone. I think that it's so important to dispel the notion that Christians are these perfect, sinless beings that must exude only sunshine and rainbows at all times, because that is not the reality of salvation.
Now, please understand God is good all the time. His mercy endures forever, His love is eternal, and there is nothing too big or too small for our God to conquer.
Also, we forget and often walk contrary to that knowledge...and that's part of this Christian walk as well.
The first lady at my church often quotes Revelations 12:11, especially after altar calls:
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
For me this scripture goes hand in hand with Romans 10: 9, 10 :
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation"
The day we get saved we acknowledge that Jesus died on the cross for the remission of our sins. From the moment we confess the sinner's prayer we have made this conscious and heartfelt decision to serve and love God. Conceptually we understand that we are to "die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31), but I know from experience that sometimes we wake up, and we just don't feel like it.
Sometimes we don't feel like being kind. Sometimes we don't feel like being loving. Sometimes we don't feel like holding our peace and letting the Lord fight our battles, or turning the other cheek. Sometimes we're tired of being patient and long suffering doesn't exactly feed our need for immediate satisfaction. It's during these moments where we should be able to turn to another believer for encouragement, prayer or simply a nonjudgmental venting session that ends in prayer and encouragement to carry on.
I do know that some of us have wonderful support systems that we can turn to in times when we don't feel like we have enough faith to carry us another moment let alone until Sunday.
I also know that some of us don't, and while I continue to hope and pray that Highly and Humbly can begin to fill some of that need, I want you to know that you are not alone.
When you are feeling like your situation, trial, or emotions are getting the best of you, remember that where you are is not where you'll end up. Remember that Christ didn't die for you to be discouraged and that He knows what you are going through and has prepared a way for you to endure.
You can acknowledge that sometimes this walk is hard and not be in danger of backsliding. Even secularly it is understood that the first step to fixing a problem is acknowledging that you have a problem to be fixed. How can you know to ask God for strength if you can't admit that you are weak? How can you ask God to give you courage if you won't acknowledge that you are afraid? How can you ask God for patience if you can't tell Him you're tired of waiting?
Honestly, the closer you grow to God as you continue to develop this relationship with Him, the easier it gets to "flow" in Him. You know, those periods where your faith is so strong you could move Mt Kilimanjaro all by yourself, or when you know you could call fire down from Heaven if you needed to. This doesn't mean that your faith won't ever "ebb", that sometimes, you'll have just enough faith to get you through tomorrow.
I just want you to know that no matter where you are in your walk, you are not alone. God is with you, and so am I.
