(Underrated) Bible Scriptures - Part 5

Monday 20th September 2021

Hey, I hope you guys are well!

Look at the last time I posted on this specific page (September 4th); I'm so sorry about that. I'm sending my laptop out for repair this week.

I've decided to post today because I have work tomorrow until the weekend hopefully. It's my last week of work. I didn't think I would make it this far but by God's grace, I did!

Today's topic is about self love.

Indirectly though - it's more so about trying to fit in when you were born to stand out.

Don't do this. Don't try to fit in. Why try to be a second rate version of someone else when you can be a first rate version of yourself?

I'm just going to mention some scriptures on this page. Not just that but I will be making some references to websites and videos.

When I was writing this, I was listening to a video that had inspired me to make this. It was a Taty Cockley video on Why You Don't Need Instagram Bodies.

 Before that, I was reading this website on stop trying to fit in -Stop Trying To Fit In & Start Embracing Your True Self

I'm not going to talk about what led to me talking about this although I do think it's still important either way. I guess this is about not loving the world again, though more so about why you shouldn't try to fit in.

The thing is I don't even have Instagram anymore. I deleted it a while back; same with Snapchat. It still relates whether you have social media or not.

The website I had gotten everything from said, but not everything...

Take a moment to consider what your strengths are and be clear on your core values. It also helps to seek out like-minded people. Not only do we feel at ease with them, they also help us grow and flourish in accordance with our true selves.

Remember, everyone has their own version of ‘normal,’ and none of us are right or wrong. We should not expect ourselves to all be alike, but rather respect our differences and value our skills despite them being different.

When we are comfortable in our own skin, we are not fighting against or with anyone, as we’ve discovered our own true nature and are living in accordance with it. We are courageous enough to live our own truth.

Unfortunately, there will always be someone more beautiful, clever, talented, or stronger than you, but the reverse is also true. There will always be people less than you in all of these areas.

So instead of comparing yourself to others, look to see if you’re fulfilling your own potential to the best of your ability. As a nation we seem obsessed with comparing ourselves, but rather than thinking about what you should be like, try just being you. Simply be—as you are.

You don’t see a sparrow comparing itself with a pigeon, and although we put different prices on timber, none of the trees feel inferior or superior.

In nature everything is needed and it all has its place. It all fits together and is equal. Whether you’re a blade of grass or a mighty oak tree. it doesn’t matter; you are needed and you have your place in the world.

The ancient meaning of the word courage is “tell the story of who you are with your whole heart.”
It is all about being true to yourself.

Let go of who you think you should be and be who you are. Everyone is coming out of their own closet, emerging to be the person they really are, their true self, and worried about what others may think and if they’ll be accepted.

That’s why it’s so important to connect with authenticity and compassion, but you can’t be compassionate to others without being compassionate to yourself first. Don’t change so people will like you, be yourself and the right people will love you.

The website also mentioned a quote by a Psychologist.

Psychologist William James said, “A man has as many social selves as there are distinct groups of persons about whose opinion he cares. He generally shows a different side of himself to each of these different groups.”

Don't worry. I'll get to the scriptures in a minute. Let me just get to this first.

Although I've already gotten to it. Just let me analyse it.

This quote is saying that most people, not just men like the quote says, have different personalities depending on who they are with. Maybe it's because they're unaware of it, though it's mainly because they may (un)consciously or (un)knowingly try to fit in too much.

Whilst I don't try to fit in anymore, I do admit that my personality changes depending on who I am with. Not in that way though - if I am comfortable around you then I will be louder but if not then I will be quiet.

Or if you're quiet but I'm comfortable around you then I may still be quiet.

If I'm in a bad mood then I will be more quiet than usual. If I'm happy then I may be louder. I don't talk much outside, I do say that I am a reserved person a lot. Unless I am at home.

Some people are one person in person but another online. For example, they are quiet in real life, but on social media they go to parties, are drinking, are having fun a lot. You don't even recognise them. They are a completely different person.

This is kind of catfishing, and whilst I have nothing against that, I know my limits.

