5 Things Believers Should leave in 2019 | To The Church

As we wrap up another year, it is common to reflect on our goals, achievements and even our failures. As a believer and follower of Christ, I find this to be especially important as we should always be pressing towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:14-15).

With every day we should be developing a heart and mind that is more like Christ and less after the fashions of this world.

2019 rendered many uh, “fascinating” moments within the church and among communities of believers. Without having to completely rehash the unfortunately MANY “fascinating” moments I thought that as a body of believers we could better benefit from a list of things to simply leave in 2019 and offer some better things to press toward.

With that, here are 5 Things Believers Should Leave in 2019:

1. The form of godliness (2 Timothy 3:5): With the rise of anxiety, depression, mass shootings and sex trafficking, I think it’s safe to say that people are deeply hurting and in need of The Savior. Why continue to settle for a form of godliness seen in many churches that do all of the things (fake shouting, anointing-less church, no miracles, signs or wonders) and deny the TRUE power of God, sending people away the same way they came. Instead, let us fast, pray and seek God for revival, individually and collectively to see and experience His life changing power in our lives. Jesus is REAL and His power is even realer. Without its manifestation in our lives and churches people are more inclined to believe in the power of the enemy and the hopelessness of their situation.
2. Studying to confirm (2 Timothy 3:16-17): Being raised in church and in a believing household, it is easy to simply study to confirm what you’ve been taught. The truth of the matter is, even those with the purest of intentions could still miss the mark or not rightly divide the scriptures. Instead, challenge yourself to read and study the Word of God with the intentions of learning, not simply confirming what you may already know. This is not an easy task, especially if you are comfortable in your faith. However, the blessing in study to learn and not confirm is that you become open to knowing more of the character of God and more of His will. Isn’t that the goal anyway?
3. Not studying the Word at all (2 Timothy 2:15): This is a BIG ONE! As believers we have GOT to know the Word of God like we know our own names. How can we say we truly believe when we are not versed in what we say we believe? Instead, let’s take the excuse of not being able to understand the scriptures and ask Holy Spirit to open our understanding. Additionally, let’s not forget about concordances, dictionaries and commentaries that can help us to understand. In 2020 there are really no excuses for not studying the Word of God.
4. Having biblical conversations without biblical facts with unbelievers: This one goes hand in hand with the one above. As believers, the Word of God should be our foundation for truth and the guide by which we live our lives. How then can we truly say we believe when we do not know the Word, let alone engage in conversation with others about it? Instead, we must apply the wisdom from the Word of God and use discernment on whether a biblical conversation is edifying or simply a debate.  The Word of God is true and does not need to be debated. We must again apply the wisdom of the Word and know when to no longer engage with unbelievers whose intentions for having the conversation may be to only discredit it. Please refrain from casting your pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6). And before anyone says I’m calling unbelievers pigs, please know that is not the case. However, like the pig (an animal that enjoys filth), unsubmitted/unwilling unbelievers are not able to honor the holiness of the Word. So, resist the urge to argue and debate with those who are intent on not believing God’s Word.
5. The fear of sharing (and living) the gospel: I posted on my Instagram a few weeks ago about being an unapologetic believer. I’ve found that we (myself included) get into the habit of looking at the world for a significant amount of time and before we know it our looking has turned into longing. We compare ourselves to the world and reflect only on the things (sin and things that lead to sin) God has called us out from and give little to no attention to the newfound freedom we have in Christ. A part of the reason why we’re scared or apprehensive in sharing the gospel is because we are not completely sure about it and somewhere deep down, we believe that God is not enough. I know that was hard but if we can be honest for just a moment, we will see that our faith plus being trendy/popular/relevant [insert your struggle here], is a lot more appealing than simply loving God in word and deed. Instead of allowing insecurity to set in from longing for worldly desires, let us draw our attention back to God. Fill yourselves with the Word of God and remove anything that does not edify your soul. As we build our faith, we simultaneously build our confidence.

2019 presented many areas of opportunity for us all to go deeper in God. Let us continue to take note of our spiritual growth and strive to be better representations of our great God.

What are you leaving in 2019 that will take you to the next level in your relationship with God?