Our lives are like sponges. Whatever we are soaking in will come out of us when we are squeezed and under pressure.

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My life has been crazy lately. I have been learning many profound truths, some of which I had already learned before, but had forgotten the importance of.

I want to fill my mind and my heart with Godly things and pure things and honorable things, so that when I face a trial where I am squeezed, good things can come out of me. I want to be soaking in the Living Word of Life and so when I find myself in a tough spot, I can bring out from within me God's amazing comfort and truths that I have stored up in my heart.

When I am faced with the world's harsh storms that thrash at Christianity and God, I want to be able to act in holiness and speak with purity. I want to be ready.

What are we, as Christians, soaking in? Are we soaking in hatred? Bitterness? Are we soaking in jealousy? Are we soaking in depression? Are we soaking in guilt? Greed? Are we soaking in muck and slime? Are we soaking in dirt and filth? Are we soaking in things that are not of Christ?

When the storms of life come, what do we want to come out of us? Do we want outrageous bursts of anger? Do we want tears of bitterness? Do we want to hurt others?

Of course not.

Then let us turn ourselves aside and look to a much greater Man. A Man who lived life perfect because we cannot. A Man who endured betrayal, hateful eyes, cruel methods of torture, and a cross, so that we can fellowship with him. He endured that because we cannot. He soaked it up so we don't have to.

The life that he lived teaches us everything we need to know to live a life free of hatred, bitterness, jealousy, depression, guilt, greed...

So if we call ourselves Christians - Christ-ones - then why is everything that Jesus stood for absent from our lives?

When Christ was under pressure and was close to death on the cross, he chose to love and forgive the very men who nailed him TO that cross. What he did was natural for him because his whole life he was soaking in the love of his Father.

My prayer is that we soak UP Christ so that we can BE like Christ when we don't know what the crap is going on in our lives. When we are confused, hurt, torn. When we have been wronged.

With love in Christ,
Kristy