BE HIS.
What does it mean to belong to someone? If you're dating someone then you probably feel this attachment. If you are a part of a team-be it basketball, cheerleading, football, band, glee club, chorus or chess club...then you know that feeling of being a part of a bigger, collective someone. How great it feels to be united and to accomplish something.
So what does it mean to be HIS? A child of the King. To belong to the Maker of all the heavens and earth. He who formed you in the womb. He who knows the number of every hair on your head. He who has numbered your days. Do you really know who you belong to? I have to confess that I often forget. I get caught up in the struggles and problems of my day to day life and I forget Who it is that I serve.
Do you believe that the God of Abraham, Moses and Joshua is your God? Do you act like you believe it? For our actions reveal what we really believe. We have the promise that our God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Our modern society may claim that the Bible is old and outdated but the reality is that there is nothing new under the sun. The world may look different and may have changed in many ways, yet man in his carnal state still thirsts after and desires the same things. God has not changed in His infinite power, wisdom and love.
We still serve the same God of Daniel, Esther, and David. Maybe you need to take some time and dig back in the Word and relish the LIFE of these stories. Ask God to remove your unbelief. God STILL takes us out of the mouths of lions! He still parts the Red Sea! He still places His people exactly where He wants them "for such a time as this". He still delivers His people out of the fiery furnace. The only thing that limits His power is our unbelief. Do people look at you and say "I want to know the God they serve"? I pray it is so. You must pray that this is so. Do you make others hungry for God?
The only way you can ever hold this power is by being His. Taking the time every day to rest in His presence. To get away from all the noise and busyness of life and listen only to His voice-turn off your I-Phone, computer, I-Pod and get alone with Him. Listen for the Holy Spirit to direct you. Talk to Him constantly throughout your day. Praise Him for all the good things He has given you. Beg Him to give you His strength when hardships and trials come your way. Pray that they push you to Him and change you to look more like Him. Hudson Taylor, an international missionary, said "It doesn't matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressure lies, whether it comes between me and God or whether it presses me nearer His heart."
Matthew 16:25 says "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it." The choice is yours; will you be His? You can trust that while it will be difficult, it will all be worth it in the end.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Be Last
BE LAST.
So what do you want to be when you grow up? Do you know what college you want to attend once you graduate? Have you registered for the classes that put you on the right track to follow the career path you (or your parents, or maybe both) want? Are you dating anyone? Have you bought the latest I-phone?
There are so many pressures on the American student today. You live in a society where you're constantly pushed so much to become someone-to do something with your life-that this usually results in putting your needs above the needs of others. I mean, how else is it going to get done? When is there the time and energy to give generously of yourself?
And love deeply? You tried love a couple of times and that boy or girl only broke your heart. I mean, you love your friends, at least the ones who stick close beside you. You're told that the only way to achieve and be what you want to be is to do it yourself-to look out for yourself because no one else is going to do it. And if you work hard enough, you can do anything!
In Philippians 2 we are given the instruction to humbly "consider others as more important than yourselves". It wasn't that long ago that I was in your shoes and I remember that constant pressure. Yet, I also remember the joy that came when I put others' needs above myself. When I took the time to listen to a friend who was really struggling with something-to help lighten the burden they carried even just a little bit-the Lord in turn provided me with the strength and grace I needed for a certain task. When I followed His leading and led a Bible study for younger girls, He still gave me the time and discipline to do well in school while holding a job and playing tennis. Or when I obeyed God when He called me on a mission trip during my spring break.
Time after time, after time, the Lord ALWAYS came through for me and gave me just what I needed. This philosophy certainly goes against every thing our modern day society tells us. And the reality is, putting yourself last will NEVER be glamorous and hardly ever enjoyable; I mean think of what it cost Jesus. He was ridiculed and often misunderstood. He stood up for the outcast of society-the lame, the sinners. He was definitely not popular and oftentimes he made people so mad they chased him out! He suffered and bled and DIED.
Every time you put yourself last-every time you die to yourself to put the needs of someone else before yours-you are being obedient to God. Let it be our ever growing desire to sacrifice greatly just as our Savior did so that "at the name of Jesus every knee will bow-of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth-and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!"
So what do you want to be when you grow up? Do you know what college you want to attend once you graduate? Have you registered for the classes that put you on the right track to follow the career path you (or your parents, or maybe both) want? Are you dating anyone? Have you bought the latest I-phone?
There are so many pressures on the American student today. You live in a society where you're constantly pushed so much to become someone-to do something with your life-that this usually results in putting your needs above the needs of others. I mean, how else is it going to get done? When is there the time and energy to give generously of yourself?
And love deeply? You tried love a couple of times and that boy or girl only broke your heart. I mean, you love your friends, at least the ones who stick close beside you. You're told that the only way to achieve and be what you want to be is to do it yourself-to look out for yourself because no one else is going to do it. And if you work hard enough, you can do anything!
In Philippians 2 we are given the instruction to humbly "consider others as more important than yourselves". It wasn't that long ago that I was in your shoes and I remember that constant pressure. Yet, I also remember the joy that came when I put others' needs above myself. When I took the time to listen to a friend who was really struggling with something-to help lighten the burden they carried even just a little bit-the Lord in turn provided me with the strength and grace I needed for a certain task. When I followed His leading and led a Bible study for younger girls, He still gave me the time and discipline to do well in school while holding a job and playing tennis. Or when I obeyed God when He called me on a mission trip during my spring break.
