Matthew 6:5-18 (NLT)

When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Here Jesus clearly states that bringing your faith into public view in a manner that draws attention to you rather than to Him is a hypocritical behavior. Take a look at some of the blogs here on Revelife, yours or otherwise, and really think about why they were posted. Is the writer just a Christian who happens to be proud of his or her writing skills, or are they putting their problems out into public view as a cry for help or attention from other people, or are they really attempting to turn readers' eyes toward God?

I've used Revelife and Xanga as a means to gain publicity for my writing, which I do pride myself on. This passage has sincerely challenged my thinking, and will greatly benefit my relationship with God now and in the future.

What are your thoughts?

     For some reason I was recently thinking about all the things in life I have to complain about. I hate whiners, even the ones who have real reasons to bitch, and I've never really complained (publicly) about anything. I've known so many people who do nothing but complain about everything either to get attention, or find people who agree, or sometimes for no obvious reason at all. But I took a step back from myself just now, looked around, and noticed that if anyone should be complaining, it's me. I don't want to write a whiney post about all the complaints I have, but I am instead going to use them as examples of why people shouldn't complain.

    My apartment sucks. A lot. The windowsill in the second bedroom is rotting out, there's mold in the walls next to my bed, most of the appliances in the kitchen are close to useless, the heater runs 24/7 through the winter keeping my apartment at 90 to 100 degrees all winter long, and through the summer there's more spiders in, on, and around the place than you could possibly imagine (EEK!). I could write a book! But I won't. Why? Because the reason I'm living in a place like this is my fault. If I had saved my money, rather than spent it, while I was still living at home, I could've been in a very nice apartment, or a fairly decent house, at this point. My mistake; lesson learned.

    My car is in far worse shape than my last car (which I could've gotten $4000 for, but traded in for $100; another terrible mistake). My dad had to buy me new tires, because the ones it had were within 30 miles of blowing out, the mass airflow sensor is "experiencing some blow-by" sucking all of the oil out of the engine, and sending it out through the exhaust system making it rattle quite loudly, the center console is totally busted (which is a huge pain in the butt), the glove box (which houses my proof of insurance) will no longer open, the key hole to open the trunk doesn't work, and the upholstery is absolutely filthy. I could write a book! But I won't. Why? Because when I was looking to get into a different car, I got really excited when I found this one and completely overlooked all of it's faults in my own impatience. I wanted a 5-speed Jetta more than anything in the world, and I had finally found one at a price I could afford. If I had taken a second to think, or even a second to look the car over, I wouldn't have made the terrible mistake of buying it. My mistake; lesson learned.

    I hate my job. Each and every day is absolutely the same, my back is beginning to hurt badly, I'm fighting to keep things normal while working 12-hour nights, I'm barely making ends meet and my job security is headed in a very negative direction. We're losing hours, we're losing money, and we're no doubt headed for disaster. I could write a book! But I won't. Why? I was young, and still living at home when I first started this job, and the level of income I was drawing was absolutely massive, given the fact that all my previous jobs were part time, $100-$200 a week jobs. It was a temporary gig, at first, but when was offered full time and decided to take it, rather than going back to college, was when things took a turn. It was great, for a while, but when I moved out of my parents house, and things began to unfold as they are now, I realized that my income wasn't as massive as I thought it was, and that I had royally screwed myself by taking on this job over college. If I hadn't been so stupid, I could've been out of college and into the real world with a real job by now. Can't complain; my mistake; lesson learned.

    Do you see how constant complaining will keep you from understanding just how your complaints came to be? Philippians 2:14 says, "Do everything without complaining or arguing." Sure, I could whine to everybody I came across just how bad off I am, and maybe they would tell me how dumb apartment management companies are, or how evil used car salesmen are, or how greedy CEO's spit on the little guy to put money in their own pockets. But what would any of that help? If you spend your life complaining and seeking out those who can agree you'll end up nowhere, and you may in fact worsen your situation. It's important that we do everything in our power to get ourselves into the situation we want to be in, and figuring out the real reason behind your being in a terrible situation is the only way to get out of it. If it's your mistake, take it as a lesson and fix the problem.

by vwagenjetta

As you read this, please consider the following quote:
"We probably wouldn't worry about what people think of us if we [only knew] how seldom they do." - Olin Miller

    I've noticed a type of fear in some of my closest friends that is holding them back from living full lives, and  recent events have inspired me to come out and say something about it. The fear I'm talking about is that of offending others, and of others' judgement. People with issues such as these are so worried about others being hurt or upset by their actions, or even their presence (amongst a specific crowd), that they will avoid even the most enjoyable of situations because of it.

    There have been times when I've let some things slide in my life because I didn't want to offend those involved (simply to avoid unwanted or unnecessary conflict). I believe all of us have at one time or another. Avoiding embarrassment is human nature. But going out of your way to avoid any and all embarrassment, or judgement, or offense is a pathetic way to live. Really pathetic! Here's why...

#1 - It's selfish. When we hold our tongue instead of speaking up, or keep away from situations where people might think less of us for whatever reason, we no longer care about helping others move forward in life. We only care about dodging conflict and keeping things comfortable for ourselves.

#2 - It's cowardly. The refusal to voice our opinion regardless of who might be offended shows our lack of courage. It reveals the ugly truth that we allow others to intimidate us into submission, and basically lead our lives for us. Proverbs 29:25 says, "Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety." If we flee from, or dodge, the judgement of others rather than trust in the Lord's safety, we are not at all living in the way God calls us to live. Isaiah 44:9b says, "Those who [speak up for sinners] are blind; ignorant to their own shame." I believe that not speaking up against sin is no different than speaking on its behalf.

#3 - It's dumb. Offending GOD, whose judgement is far more important than that of mere humans, is a lot worse than offending a friend, a community, or an individual; especially someone you don't know, and will probably never see again. Offending God has eternal ramifications. THAT should concern us more than someone's precious little feelings getting ruffled (yours included).

#4 - It's arrogant. You are a sinner. I am a sinner. Everyone is a sinner. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, "Bad company corrupts good morals"; avoiding contact with someone for fear of being seen with a sinner, however, is not at all what this verse is talking about. You shouldn't be afraid to be seen with someone who's "sinful lifestyle choices" you don't approve of because you're no less of a sinner than they are. Just because you sin less, doesn't mean you're sinless.

    Here's my point. Don't let fear (or low self esteem) hold you back from living out God's purpose for your life. Proverbs 19:21 says, "You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail." God's plan for your life cannot be avoided and putting it off will only give you less time to fulfill it in the end. Be bold in your faith, avoid and speak out against sin, and trust the Lord's judgement rather than fearing the world's.