I have felt it in my heart to post this article even if it is not yet Friday because I have sensed the urgency as well as the accountability on my part.

Since my #everyFridayblogpost advocacy started here on WordPress recently, I have been posting a lot of articles all for the purpose of sharing my day to day journey. This, I would like to reiterate, is not for the reason of boasting what I have and what I can do.

I’d like to begin my article with this premise – I share articles with the hope of encouraging my audience or my readers to gain insights that will help them achieve a BETTER SENSE OF SELF, thus, a BETTER CHARACTER.

I am aware that posting on social media requires so much responsibility and yes, accountability. What I post, I have to make sure that my reader will benefit from it and not the other way around.

I guess I can presume the role of a social media influencer in this case. However, it pains me to see that people interpret what I do as achieving perfection and pride in my achievements.

No, my dear. It is not perfection that I hope to achieve because perfection can only be achieved by no other than our perfect creator who is God, Himself.

It pains me to see people copying what I do, BUT with the wrong motives in the heart. You see, if I exhaust all my talents, skills, and resources that I have, that is not for the purpose of satisfying my own selfish desires because I don’t do it out of fame, popularity, and recognition.

I don’t share my skills and talents to the world just so they see me as the ever-so-talented, gifted, favored by God, jack-of-all-trades woman. No, I share it out of God’s guidance which is this – using my skills to SERVE GOD and OTHERS and not myself.

I write in this blog and other writing communities I volunteer because God HAS INSTRUCTED me to do so. The instruction wasn’t given to me overnight. It was a long, grueling season of waiting and asking God and knowing what are HIS PURPOSES for me.

I use my gift in art and sketching and sketch people because I give these sketches to them as GIFTS. I know the fun and happiness they will derive from them once they receive them. The same goes for all my other hobbies which are photography, playing the guitar, cooking, etc.

I pursue and explore what other talents and skills God has given me not in the context of how I will benefit from them. But it is more on HOW GOD AND OTHERS WILL BENEFIT FROM THEM. This should be the ONLY MOTIVATION and reason why we do things that we do now may it be in our careers, family life, or other endeavors.

My friend, you might be getting it all wrong. Don’t be deceived. Don’t let envy creep into your heart making yourself believe that I am more blessed than you are and wishing you have the life that I have. WE ARE BOTH BLESSED.

Don’t pretend to live the life I have because the life that I have is the life that God has purposefully given to me and to me alone. I sought God’s guidance to lead me to my purpose and this is how He showed it to me. For you, it might be different.

Don’t let envy, bitterness, resentment, greed, selfish ambition, and the lies of the enemy blind you from pursuing God’s will, plans, and purpose for your life. You will not see your God-given purpose (which is way better because God has planned it specifically for you) if you are busy living the life of someone else.

But what hurts me the most is when the lies, greed, and envy (works of the enemy) succeeded in tempting you to sin even more. An example of this is stealing the works of others and presenting them to the world as your own work.

Back in college, UP Diliman’s motto is HONOR and EXCELLENCE. Why HONOR? Because the university takes pride in teaching students and eventually raising individuals who will have a GOOD CHARACTER, first and foremost. Next is EXCELLENCE. You will only achieve true excellence if and only if you were able to do the impossible while keeping your HONOR intact.

That is why plagiarism is punishable by expulsion from the university. Just a single phrase that you’re not able to cite properly well from the original author, it will suffice as grounds for plagiarism. Our society has its own rules when it comes to that. These are the COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT laws.

What do they cover? Any written output, piece of artwork, may it be a photograph, a sketch, or a painting, you always have to give credit to the author or the creator if you intend on using them. That is why here on my website, I have included a copyright claim at the bottom.

I also use a couple of plagiarism software and tools such as Copyscape to determine if my articles have been plagiarized or used without my consent. For my photos and published artwork, I use Google Image Revert Search.

If you intend to share other people’s work because you were inspired by what they do, give them the credit the right way. But if it is your intention to make other people’s work as your own and take credit for it, that is STEALING. And STEALING IS A CRIME.

I am begging you, as a dear friend and a sister in Christ, to take heed. Don’t lie to yourself, to the world, and most especially to God who sees all. DO NOT USE THE NAME OF GOD IN VAIN.

God will not be pleased at all. I am pleading on your behalf so God will give you the mercy and spare you from His wrath. He might be using me to speak through you not to condemn you but as a rebuke and a chance to ask God for forgiveness before it’s too late.

He loves you and I love you, too. In fact, I love you so much I can’t bear it to see you fail in your faith and suffer. I took all the effort and courage I could muster and sought God for His leading for how many weeks now on how I will be able to let the message across inflicting as little pain and hurt as possible.

GOD HAS A BEAUTIFUL PURPOSE FOR YOU AND YOU ALONE. He has wonderfully created you as someone UNIQUE and SPECIAL. Talk to God, speak to Him, and ask Him what kind of life, what kind of person, and what kind of purpose He wants you to live out.

“Seek His will in ALL you do and He will show you which path to take.” – Proverbs 3:6

I am writing this article because I felt I also need to take the blame partly. I know I am also an instrument for the deception of the enemy. But I will also do the best that I can to snatch you from the enemy’s stronghold and bring you back to God.

Because again, He loves you and I love you, too…And lastly, be strong for God and fight the good fight of faith. You are not alone…

A grieving but hoping sister in Christ,