Who Are You?

Who are you?

   All throughout our lives, especially during the teenage years, we seek to find out "who we truly are". We look to the things of this world, our circumstances, and what we believe our mind and soul to look like and we find a label and place it upon ourselves. We find what we believe defines us. The problem with that is that if the label is good, those things will fade. This world is dying day by day. Satisfaction because of the things on this earth is only temporal. If the label is negative, we depress our soul and live out a lie. We live bound to a certain sin because we believe the sin defines us, when it really doesn't.

   Once we meet Christ, our identity does not, and should not, rest in the things of this world anymore. We are no longer a slave to our sins. We are no longer defined by our success, our riches, our fame, our popularity, our outgoing nature or athletic ability, even our intelligence--but we are defined as a child of the One True King. We are defined as a son or daughter adopted into God's family and one who is greatly and forever loved and cherished by the God of the universe. Every other identity will fade away, but being labeled as a child of the King is eternal. Our God is eternal, so by resting in His Name alone, our identity will never falter. He will never leave us. He will never change His mind and take away His gift of salvation. The gift of Christ on the cross is done. There is no going back. Christ's blood spilled out for us, and we are no longer bound to our sins any longer. His grace covers us, and an identity of a heart covered by His righteousness will never leave. His death is enough.

2 Cor. 5:17. Image via Pinterest

So if you're struggling in school, you're not a 'failure'. You are NOT defined by the grades you make or the intelligence you possess.

You are NOT defined by the clothes you wear, the amount of makeup you use, or the brand of shoes you buy.

You are NOT defined by the amount of money you make, the amount of expensive items you own, or whether you have the latest Iphone.

You are NOT defined by your past or the sins you carry or once carried.

No, you are defined as a loved and cared-for child of God!

  If you're stuck in a certain sin and feel like God could never forgive you or love you, remember that Christ's death is enough. His grace is sufficient for all of our sins. You are not defined by your past any longer. Give it to the Lord and let it go. In Christ, we are a new creation, saved by grace. We no longer live like our old selves, but as our new selves, dressed in the righteousness and love of Christ.

  In fact, when Jesus met with those burdened by the weight of their sins, they never once left Him the same as they were. They walked away with a new identity, a new life ahead. When a woman caught in the act of adultery was brought to Jesus by the teachers of the law and Pharisees, Jesus didn't condemn. Rather, He put it upon the hypocritical, "self righteous" Pharisees to decide whether she should be stoned---with the question of whether they were without sin or not.



Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said.


“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:10-11

The adulterous woman left Jesus with a new identity. She left leaving her life of sin. Her life was changed by the presence of Christ, and the same can apply today.

Whatever label has been placed on you, throw it away. The enemy seeks to destroy with the lies and labels of the world. 

In Christ, you are redeemed. You are deeply loved. 

You are a child of God. And that will never change!
 

Desires & the Beauty of His Will

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  The beauty of God's will is that it does not rest upon the desires of our own heart, but it carries out the best for the good of those who love Him, all while delighting in the thoughts and cries of a heartfelt prayer of desire. Our God delights in hearing from His children. Yes, how loving and good our God is that He would take so much pleasure in hearing the requests of His people! Yet I'm learning of the greatness of His love, a love that is wrapped around the will of God. Because as much as we may want that certain wish to come true, whether it be the grade, the bonus, the relationship, whatever we have been wishing and praying more than anything else, it is so much more essential to trust in the will and the ways of God. Sometimes the wishes of our hearts are only just a fading desire. It's a desire that exists in our life for a temporary time, but as life goes on, so do our wants and wishes. It's a difficult process, but the will of God and the plan He has for us is so much better, so much more worth it, than the dream we've been dwelling on. The God who knows our entire future, who carries every page of the book of our lives in His hands, is willing to carry out the best for His children. So why trust in our own desires, when our hearts can be deceiving? Why ask God for what we think is best, when He's the One who knows every detail of our lives, every second of our future, and who knows us from the inside out? His Will contains a future that is so much greater than we could ever imagine. Yes, His ways may contain some of our desires and dreams (as I said before, He delights in hearing from His children and in answering the prayers of those who seek Him), but oftentimes, He loves us too much to let us have our own way. He loves us too much to give us the desire that we think we really want, a wish that will just end in destruction in the long run. His ways, His best for our lives, will never lead to destruction. Yes, the tough times will still come, but His ways will yield a fruitful character, a heart trusting more and more in Him daily, and especially a life of blessing and good gifts.