If you are too different online to the point where you are a bad influence on me, and I hardly even recognise you anymore, then I may remove you from my life. If not then you will still be my friend.

In essence, don't be someone you're not. Don't be this person:

When you are this person:

In other words, don't try to start drama when you are a peaceful person. You know you are a peaceful person and so do others.

 

The Bible even says in Proverbs 16:32 It is better to be patient than to fight.

    It is better to control your temper than to take a city.

Learn to control your temper, especially in public. If someone annoys you, still try to maintain yourself.

But what if they reach my limits though? And with not being someone I'm not, what if I'm more comfortable around one person than another person?

If they reach your limits, still try to be calm. If they continue reaching it, let them know, in a kind way if you can.

I understand being more comfortable around Person A than Person B. We naturally draw closer to those things or people that make us feel comfortable (about ourselves).

It's natural for you to act differently around people based on how you feel about them.

The problem lies though when you have to change who you are to fit in, specifically with so called "friends" that are bad influences on you.

There's a quote I know that says show me your friends and I'll tell you who you are. 

That's why you've personally got to make sure that your friends lift you up instead of bringing you down instead.

By serendipity, the post after this one is how you can identify a fake friend. Later, not sure when or where but I will do a post on how you can identify bad influences. 

Fake friends and bad influences are different. Bad influences aren't always fake.

For example, your best friend could be a bad influence on you, but they are a good friend. Otherwise they wouldn't be your best friend.

Here are some Bible Scriptures about not trying to fit in and standing out.

1 Peter 2:19-21

19 Suppose a person suffers pain unfairly because they want to obey God. This is worthy of praise. 

20 But suppose you receive a beating for doing wrong, and you put up with it. Will anyone honour you for this? Of course not. But suppose you suffer for doing good, and you put up with it. God will praise you for this. 

21 You were chosen to do good even if you suffer. That’s because Christ suffered for you. He left you an example that he expects you to follow.

If you do a good thing and you suffer for it and you put up with it, then God will bless you. Jesus Christ was persecuted for doing the right thing. He even blesses those who are persecuted for doing the right thing. You can find this in Matthew 5:10

Galatians 5:17

The desires controlled by sin do not want what the Spirit delights in. And the Spirit does not want what the desires controlled by sin delight in. The two are at war with each other. That’s why you are not supposed to do whatever you want.

This doesn't explicitly talk about not trying to fit in but it is saying that if you don't and if you have self love then you'll be able to take part more in what the Spirit delights in.

2 Corinthians 6:14 

Do not be joined to unbelievers. What do right and wrong have in common? Can light and darkness be friends?

This can be linked to Amos 3:3 which asks us how two people can walk with one another unless they are in agreement? And it's true. You need to be able to settle your differences with people, which can be done more if you are friends with believers more than with unbelievers instead.

Romans 12:2

Don’t live the way this world lives. Let your way of thinking be completely changed. Then you will be able to test what God wants for you. And you will agree that what he wants is right. His plan is good and pleasing and perfect.

You'll be able to follow what God wants for you if you follow the things of the world less. Don't be someone you're not, love yourself, and if someone doesn't like you for who you are then you don't need someone like them in your life.

2 Corinthians 6:17

“Come out from among them
    and be separate,
    says the Lord.
Do not touch anything that is not pure and ‘clean.’
    Then I will receive you.” 

Ever heard of the phrase: Here today, gone tomorrow?

Yes, this is exactly why you shouldn't try to fit in. What's popular or trending today could be the most hated thing tomorrow. Left to me, it would be pretty frustrating trying to keep up with what's trending all the time.

Remember that Instagram video I was talking about before? A comment from it said:

I read this thing on tiktok that said something along the lines of: at the end of the day, at your funeral, nobody will mention your hourglass figure or the shape of your nose, they’ll mention the impact you had on them; your kindness, your humour, your positivity! I think everyone should read this! :) Also loved the video, as always! 💗

I didn't say that, someone else did. And it's true.

