Escaping Vanity

Everything matters.

Everything you think.

Everything you say.

Everything you do.

It all matters.

[Zara Zhang @zarazhangrui]

One of the best pieces of life/career advice I’ve ever received:

Do not do X in order to do Y. Just do Y.

You get ready for something by just doing the thing

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

@MrMRCline Aren't there already enough good people in the world? Aren't there already enough flowers in the gardens? Aren't there already enough stars in the sky?

Of course not.

There is always a need for more of the good and beautiful.

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

@simonsarris Courage to say the truth when you know you will be slandered for doing so

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

@Thevine_ntwk You can get paperback for about $5, Kindle for $1, or you probably could find on internet for free, tbh. One example on Amazon: https://t.co/RFhsseGKOo

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

Turn your mind and your body into allies of your soul.

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

@Seanfrank and even greater things if you are willing to embarrass yourself to those who know you best

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

@ErishaAnn this popped up on my feed, and I'm genuinely curious - what are some of the difficult layers of Christian suffering/endurance you have discovered?

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

The world has too few people who actually try.

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

My 2c. Go to an in-person church. I would go to the current best one you are aware of 3x per month, and if you still want to try other churches, try a new church 1x per month, but try to be in church every week. Why? because I truly believe that is what God wants of each Christian. Meeting together on the Lord's Day is a visible testimony of your belief and commitment to Him.

Every church has issues, some are just better at hiding them, but there will always be something you want to be different. Pray that God shows you where you could serve and worship Him in spite of the problems. Then, commit. Truly commit, join, serve, and support the church you are in in spite of the problems you know are there.

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

I think that we are afraid of the idea that our prayers could actually work.

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

We should want to do and be good for the goodness itself, not for any perceived result.

Being in a state of joyful happiness while we pursue the things that we desire has the immense benefit of lengthening timelines and allowing for very creative answers to our prayers where if we put tight timelines and stress and obsession over the exact method in which God would answer our prayers, we both hate our lives during the anticipation period and then when we receive the gift, we would be in an incorrect mindset to experience the fullness of what God provides.

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

We often talk about God opening and closing doors.

However, many times, we just walk up to the door and see that it is closed, and we never actually knock.

Instead, we say “God, this door is closed. What new path should I take?”

But, perhaps what God is saying is. "look! you have asked, you have sought, you have found the door. Now KNOCK. Watch me open it! Watch me do what you thought was not possible to be done!

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

Hey Gabe, I fully agree that gluttony is a serious sin, and it is disqualifying for a pastor to openly indulge in it, and you did a really good job of explaining the issue in your post.

My only question for you is did you speak to your pastor in private and plead with him to repent before leaving your church? If you didn't, I strongly encourage you to put your post into a letter form and write to him and see whether he would be willing to meet with you and get the help he needs.

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

They will call it luck, but I will know that it was the hand of God.

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

@itswithinme_ 100% - verses like Ephesians 2:10 - "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

make me ask the question - "What are the good things God created me to do in this life?"

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

every so often, God will clearly indicate to you to either A) start doing something or B) stop doing something. And until you listen to Him about that one thing, no matter how 'good' you are in other areas, you will struggle to grow until you obey Him in that one area.

Thus, my advice is - submit to His will as quickly as possible and don't fight Him when He makes His will clear to you.

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

"A man who has friends must himself be friendly" - Proverbs 18:24

One of the most important things I would have told my younger self would be that there are lots of great people living lonely lives because they never plan and invite people to do things with them.

Most of the time, if you want the friends, you have to go find them. They rarely will magically come for you.

(However, once God did directly and immediately answer my request for a good friend when I was in college)

[Escaping Vanity @escapingvanity]

If you could grasp but a fraction of the depth and beauty of God’s love for you, your problems, worries, and fears in life would melt away in the glorious fervency of that Love.