Time after time, after time, the Lord ALWAYS came through for me and gave me just what I needed. This philosophy certainly goes against every thing our modern day society tells us. And the reality is, putting yourself last will NEVER be glamorous and hardly ever enjoyable; I mean think of what it cost Jesus. He was ridiculed and often misunderstood. He stood up for the outcast of society-the lame, the sinners. He was definitely not popular and oftentimes he made people so mad they chased him out! He suffered and bled and DIED.
Every time you put yourself last-every time you die to yourself to put the needs of someone else before yours-you are being obedient to God. Let it be our ever growing desire to sacrifice greatly just as our Savior did so that "at the name of Jesus every knee will bow-of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth-and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!"
Be Real
BE REAL.
Staying power. That's what authentic community gives us as followers of Christ. But it comes at quite a cost. It comes only when we sacrifice greatly. We must be real with each other-with our struggles-our deep, dark secrets that we are embarrassed or ashamed about. Because the reality is-as a body of believers-when one of us suffers we all suffer. We mourn together. We rejoice together-worshipping joyfully to our Giver or Life. We rejoice together after we have come alongside a brother or sister and helped to carry their burden. When we have sacrificed our time to sit and listen to their pain. When we have prayed fervently together. For everything there is a season and a purpose under heaven.
To be quite honest, it is EXTREMELY difficult to live in close community. We live in very close quarters with our team in South Sudan. Because of this reality, it is impossible for any of us to have a bad day without all of us knowing it. It is hard to lay down your pride and live transparently. Living this way it is impossible to maintain your mask. But what an opportunity to grow this gives us! When my team members see all the ugliness that lies in my heart-that overflows on rough days-the REAL me, my default setting, I am faced with a choice. Will I swallow my pride, be humble, confess my sin, ask for forgiveness, and embrace the unconditional love and accountability they offer me? Or will I pretend like nothing happened, brush it aside and hope they forget about it? Of course, the first choice is the most difficult. Yet when I accept the community that my team offers me, this is when I grow the most. My team sees me at my best, my worst, and they hear me pour out my heart about how I long to be. They mirror God's love for me-they forgive me and love me even when I don't deserve it. Colossians 3:12 says "we are God's chosen ones, holy and loved..." and God longs for us to rely on Him to make us all these things. To mold us into the image of Him so that our ugly default setting slowly turns to a beautiful thing and no matter how much we're shaken, JESUS comes out!
How my heart is so thankful for the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 1:9, "He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began." We have a HOLY calling as followers of Christ! And holiness cannot and will not be achieved if we are left to our own devices, if we try to do it alone. We MUST have the accountability of fellow brothers and sisters of Christ. For we are in a war here on earth. C.S. Lewis said, "Enemy-occupied territory-that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful King has landed...and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage."
So BE REAL! Join hands with your brothers and sisters in Christ-confess your sins to one another and worship our God joyfully-following Him with all your heart, soul, and mind. It will shake this world to its core and call people to the heart of God!
Staying power. That's what authentic community gives us as followers of Christ. But it comes at quite a cost. It comes only when we sacrifice greatly. We must be real with each other-with our struggles-our deep, dark secrets that we are embarrassed or ashamed about. Because the reality is-as a body of believers-when one of us suffers we all suffer. We mourn together. We rejoice together-worshipping joyfully to our Giver or Life. We rejoice together after we have come alongside a brother or sister and helped to carry their burden. When we have sacrificed our time to sit and listen to their pain. When we have prayed fervently together. For everything there is a season and a purpose under heaven.
To be quite honest, it is EXTREMELY difficult to live in close community. We live in very close quarters with our team in South Sudan. Because of this reality, it is impossible for any of us to have a bad day without all of us knowing it. It is hard to lay down your pride and live transparently. Living this way it is impossible to maintain your mask. But what an opportunity to grow this gives us! When my team members see all the ugliness that lies in my heart-that overflows on rough days-the REAL me, my default setting, I am faced with a choice. Will I swallow my pride, be humble, confess my sin, ask for forgiveness, and embrace the unconditional love and accountability they offer me? Or will I pretend like nothing happened, brush it aside and hope they forget about it? Of course, the first choice is the most difficult. Yet when I accept the community that my team offers me, this is when I grow the most. My team sees me at my best, my worst, and they hear me pour out my heart about how I long to be. They mirror God's love for me-they forgive me and love me even when I don't deserve it. Colossians 3:12 says "we are God's chosen ones, holy and loved..." and God longs for us to rely on Him to make us all these things. To mold us into the image of Him so that our ugly default setting slowly turns to a beautiful thing and no matter how much we're shaken, JESUS comes out!
How my heart is so thankful for the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 1:9, "He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began." We have a HOLY calling as followers of Christ! And holiness cannot and will not be achieved if we are left to our own devices, if we try to do it alone. We MUST have the accountability of fellow brothers and sisters of Christ. For we are in a war here on earth. C.S. Lewis said, "Enemy-occupied territory-that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful King has landed...and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage."
So BE REAL! Join hands with your brothers and sisters in Christ-confess your sins to one another and worship our God joyfully-following Him with all your heart, soul, and mind. It will shake this world to its core and call people to the heart of God!
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