Whilst you unfortunately don't know what's going to be said at your own funeral, or anything else that happens after you die, no one will remember what physical features you had before you died, more so the impact you left in the world when you were still alive.

Think about it: would you rather be remembered for being a carbon copy of someone else or be remembered for being you?

I also pray that you don't die anytime soon, amen.

That's it for today! I will see you later on, stay blessed.... and remember:

Not just the universe though. God.

Especially God.

Have a nice day or night, depending on when you were reading this. Bye! xxx

Saturday 4th September 2021

Hey, I hope you've had a lovely week. As for me...

Like I said, I'd be here today. 

I'm grateful because what I want to say on here today, I've actually already written myself!

The only problem is, I can't save as a draft as that will save everything on here as a draft, including the previous post. So I have to constantly update it.

But now I've changed my mind.

And because it's the pages section, I do more than one post at a time. 

Let's say up to 5.

This post will be a little bit different. I’ll be talking about how you can identify a fake friend, using some biblical scriptures to back myself up.

This was ideally for the Posts of Encouragement page but I can't wait that long. I do 3 pages of Underrated Bible Scriptures then I go to that. If I don't it might mess things up.

I’ll mention 7 things. It’s my favourite number between 1 and 10 and it’s apparently the number of perfection ✨

Anyway, let's start!  

1) They make you feel bad about yourself

Ever heard of backhanded compliments? 

I’m not going to mention any but it’s basically when someone compliments you and insults you at the same time.

Proverbs 13:20 says walk with wise people and become wise, but a companion of fools suffer harm.

I mention this verse a lot I swear but it’s one of my favourites, plus it’s relatable.

If you’re around a fake friend too much then you could unintentionally end up being a fake friend to others. Fake-ness is pretty contagious. 

Even if it isn't.. it doesn't matter because fakeness isn't a word and I just made it up.

Either way, a true friend should be able to lift you up. 

Not just that but when they say a compliment, they should mean it. Not make it backhanded. If you get where I’m coming from.

Ephesians 5:6

Don’t let anyone fool you with worthless words. People who say things like that aren’t obeying God. He is angry with them.

Your so called "friends" that make you feel badly about yourself are actually reflecting how they feel about themselves unto you. Don't let them get to you.

2) They’re not there for you

Like I said this week, friendships and relationships should be 50/50. You shouldn’t be the giver nor the taker of one.

I didn't say it here, I said it somewhere else but it's still true.

If you’re there for them but they’re not there for you, without a valid reason then you really need to analyse your friendship.

I’m aware sometimes you can’t always leave a fake friend. 

ie without them you’ll have no one or you’re working with them for something.

I’ll talk about what you can do in this scenario later.

Though it's best to be by yourself than with a fake friend. Though you should never be on an island on your own - just don't ever surround yourself with a fake friend.

Here is a scripture for the second point.

 1 Peter 1:22 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. 

If your friend isn’t doing that without a good reason despite the fact that you do that to them then you might need to leave them. If you can. 

3) They ignore you for no reason 

Unfortunately, some people out there only like you until they get what they want from you. 

After that, they’re gone & you never hear from them again.

 Even worse, some people would rather ignore someone completely than let them know when they did something wrong or did something to offend them.

 No one can read your mind. If someone annoys you or offends you, speak up, but in a nice way. You shouldn’t ignore someone for no reason. 

Sometimes though someone may not be ignoring you for no reason. That could genuinely not be their intention. 

Others are so swamped with the trails & tribulations life throws at them that they don’t have time for anything or anyone else. 

I’ve been a witness of this. I speak to people less on days I’m working. Working can be stressful sometimes and I don't want to take that out on anyone else.

Ephesians 4:32

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Treat other people the way you want to be treated.

 I haven’t started school yet but I do in October.

4) they always seem to need something from you

They're always on the receiving end with you.

 If a friend needs something from you all the time then you should be suspicious. 

Don’t always say yes to them. 

That’s why when a friend asks me for money or something and they say they’ll pay me back, I don’t always give it to them. 

Then again, it depends on who the person is. 

Promises can be broken easily. 

