Purpose

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7

The goals of this blog, the energy and passion accompanying every post, must stem from an utmost desire to please and glorify God in everything I do. It started with a love for writing, encouraging others, and sharing my experiences online and through social  media. Recently, I've come face to face with the simple truths of purpose, faith, and most importantly, life.

The title of this blog, "Established in Faith", begins with the purpose of blogging and continues out into everyday life. What is the purpose of this blog? My intention is to share the bits and pieces of my life, such as experiences, passions, and God-given ideas through the art of writing. I want to encourage. I want to inspire. I want to lead others to Him, to envision a part of life that many never see, to look past the problems of life, which is temporary, and to fast forward to a future full of eternal glory, happiness, and life forever with Jesus.

Sounds like a fantasy, right? Rather, such an amazing vision of the future is not enjoyed in today's temporary, broken world, one covered in death and sorrow as a result of the first sins of mankind. But there is hope. Jesus is our hope. God sent Jesus, His Son, to die a terrible death on the cross for us, because our imperfections can never be present near a holy God. But He loves us and desires to be with us, so He sent His perfect Son to die for our sins, to be blamed for what we have done, all out of love. But because He truly is the Son of God, and because the purpose of His death was beyond what was humanly possible, He did not stay in the grave forever. Three days later, He came back to life, defeating death and sin, and allowing us to truly be able to experience the life God intended us to live, one of righteousness, love, and most of all, one established in faith.

 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Romans 10:9-10
When we realize the Truth, all we have to do is accept Jesus. Surrender your life to Him. Calling upon His name, believing and confessing that He is who He says He is, asking for forgiveness for the sins that have inevitably been committed, will lead to salvation. When we give everything to Jesus, and our lives become a living testimony of His death and Resurrection, we will be changed from the inside out. Renewed, saved, and transformed into a brand new creation, our hearts are changed as a result of the love of God and an act of grace and mercy through the sacrifice of His Son.

Once we have received Jesus as Lord, and our hearts, and therefore lives, have been radically changed by the placing of God's Spirit within us, we are then called to repentance and a change in lifestyle. We must live our lives on His foundation. Before life with Jesus, life lacked purpose (ultimately, it sought to please ourselves); with Jesus, our purpose must derive from the truths of God's Word and should seek to glorify and serve Him in every situation, to please Him above all else. So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it (2 Corinthians 5:9).

via Pinterest

 A life focused on chasing after God's heart, rather than the hearts of other people, or the temporary things of the world, or anything else other than God, will lead in success. We were not meant to live this life alone, but we were meant to walk side by side with the Creator. We were meant to enjoy a personal relationship with Him, sharing in the pleasures of His love. However, we can't please God, and therefore live life accordingly with His truths, without faith. To truly be "established in faith", we must start with surrender and repentance, living life with Jesus as the foundation, striving to become closer to Him, and deciding to forever become built up and rooted in Him--which requires acts of faith. It may take being an outcast, it may change our ego, it may eliminate activities of the past, but at the end, our faith will be strengthened, and we will come to know God as He has always longed for us to do. As our relationship grows with Him, our faith enlarges, our hearts grow in beauty, and a mindset of thankfulness and joy abounds. 

 I have decided to live my life "established in faith". This blog is about my life, the memories, the good and bad times, my experiences, my passions, my works, the ideas God reveals to me in light of Scripture, and anything else about my life. I may post about the beauty of volunteering at the animal shelter, the good and bad moments of school, my struggles, my favorite memories, or just what God has revealed to me in Quiet Time. This blog is about life, but as my life must be a reflection of my faith, so this blog must reflect the same thing. Beneath every post, and beneath whatever I face in life, is the establishment of faith, a trust in Jesus that will continue forever and ever as I desire to please and glorify Him in every little thing that I do.