Have you heard????

I was invited out this evening for drinks with some people from Uni. Usually I turn down this invitation because the people around me either get completely drunk or smoke and you end up smelling that you've chain smoked about 100 cigarettes! But tonight I accepted, and it was really lovely. I met some undergrads, and another Christian!!! That was very exciting!!! We didn't get to talk much about that aspect of things, but it was great to be sitting beside someone who probably believed the same thing you did. So there were 3 guys and 5 girls.

But when the guys left, us girls got down to catching up what's been happening in our lives. It was a bit strange because even though we know each other from being in the same department we each have our own separate circle of friends, so we don't get together like this, very often - at least not with me. And then it moved into Department gossip. And I really struggled with this, as a Christian. I mean, you want to know what's going on with other people's lives and believe some the stories I heard tonight were jaw-droppers! But God clearly states in His word that we shouldn't take part in that sort of conduct. Leviticus 19:16 says "Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people." (NLT) So, I must confess before you (my readers) and before God, I am sorry that my action was against what God outlines for His people, it was not good Christian conduct. And I don't want to excuse by saying that through gossip, I found that I needed to be careful about how I interact with someone in the department, or else I may be giving the wrong signs, which could lead to a very complicated situation - but anyhow that is another story.

What really struck me was the state of these people's lives. I'm not saying that I am perfect - by no means. We have all fallen short of the glory of God and we are all sinners. But two of these girls were in relationships and they both cheated on their boyfriends. One said she did because her boyfriend cheated on her, but she felt really guilty about it - she's still with him, but wants to break up with him eventually. The other broke up with her boyfriend after she had a fling with another guy.

My relationship with Chris isn't perfect, and we have gone through our ups and downs and our rough patches. But the one thing that has made it stable is that it is centred on God. Chris asked me, in life who comes first? And I honestly said, God. If there is anything in our relationship that is going to affect my relationship with God, then it needs to go. It wasn't always that way. When we started going out, my life centred about Chris and what he thought about me rather than what God thought about me and my relationship with God. But it does take time and dedication, and to be honest the grace and mercy of God to make this work.

To be honest, I felt like a fish out of water with these people. They are lovely girls - all of them. But there was a connection I felt with John (the Christian guy) that wasn't there with others when he left.

It is difficult interacting with people who don't believe the same thing that you do. But this is the prayer Jesus prayed for us, when He knew was leaving this earth:

I'm not asking you to take them out of the world,

but keep them safe from the evil one.

They are not part of this world any more than I am.

Make them pure and holy by teaching them your words of truth.

As you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.

John 17:15-18 (NLT)