I understand if there is a good reason, but sometimes there might not be.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 1 John 1:9

If you make a promise to someone and you're the one to break it - make sure to apologise to the person you made the  promise with, accidentally or purpose.

And God too, for wronging them. Or pray to him to allow them to forgive you.

It's one thing to say you forgive someone but you have to show it as well, after all, actions speak louder than words.

Cliché but true.

But then you shouldn't make a promise to someone if you're planning on deliberately breaking it later. Unintentionally is okay, but not on purpose.

5) They’re competitive with you

Did you see that rugby ball in the GIF?

Yes, the fake friend probably threw it. 

You would just have never suspected them as they hide the fact that they are a fake friend very well.

When they see you rising above them, then they will do anything in their will power to knock you down.

They could be secretly jealous of you and they hide it well. 

BFF can turn from best friends forever into backstabbing fake friend within a matter of time. 

On a real level though, they shouldn’t be competitive with you. 

They should be inspired by you, not the other way around. They shouldn’t drain you. 

6) they don’t celebrate with you

That's probably what they're thinking when something goods happen in your life without them.

You were supposed to succeed together, not respectively instead. 

They may think you "betrayed" them somehow so therefore they want revenge. 

And things aren't working in their favour either.

It’s like them forgetting your birthday.

Psalm 118:24
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Yeah, they don’t rejoice with you.

If my best friend forgot my birthday (July 9) then I’d probably never speak to them again, depending on why they forgot it.

If it’s a good reason I’ll let it slide, but if it’s not, especially if it was on purpose, then they can’t be in my life.

I wouldn’t even mind if they didn’t remember at first until someone mentioned it or they just had an epiphany and they remembered. As long as they wished me one at the end of the day.

 It doesn’t even have to be birthdays. It can be anything.

If they look or act more resentful then happy when something good happens in your life then that’s a warning sign that you need to leave the friendship for good

7) they have nothing good to say about you

I mean people will say bad things about you, c’est la vie, but nothing bad about you should be coming from your friend’s mouth

I would never talk badly about any of my friends, online and IRL and if they did something wrong to me then I’d let them know ASAP.

Friends should always have something good to say about you all the time. Not excessively, as they might be over doing it, just when there’s something for them to compliment about.

Ephesians 4:29
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

At the same time, don’t dwell on your friends or anyone else for compliments. Learn to love yourself and praise yourself for your achievements even if no one else does.

 
If there’s a friend in your life that you’ve identified as fake or you think is fake but you’re not sure then you can always ask God about it and he should lead the way.

 
If you can’t avoid them, spend less time with them - and if you want to go the extra mile, talk to them about their behaviour.

As crazy as it seems they may actually not know they’re being a fake friend.

If they change for the better then that’s great, keep them. But if they don’t then you know where they stand in your life.

I hope you were blessed by this and you have now identified what a fake friend is. I also pray that God will remove them from your life.

 That's all I have to say so see you next time. Bye!

Tuesday 31st August 2021

It's officially the last day of August!

(The Cosby Show. Song: The Thank You Song by Darwin Hobbs)

I'm yet to watch this, but I will definitely do so today. I love the 90s too much, I wish I was alive back then. I don't even care if I was born late 90s.

Even if I posted this September 1st,  the date above was the day I started writing this, including when I post after midnight.

I hope you are well, I am alive and well too.

It's been a while since I've updated my pages, and the next post will be after midnight today. I would double update now but it's pretty late here. Without further ado, let's begin!

I believe Underrated Bible Scriptures - Part 4 is long enough already, longer than my other pages, that's for sure, so I've decided to start another part. I haven't updated my pages in approximately 16 days now so I updated this one first.

Are you ready for it? I'm sure you are, let's get to it. After a 90s dance because God has seen us to the end of the month.

Scripture #25

I wasn't happy for a while because I ended the last page on Scripture 24. 

Maybe it's just me but numbers ending in 4 and 9 really bother me, except my birthday and age right now. That's different. 

I really can't do anything about that right now, let alone change it or control it.

As usual though, it's only three verses but don't worry. My posts page will be longer than this.

