Organize, organize, organize me

If You have my heart then You have every part of me

What I hear, what I say, what I feel, what I see

If You have my heart then You have every part of me

Organized Religion: Prelude

One of the first core values, any believer should know, is to actively practice and pursue purity. But...it’s much easier thought than said publicly, yet much easier to say than actually do.

In the ensuing moments after I surrendered my life to Christ on July 7th, 2012 (read My Testimony), I began the innate pursuit for purity. On the ride home, I began deleting phone numbers and all types of music from phone; as soon as I got home, I went on etching out whatever current negativity I could from social media, and really just trying to orchestrate my life as holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1). The problem here was—I was trying.

There’s something about me trying, that may make God laugh (well if not Him , I at least get a chuckle). I say this because every time I attempt to do something out of my own will or desire, I don’t do it too well. Shoot even writing this post, I was failing at it until (at this exact moment) I invited Holy Spirit to join me in writing this ministration. Honestly though, if I was God, and I saw Jummy trying to do anything, I’d erupt in laughter; it’d be like a little ant frantically trying to pick up a grape. No seriously, I suck. Back to my point: after deleting what I thought were big no-no’s in my music playlist (Rage Against The Machines, Eminem, Asher Roth, etc.), and keeping a little Kanye, a little The Fray, and a little Flobots, I thought I was good in terms of music; shoot, I even imparted as much Mali Music and whatever few worship songs I could onto my phone. However, a problem remained: the ever present sorrows of Ye’, the emotional pangs of The Fray, and the liberal activist push by the Flobots were constantly fluxing in those first months of salvation for me. I’d have days where I’m all upbeat and praise-y, and then I hear “Heartless” (by either Ye’ or The Fray), and I would begin weaning the affection of my ex and once again, falling for lust and adultery. Why? Because I tried.

After adapting to wisdom, correction, and conviction, I eventually eliminated those passageways to my heart. I soon learned that everything left unguarded can and will become a tool for the enemy to infiltrate our hearts. Finding that out, as a young believer, really hurt—especially, when I had surrendered to God, my life, but not my heart.

Before we go on: STOP trying. It doesn't work. And if it looks like it does, IT’S A FACADE (FASSSSADE!) Seriously, when we try to make ourselves righteous, pure, holy, acceptable, we fall short every time (Romans 3:23), and we nullify (Romans 10:3) what He’s already done (Romans 8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 1:3; 2 Timothy 1:7; 2 Peter 1:3——you’re gonna wanna digest these). We've been equipped with everything required for us to live out Romans 12:1, so we no longer have to try (as they did in the Old Testament), we just do.

The actual point of this post is to pre-introduce you to a new challenge: the Organized Religion Challenge. The lyrics of Beautiful Eulogy’s “Organized Religion”, thoroughly generate the importance of maintaining purity in the five gates of our bodies that are influenced/influence that needed the most: ears, tongue, hands, eyes, and heart; the most pivotal, being the heart.

In this series, I actively choose to maintain purity in those five parts: I am dedicating five weeks, a week for each gate, to just do and actively live out purity. It may seem unnecessary, maybe even elementary, to public declare “I’m pursuing purity in things I hear/ the things I say/ the things I do with my hands/ the things I see/ and the things my heart thinks,” but I believe that just as you being water baptized declares “I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST! AND I WANT TO LIVE FOR HIM,” me posting about this challenge, declares: I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST! AND I’M GOING TO LIVE LIKE HE DID.

I don’t plan on trying to maintain purity, I’m just going to do it. I no longer want to try not to look at the voluptuous female, I just won’t. Why is this possible, you ask? Because “all good works begin from a place of rest, in relationship with the Father.” Every week I partake in this challenge, I’m actively choosing to rest in Christ (Matthew 11:28), knowing that I can do and will conquer all things through Him who strengthens and loves me (Philippians 4:13; Romans 8:37).

This challenge series is experimental in nature, as I hope to immediately adapt to this lifestyle of constant and active purity, not allowing for any crevice that the enemy can use to infiltrate me. But, to be sincerely honest, its been, and will continue to be hard, if I’m not locked on to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2; Matthew 6:22). So, my friends, I invite you on this journey—pray for me, keep me accountable, tune into the weekly summarizing posts, ask questions, and tackle your own Organized Religion Challenge.

Shalom,

JUM (1:2)