The Unashamed Introvertish Girl Blog

At this age, it is easy to get caught up in the busyness of life. There is so much going on from graduations to relocations to new jobs to new relationships to simply navigating adulthood. With all of these equally wonderful and time-consuming activities, it’s easy to forget why we are here.

Here’s how Jesus responded to a disciple who asked Him what the greatest command is in Matthew 22:36-40:

³⁶“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

³⁷Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’^[a] ³⁸This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b] ⁴⁰On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

So we're basically here to love God and serve Him by serving others and showing them His love.

At the end of the day, it’s great to have accomplished a lot, but nothing beats doing what God placed us here on earth to do. None of what life has to offer fills us like doing what God tells us to do fills us either. Jesus was so satisfied with obeying God that he likened serving Him to eating which fills our physical bodies. He said:

³⁴Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.

Many of us cling to our worldy successes and possessions because we believe that they are what gives us life and livelihood. However, what the world has to offer is nothing compared to what God has to offer.

This is not to say that we should look at our successes and materials in a negative light from here on out, but in the right context. The context of using them to serve God and His people. For example, we can use what we learn in school to help someone younger than us who may be having a hard time academically. We can use our new homes to host events for our church or community. We can use our Godly relationship to be an example to others who hope to one day be in our shoes. Proverbs 11:25 says:

The generous soul will be made rich,

And he who waters will also be watered himself.

God blesses us to bless others. Remember the young rich ruler who was desperate to serve God. God didn’t say he was a sinner for being blessed, instead he asked him to use his blessings to uplift the kingdom of God. Here's a little bit of how that convo went in Matthew 19:21:

²¹Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

So in the process of going about life, being blessed and highly favored by a loving God, let us not forget the bigger picture, the whole reason why we’re here and for Whom we live.

I know. A lot of things are easier said than done. Let us pray, ask God to help us see our lives through His eyes, and have faith to live life the way He intended for it to be lived.

Let us stay in context.

I have a confession to make. I don’t really officially know how to play dominoes. Whenever I had a pack, all I did was line them up and knock them down.

That’s how most people play, in the game and in real life. You’ve seen it before, one person starts yelling and arguing at another and then before you know it, they’re both yelling.

It’s like a domino effect. That same fleshly attribute that Person A has, through actions and/or agitation, attempts to influence Person B. This is not some huge, supernatural display that turns heads and shakes buildings.

This is quick, so quick that before we even notice it, we too have sinned and we have the same attitude as the person who we felt slighted us. Before we realize it, we have stepped outside of the Will of God.

Like dominoes, we have both fallen.

Some see this as natural, but it is very much spiritual. We have to remember that we have an opponent, and that he will use whatever, and whoever he can to get us to sin.

Be sober, be vigilant; because^[^a^] your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

~1 Peter 5:8

When we aren’t alert, and on our spiritual guard posts, then we are easily susceptible to his attacks. We must keep this in mind, but even more importantly, we should keep God’s Word in mind and in our hearts.

Taking in the Word of God makes us more focused on Him and filled with Him. Also, God will grant us discernment of good and evil if we simply ask Him. That way, we can easily and quickly sniff out when something comes in our presence, like a bad attitude or an unGodly option, that is not of Him.

The same thing happens with other forms of distraction. If we’re not filled, focused and aware, then we’re more susceptible to the enemy’s attacks.

The more time you spend with God, the more you will be able to discern what is and is not of Him.

May God grant us discernment on all matters.

⁹And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, ¹¹being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

~Philippians 1:9-11

Due to my introverted nature, I never realized how hard it was to stand out from the crowd. I always just did, not flashily, but subtly. Something I recently realized on a deeper level is that standing out from the crowd, however, even for adults can be just a little bit scary.

It takes courage to be the one in a group with a different take, a different opinion or a different way of doing things. When we dare to be different, we risk being mocked, gossiped about, losing status and loosing friends.