As of lately, I have recently discovered the scripture Galatians 5:17 and I love it, so I'm going to be using it at the moment.

Galatians 5:17

 The desires controlled by sin do not want what the Spirit delights in. And the Spirit does not want what the desires controlled by sin delight in. The two are at war with each other. That’s why you are not supposed to do whatever you want.

I linked this to Proverbs 29:27, aka the last verse there which says...

Those who do what is right hate dishonest people. Those who do what is wrong hate honest people.

And what I’ve learnt from this is some people that dislike you don’t really dislike you.

 Maybe you’re the (complete) opposite of them, and when they see you they’re reminded of everything that they’re not. Or everything they used to be and failed doing for one reason or the other 

In this case, maybe you are an honest person and they’re not, or they find it hard to be so they instantly dislike you for it. 

Not everybody will like you, but regardless you should still try and find the right group of friends for bad company corrupts good character - 1 Corinthians 15:33

I’m linking this because I realised that Proverbs 29 contrasts good people and bad people a lot. Don’t be so sinful or backslide so much that you don’t want to take part in what the lord delights in anymore. 

Likewise, the Lord doesn’t like dishonest people or liars - Proverbs 6:16-19 mentions 7 things that the lord hates. Lying is indirectly one of them. 

Be honest at all times. It’s better to tell a painful truth than a beautiful lie, and whether someone can handle that is up to them.

For example, someone called Serenity (I love that name so much. If I have a daughter when I'm older then I'm definitely calling her this) could ask you what you think about her.

No one I know is called Serenity, it's just a pseudonym. Also one of my usernames for something. Not directed towards anyone.

And you're thinking I don't like you, I really don't. You drive me insane and just being with you kind of makes me sick.

Are you going to tell Serenity straight up that you like her?

I mean, if you want to be nice, yes, go ahead and lie to her. However, I think it's best if you tell the truth.

Not the way you were thinking it, in a kinder way, for instance...

No offence, Serenity, I do like you, although sometimes you can get on my nerves a bit.

If you want to be brave, you can even explain to Serenity why she gets on your nerves. Just don't go overboard because nice people have limits too. I know from experience.

I kind of am the experience too.

"But Lola, I don't want to hurt someone's feelings by telling them the truth about something. What do I do in a situation like this?"

Let me ask you something - do you want to feel guilty knowing that you just lied to someone about something when you could have told them the truth?

Although if you really can't tell the truth to someone, you can always do so indirectly. This is known as a euphemism.

For instance God forbid but if a loved one dies, you may not say explicitly that they died, you could say that they've checked out, gone to be with the Lord, taken a dirt nap, slept forever etc.

Euphemisms could actually be worse than saying the real thing, especially if someone ends up being mad at you for it, it's not by force for you to use it though, unless you want to do so.

My scripture was Galatians 5:17 but I analysed Proverbs 28:27 more, sorry. I guess that's Scripture 25 then.

But lemme just quickly go back to the original Galatians 5:17 scripture.

The desires controlled by sin do not want what the Spirit delights in. And the Spirit does not want what the desires controlled by sin delight in. The two are at war with each other. That’s why you are not supposed to do whatever you want.

I feel like this is clandestinely talking about loving the world, which is coincidentally what the next post on my posts page is going to be about. Just not now, when I wake up.

Also heads up, this month (September), I'm going to get my laptop serviced because the battery isn't good... so once again I may not be on for a while, considering how I don't know how long this is going to take (yet).

Loving the world and loving God 'are at war with each other' like Galatians suggests. You can't do both.

Not going to lie, some days I try to do both, even today sort of, and I'm sure you have too. 

God does not deserve hybridity. You can't follow the Bible and your own ways at the same time. I had to learn that the hard way. 

On this topic, did you know that some people out there are actually multiple religions? ie Chrislam, Buddslim, not sure if those are the right terms for it but it was worth a try. I'm not lying though.

I think they're multiple religions "to see what God will answer first" or something. But like I said, God doesn't deserve 50/50 - he deserves 100%, even more than that.