  After all, Jesus was in deep sorrow at the thought of going to the cross, yet He still went to His Father and asked for His will to be done. He knew that as tough as His life was sure to become, He came to earth to save His people from their sins. Deciding to trust in the sorrow of His heart and the desires of His soul would ultimately defeat the purpose of coming to earth. God's ways were carried out, and His sacrifice led to the salvation of the world.

Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done. Luke 22:42

  So that wish, that desire consuming our hearts and minds every second of every day, should no longer be our true desire if it's not God's best for our lives. As much as we want to believe that it is best, God's ways are so much better in the long run. I've been through it, and I'm experiencing this now. But as I look back on answered prayers, I see that my prayers were not always answered the way that I thought they would be. I've seen that my desires are nothing compared to the desires that God has for my life. And I'm so grateful that He carried out His ways for me, because I would never be able to experience much of what is a large part of my life today, if it weren't for a God so loving that He carries out His will for my life.

That thing you've been wishing for? Give it to God. He might just give you what you want. But maybe, just maybe, He'll give you what you've really been wishing for all along.

First My Mother, Forever My Friend

To the one who has cared for me since the day I was born,

who has been my role model throughout the years,

who supports me and is there for me no matter what comes my way,

who raised me with love and goodness,

who sacrifices everything for her children,

who works hard in everything she does,

who runs to a hundred places in a day to bring the best for her family,

who is so much more than a mother to me, but who is also a good

friend,

Thank you.

Mom, with each birthday passing by, I see how blessed I am to have a mother as caring, hard working, and loving as you are. Not many mothers would do the things that you do. Not many mothers care the way that you care. Not many mothers love the way that you love.

I am so glad God gave me the mother that He did!

Happy Birthday, Mom.

Evidence

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There is evidence of God everywhere.

  The skies are a depiction of His glory, beautifully painted by the Great Artist. The trees grow an abundance of juicy fruit, freshly and perfectly made for us to eat. The waves of the beach go up and down, sparkling in the sunshine. The list is endless. Nature is evidence of a Creator that goes above and beyond the things of this world. Perfection, complete order, cannot be attained without a grand Designer, a person bringing order. In a room with chairs thrown all over, the room will not automatically be cleaned, with rows of chairs and spotless floors, by the following morning unless someone comes in and does so. Same for this world. Chaos cannot bring order; there must be a Creator to do so.

  But even more so than the evidence of the world around us is the movement that God brings in the lives of people. Lives are changed every day. People are made new. It is miraculous to watch lives once partnered with sin and see them be transformed into followers of Christ. There is nothing like witnessing the transformation. This transformation has meaning behind it, and it is evidence of the character and movement of God.

  In summary of what artist TobyMac proclaimed on the radio earlier today, we cannot see the wind...but we know it's there. We can't see the wind, but we know without any doubts in our minds that it is there because we can feel and see its movement. We see change. Things move, and we can feel the touch of wind on our skin. Likewise, we cannot physically see God, but we can experience His movement. We witness change, we experience change, and we can feel His presence. The evidence of life change, and the relationship we establish with Him, is a beautiful process. It's evidence of a God who is beautiful, and so loving, because He desires a relationship with His people despite all that we have done.

  It breaks my heart to hear so many people say that they don't believe in God or don't want God's help in their life. There's this idea that God is an evil tyrant in the sky who seeks to punish those who do wrong and rule over our lives.

Don't believe it, friends.

  God is a fair and just God, but He knows that we are bound to sin and make mistakes. That's why He sent His Son, Jesus. Jesus didn't have to die on that cross...He had all the power to take Himself off the cross, yet He endured all suffering for US.

Our God is not about punishment...He is about LOVE!

