Christianity is...

Tweets by Brian Mashburn and my response (**)

Christianity is characterized by suffering. When all is well in the world for a Christian, it is because he is too much of it.

**Lord, make me uncomfortable in this world. Show me how to suffer for you. Show me how to be "in the world but not of the world rather than "of the world but not in the world." **

Christianity is characterized by peace. When a Christian leaves peace and peacemaking, it's because he's forgotten who his Father is.

**Lord, you are teaching me how to be peaceful in the good circumstances. Continue to show me how to bring to the chaos that surrounds me.**

Christianity is characterized by purity. When a Christian defends his rights to sin moderately, he's left Jesus as his Lord & example.

**Lord, convict me often the sin that entangles me and do not let me ever defend or justify my sin.**

Christianity is characterized by a hunger for more of God. When a Christian isn't desiring God, its b/c they're feasting on temporal things.

**Lord, I know I feast on temporal thing often. I know I fill myself with lots of other things - food, entertainment, mindless reading - first instead of turning to you. Show me how to stop feasting on those things and rely only on You.**

Christianity is characterized by sincerity. When a Christian is shallow, sarcastic or superficial its because he isn't "seeing" as God sees.

**Lord, I want to see through your eyes. Stop my tongue from sarcasm and connect my heart to that which I want to hurt. Show me how to avoid shallow conversations and turn my conversations to you. when I want to be superficial make the circumstances impossible for that to happen. Give me a sincere heart and mind.**

Christianity is characterized by mercy. When a Christian lacks mercy, it is because he has forgotten his own sins or God's forgiveness.

**Lord, may I never forget the great extent that you went to offer me forgiveness and may I always offer forgiveness to the same extent to others. May my thoughts be like David's 'my sin is always before me" but not in a way that it produces guilt. May my sin be before me in a way that leads me to your feet and drives me to be more and more merciful daily. **

Christianity is characterized by dependence. When a Christian acts purely on his own initiative, he still has some growing up to do.

**Lord, I want to be completely and totally dependent and yet I know for a fact that I act on my own will often. Continue to humbly me Father that in all that I do, I only look to you and your will for my decisions.**

Christianity is characterized by love. Anything a Christian does that is not love is sin, a waste of his time, and suicide to his spirit.

**Lord, I am tired of wasting my time. I am tied of sin. And I am tired of trying to kill my spirit by reacting and acting out of religious duty, guilt, habit or selfish ambition. I want to be known as yours and I know that for that to happen, I will have to love others as you love me. **