So give it to him!

Scripture #26 

Proverbs 31:30

Charm can fool you. Beauty fades. But a woman who has respect for the Lord should be praised.

There's a specific reason as to why I used the Sierra Capri GIF above, let me tell you.

As humans, some of us, or if not then most of us (but maybe not all of us) would go for someone more attractive compared to someone that isn't.

Here's something that normally catches people off guard...

What if the prettier person had the worst personality, and what if the less attractive person had the better one?

Just because someone looks better doesn't mean they are, here is something I read about a few years ago that still resonates with me today.

And hopefully you guys too.

It’s easy for us to look at someone more attractive than us and compare our looks or ourselves physically to them. 

On the other hand, we may judge someone based on the way they look but we shouldn’t do this. Matthew 7:1 says that we shouldn’t judge others unless we want to be judged. 

Jeremiah 17:10 and 1 Samuel 16:7 says that we should focus more on what’s inside than outside, as God does. 

I know what the verses say (not word for word but an idea of it at least), although let me just post them to at least save you guys from researching or perhaps even wondering what it might say.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider how handsome or tall he is. I have not chosen him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outside of a person. But the Lord looks at what is in the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

 The Lord says, “I look deep down inside human hearts.

    I see what is in people’s minds.
I reward each person in keeping with their conduct.
    I bless them based on what they have done.” Jeremiah 17:10

I don't have Instagram, I deleted it a while back yet still check it signed out from time to time, of my favourite (child) actresses. I've completely stopped now though but there was this very pretty girl on there who took her own life.

Unfortunately, sometimes I have to remind myself of that when I've had a bad day and I feel like no one else has but me. It also reminds me that you really don't know what goes on behind the scenes of anyone's life - even if they told you, it wouldn't be everything.

Chances are they'll "edit" some things or remove some things out. 

Not just that but looks aren't everything. Besides, it's not about being attractive - it's about feeling that way.

Likewise Luke 12:15 says Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

Not just what you own though. What you look like. It is true, beauty does fade. 

And you shouldn’t focus on looks because an attractive face could have an unattractive personality or the other way around.  

Outer beauty still matters, you have to dress nice and take good care of yourself, but inner beauty matters more. 

Another reason you shouldn’t compare your looks to others is because the other person could feel more insecure than you.  Wishing to look or even be someone else kind of defeats the purpose of God creating you. 

We are still fearfully and wonderfully made regardless - Psalms 139:14 says that.

I don't want to be remembered in life for having a pretty face, nor do I want my life to be based just on the way I look. If you want people to stop judging you on your appearance alone, then do the same to them.

And last but certainly not least...

Scripture #27

Warning: this one may be a bit dark, I can't lie. But I know what I'm doing.

Scripture says, “When you are angry, do not sin.” (Psalm 4:4) Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. Ephesians 4:26

Don't go to bed with anger still in your heart. By sunset, you should make up with the person you have offended, if you can.

And this is where it gets pretty dark. Not just sunset dark, dark in topic.

The worst thing about death is that it can happen to anyone at any time. This is just a wake up call.

So many celebrities die unexpectedly, I'm not going to mention any. Not just celebrities though, anyone and everyone in general.

You really don't know when you are going to be taken away from this world. I mean some people know that they're going to die soon, but even then they don't know exactly when they're going to die.

The worst thing now is for you to have an argument with someone, and the next thing you know, they've gone, without you guys even sorting things out. 

I don't wish that on anyone, so please, I'm begging you, try and be on good terms with those you care about and those who care about you.

Notice I didn't say that you should try and be on good terms with everyone. Because you can't. You can't please everyone, and not everyone will like you.

That's okay.

God can change the day you're going to die, he did so with Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20, and God knew he was going to change it.

Nevertheless, you only live once! So live your life to the fullest with no regrets, or as little regrets as possible.

Lastly, happy new month! It was August 31st when I started writing and it was September 1st when I finished. There was even fireworks near my house, like it's January.

Have a beautiful rest of the month, week and year ahead and I shall hopefully see you next time.

Lola xx