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. John 3:16-17

  Jesus came to this earth and died on the cross. Even historians who don't believe in God believe that. History tells us that this man came to earth, healed many people, and died on a cross, and there are reports of many, many witnesses proclaiming that He rose again. He declared He was the Son of God, the chosen Messiah, the One the Jewish people had been waiting for. It's up to us to decide whether or not to believe that He is who He says He is. 

It's up to us to believe.

And if you don't, I'm not writing this in the hopes of forcing anything upon anyone. 
I have been changed by the love and grace of God, and when I say change, I mean life change.

Faith is a decision left up to each and every one of us. This is the evidence I see, and I choose to believe it. Do you?

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:20

No More Condemnation

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In a world filled with negativity, condemnation, and guilt, one word still remains: grace.

I've been learning so much recently about the modern church and how the world's view of the body of Christ is so much different than it should be. In a world filled with condemnation, the church is seemingly putting in the most effort.

The problem is, a Christ follower isn't perfect and nor is anyone else in this world.

Yet we tend to forget that.

All too often we forget that the God we follow isn't the one we're living like.
 For if every follower of Christ truly lived like Him, they would see that Jesus never came to condemn, but to love and to save the lost. He didn't come to tell others they are doing wrong, even though He had every right to do so as the holy Son of God. Yet the people who committed the "worst" of sins, according to the people of that time, were drawn to Him. They wanted to be near Him. They desired a relationship with Him.

If we are following Christ, shouldn't we be like Him? Yet the church has a dramatically different reputation than Jesus ever had. We have become known as this group of judgmental, hateful, and condemning Jesus followers who really don't follow the example of Christ like we state. We are viewed as hypocritical. We have become more known for condemnation than what Jesus said His disciples would be known for: love.

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35

Church, I think it's time we start loving one other rather than bringing others down. Condemnation doesn't accomplish anything but lead others even farther away than they already are. I think it's time that we really, truly, start living like the One who we claim to follow and exemplify grace, rather than hate, in all that we do.

Because we are all sinful. We all deserve punishment.

But Jesus paid the price. His grace covers us. And no matter what others say or do, His grace covers their sins too.

In a world of condemnation, grace still remains, wrapped up in the loving hands of a Savior who gave His life on a cross, whose blood was poured out for us. 

Grace is beautiful. It's time to live it.

He Gets Me Through

I'm tired, worn, filled with stress. So much studying to do, college classes to attend, and work to get done...in such a short amount of time.

It's the strength of the Lord that gets me through this.
His power working in me.
His unfailing love.

I am surrounded by His grace, His mercy, His passionate love for me.

It's His faithfulness that has allowed me to get through all of this, and succeed. All things are done through my precious Savior.

It's His firm grip on my life, His hand holding mine, that I walk through this life in victory. His love showers me daily, His grace pouring over my sins.


My heart is filled with awe daily at the God whom I serve.

My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to Your Word. Psalm 119:28

Goodbye Worry

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Romans 8:37

Goodbye Worry,

You're no longer welcome here.

You've had a hold on my spirit and a key to a part of my heart for too long.

You've tried and tried to knock me down, to break me to pieces, to burden me with your weight. Too many times you have been close to succeeding, but never have you won the victory. There have been more times that you have completely failed, because Christ lives inside of me. Too many times I have not let you stop me from the future ahead of me, and that's because I have the One who is greater than you on my side. With the man who overcame the grave interceding for me, I have no doubt that you are on the path to defeat.

I'm not going to waste my time any longer with you constantly in my thoughts. I want to do life BIG. I want to experience the good things ahead of me and the blessings God has waiting for me, and that means there is no place for you in my thoughts.

You are a waste of time. You don't add a single hour to my life (Matt. 6:27). You are run by your master, the enemy, and I want no part of his evil ways and deceiving lies. I know the truth, and the truth has set me free. God cares for the birds, and therefore He will care for me! (Matt. 6:26).

I gave God the key to my heart five years ago, and now I've wholly surrendered you over to my Father. We're done. I'm officially asking your departure.

You don't belong in the heart of this child of the King!

Sincerely,
A Worrier who is MORE than a Conqueror through Him who loves us!