Yet, we don’t lose anything that we don’t need. When we shrink ourselves to fit in, we relinquish all of the power embedded into our originality. We are no longer ourselves, we are a minimized version.

We are our most effective when we are true to ourselves. You may not be good at being him or her, but you are excellent at being you.

God took time out to make us uniquely. Psalm 139:14 says,

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;^[a]
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.”

We have to trust God’s creative abilities and not be afraid of the backlash we may get for living for Him. When we hide who God has called us to be and the abilities He has given us, we are a minimized version of ourselves.

We may be afraid of our light shining too brightly, but that’s the way we were meant to be, so that people can know the Source of that light. Matthew 5:16 says,

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Jesus had no problem telling people that He was the Savior regardless of how many times those dang Pharisees tried to tell Him he wasn’t. If he never would have been fully who He was created to be, if He would have watered down His identity, then we would not have access to eternal life with God our Father.

In a similar manner, if we don’t let God’s light shine through us, then people won’t be able to see how powerful God is through our lives. The truth for all Christians is that being yourself is bigger than just you.

Being that our God is so intentional, there is always someone or many connected to us walking in our purpose. The same person who you’re trying to please by watering yourself down could be the same one that needs what God has uniquely placed within you to set them free.

So think about that when you think about getting lost in the crowd because of the unpredictable attention that being yourself may bring.

God has graced you with life-changing power. Whether or not you choose to use it is up to you.

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

~Romans 8:11

I believe that God has called us to be good stewards over everything that He has given us. It is important for us to keep our spirits healthy by feeding them the Word of God, but it is also important to take care of the physical bodies that He has given us.

Our God is intentional, so we should not take Him blessing us with a body for granted. He did this for a reason. As young adults, we often view ourselves as invincible. We put our physical bodies through so much trusting that our young immune systems will be okay with any and everything.

Today I just want to talk a little bit about taking care of these physical vessels that He has given us. I also want to touch on keeping healthy the mind that He has given us. I am by no means a health professional and the information given is general, not specific to anyone’s particular health condition. It contains a few tips for staying healthy that I learned throughout my time in college.

The Body

1. Eat

No matter how busy we are, we should always make time to eat as many of the required meals as possible. When we do not eat, we lack the energy we need to make the most out of our days. When I eat before class, I am much more focused and ready to learn. I am not usually tired and fixated on whether or not I want a slice of pepperoni pizza or white pizza after class.

2. Eat Healthily

Not every food should be consumed regularly. We all know there are some foods and drinks that we should take in every once in a while, like coffees, sweet tea and donuts. And we also all know there are some foods and drinks that should be taken in regularly like fruits, vegetables and water.

3. Sleep

Sleep is so important. Without enough sleep we become less cognitively keen and cannot fully concentrate. I also read somewhere that a lack of sleep increases stress.

4. Remember Your Doctor’s Orders

Many of us have been prescribed certain vitamin supplements and/or medications by our doctors. Although we may feel fine and look great, we cannot always visibly see what is going on inside of our bodies. It is important for us to consume these prescribed materials until told otherwise for the best possible health.

5. Go to Your Doctor

It is important that we go for our routine check-ups and/or referrals to make sure that there are no unfavorable changes to our physical bodies. This goes along with the principle described above, just because we cannot see it or feel it, doesn’t mean it is not there.

The Brain

6. Schedule and Prioritize

A lot of times this is easier said than done, but even a general outline, whether it is written down, or just accounted for in our minds can reduce wasted time. We are a lot more likely to have productive days when we make lists of what we need to do. We also give ourselves more time for self-care.

7. Talk to Family and Friends

It’s good to have someone or a group to talk about your day, laugh, and release stress with. It is not mentally healthy to handle these types of things on your own. You will feel burdened and stressed. We should go to God with our problems first, but the Bible says we should also bear one another’s burdens.

