ebony on January 26 2010
I used to wonder how certain folks could be optimistic in the midst of any negative situation. Couldn’t they see that things might not work out? Of course, their argument was, things might work out. As long as there was a possibility for a positive outcome, there was reason enough to hope and motivation to keep smiling.
Faith looks at a situation, calls it out for the hopeless case it is, and then defies it based on God’s word. Faith says, I hear what the doctor is saying, and I understand that’s what his expertise discerns, but I believe that God is a healer and that He will heal me. As Christians, we can use a healthy dose of both, optimism and faith – although faith will always have the superior edge.
Hopefulness should characterize the believer. Hope against hope. Faith against the odds. Joy should light up our hearts so that we can still smile in the darkness. When the trials seems like they can block out the sunshine in our lives, we have the ability to look past the night to the morning of God’s answer. He has saved us, and He will do it yet again.
I want to be more optimistic and I also want to have more faith. Paul wrote that we should meditate on good things – think positive. Yet we are able to think positively because we understand by faith that God will work all things out for our ultimate benefit. So, as the Tee-Shirt said in the 90s, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” And, as the Lord Jesus taught, “Have faith in God.” It makes for a happier existence.
Filed under Devotions
ebony on January 22 2010
Something about human nature makes us crave the acceptance of others. In many cases, this is the entire dilemma of the teenage experience. We look at the high school students, who are trying their legs out in the world and learning to define themselves, and say that peer pressure is unique to their generation. This is a myth. Even those of us who break from the pack to do great things, facing down great opposition from the public, do so at a risk to the most private sense of self. We are always changing, rearranging, redefining ourselves and in every new environment long for that pat on the shoulder that says, “you are accepted here.”
What happens when that need is not met? Pity parties begin. Sometimes we sob and sulk and wish for better circumstances. If we’re the introspective type, we will search the annals of our minds to find a reason why we are tolerated instead of celebrated. Perhaps an extrovert will try even harder to gain that which she feels is needed to gain favor. But the truth is, no one can be liked all of the time. It’s a principle of life on earth. It only takes a handful of people – sometimes only one – to see your real value, and encourage you that life is worth the living. Social networking promotes the misconception that everyone we know is our friend. But by definition, no one can have 217 real friends. There are associates, acquaintances, colleagues, classmates, and family members.
The point of this reflection is that although our flesh cringes at the thought of rejection, we can still navigate this life with the joy of the Lord and a smile. We don’t need everyone’s acceptance to be compelete as a person. We need only God’s, and a close loved one or two. Yes, it’s something we teach our teenagers when the clique at school won’t let them in – but it’s a lesson that bears repeating all through life.
Filed under Empowerment for Women
ebony on January 13 2010
I happen to be a fan of the holy hip-hop movement. Granted, given the origins and development of traditional hip-hop, I may have chosen to call it something else, but when the message is consistent with scripture and the beat is hot – well, it’s just hot!
Back in high school I wanted to be a DJ. Friends taught me how to backspin and crossfade on the turntables, and I dreamed about owning my own music studio someday. After college, a Christian brother paid for me to cut a demo which put some of my poetry to music. It was an awesome experience, but that turned out not to be the path God would have for my life. Nevertheless, I maintain a strong love for superior lyricism and the art of spit and flow. In this movement, groups like the 116 Clique, Cross Movement Records; artists like Sho Baraka, Toby Mac, Shai Linne and LeCrae make it to the top of the charts and have a significant fan base. Yet I have one question…Where are the Ladies?
It may be that they’re out there, but for some reason, I can’t seem to find them. So in some ways this post is like an inquisitive APB in case someone knows something I don’t. I am eagerly awaiting the rise of Christian sisters who can put the solid truths of scripture, particularly as it relates to women and the issues we face, into tight rhymes alongside completely new beats.
No doubt there are some sisters putting pen to paper or cutting demos in the studios, and hopefully the fact that there’s an audience out here for their music will encourage them. Such women have an opportunity to do something the world definitely needs: an image of women that emphasizes self-respect and holiness, not self-degradation and lasciviousness. I look forward to what may come in the wake of such artistry.
It is well known that social movements eventually attract to themselves that which opposes it. In other words, there will always be a small segment that appears more concerned with getting material, the spirit of competition, and the ever-greedy record company exec trying to tap into a new market by producing scripturally challenged music. But for those of us who know the gospel when we hear it, imitation just won’t do. We want Christ, we want life, we want good music.
Tags: christian music, Christian rap, holy hip-hop, women in hip-hop
Filed under Empowerment for Women
I used to wonder how certain folks could be optimistic in the midst of any negative situation. Couldn’t they see that things might not work out? Of course, their argument was, things might work out. As long as there was a possibility for a positive outcome, there was reason enough to hope and motivation to keep smiling.