8. Workout

Working out isn’t just good for losing weight. It has other physical and mental health benefits as well. It reduces the risks for heart disease, high blood pressure and many other illnesses. For me, it is yet another way to reduce stress. Also, similar to when I used to participate in sports, it gives me a sense of accomplishment to try new things and see progress.

The Body and the Brain

9. Keep God First

This is the best possible way to have a balanced life. God’s Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us into all truth. He will let us know when to stop, when to go, for how long, and how to do so. Listen to Him, and be the best version of yourself in every area of your life.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

~Matthew 6:33

These are just a few tips that I have learned during my time in college. They seem pretty simple but are overlooked so often. I’m sure there are several more. Comment below if you have any! And remember, take care of your shell.

Something weird happens to almost everyone during their last teenaged year. It may be just a coincidence, but it seems like around 19-years-old, people just aren’t having it anymore. By it, I mean faulty friendships.

I remember back when I was in my last teenage year, it seemed like everyone was always mad at someone else, and due to still being a student in the university of life, expressed this via social media. It was indeed the year of the subtweet and the year of the indirect status.

I now realize why everyone was so mad and shady back then (sorry past us), and have thought about it a lot since. It’s because after a certain age, we begin to move in a million different directions, and I don’t just mean geographically. The phrase, “your life is just starting,” really comes into play.

Life hits. Most of us realize that while the first part of our lives had challenges here and there, for the most part it, was cookie cutter, with a clear cut way of doing things. As children we are pretty much given an outline to follow when it comes to life. We know everything that’s going to be on the test in life elementary school and life high school, but when we get to life college, the study guides disappear.

Even though many of us, like myself, were raised with a realistic view of the world and told that challenges will come, I think at some point we are all unprepared for the tests at Life University.

Just because you make the Dean’s list, doesn’t mean you’ll get a job right away. Just because you bundle up during the winter, doesn’t mean you won’t catch a cold. Just because you iron your blazer before you leave, doesn’t mean it won’t be wrinkled by the time you make your presentation.

So what is life? (See answer here)

That’s what we’re all trying to figure out, and many of us take different routes to do so. We’re so busy trying to accomplish goals with this newfound realization that things aren’t as attainable, and sometimes just trying to keep our heads above water that maintaining many of the friendships that we have had becomes difficult.

The journey to self-discovery and success in every area of life breaks many friendships, or, it shows us that they were never what we thought they were in the first place.

Looking at it from this perspective, can we really be mad?

The older we get, the more people begin to realize that it is better to have a few good friends than many that are there, but not really there. Being a friend, a true friend, is a serious commitment, especially under the conditions of life.

So while I set in my heart to love everyone with the same Agape (unconditional) love that Christ loves me with, I realize that everyone just cannot make that commitment to everyone.

We can be all that we can in love and service, but it’s important to understand that everyone just won’t always fit that friend mold, and that’s okay. Everybody won’t be extremely close to you and that’s okay.

Now, as a child of God, I choose not to look at it from a shady, paranoid, suspicious and untrustworthy way. Let’s get deeper into our major here at Life University, shall we? As a Christian, I choose to see things for what they really are, treat situations like Jesus would, and it works.

I love you, but I’m not going to hurt myself or you by creating false expectations of our friendship. Expectations should be known and communicated, and if both parties know what they are and one party refuses or does not see the value in doing so, then it is what it is.

We should not hold any ill-will or unforgiveness in our hearts toward one another. As Christians, that’s one of the things that separates us from the world.

The love is still there, even if the depth of friendship is not.

¹³By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

~John 13:35 (NKJV)

⁴⁶If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. ⁴⁷If you are kind only to your friends,^[a] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.

~Matthew 5:46-47 (NLT)

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Domino Distraction (21 The Blog Series)

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An Everyday Thing (21 The Blog Series)

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Domino Distraction (21 The Blog Series)

I'm Different (21 The Blog Series)

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Twenty Somethings and Friendship (21 The Blog Series)

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