Do you ever forget God? Your first instinct is probably to quickly say "no, of course not! I read my Bible. I pray daily. I go to church and I even try to talk to non-Christians about God." But ponder that question just a bit longer and you may realize that you often do forget him.
I do.
My sister and I are extremely close. We are only one year apart in age and she is my best friend. Our relationship is filled with random outbursts of laughter, telepathic conversations and heartfelt spiritual talks. She knows me better than almost anyone else and can read my body language even over the phone. The other day I was talking to my sister about an issue I was struggling with. As I poured my heart out to her she asked "didn't you already struggle with this a long time ago?"
Her comment was correct. I had struggled with that issue a while back and had handed it over to God. Making it through that struggle had become a part of my testimony and something I used to help others. However, when I spoke about it, I always mentioned myself making it through the tribulation. I had worked through the issue. I had come out of a hard time. I was doing better now.
I had forgotten about God. He who brought me out of my struggle was pushed to the back of my mind.
The Israelites were famous for this. Many times throughout Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy do we see the Israelites turning from God and forgetting his provision. The Israelites, who were brought out of slavery by what was clearly the Lord's power, turned to other gods, disobeyed the Lord's commands and even complained to God arguing that he should have left them in Egypt.
This baffles me! I read about the Israelites forgetting God and I never imagine myself doing the same. But I do! Moses warned the Israelites in Deuteronomy 8 to "be careful to follow every command I am giving you today... Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert for these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart."
We are tested so that we will learn to rely on the Lord more. When the Lord brings you out of a hard situation, praise him! It is in no way by your strength that you have overcome that struggle. He deserves all glory for your life. I, like the Israelites, need to be reminded of this all the time.
When you encounter trials, remember "the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you" (Deuteronomy 20:1).
And when you overcome trials, remember the Lord your God "has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you" (Deuteronomy 2:7).
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
I'm a Stresser
I'm a stresser; I always have been. When I was little, I got stressed out when my siblings wouldn't obey the rules my parents had laid out for them. As the oldest of four, I felt it my responsibility to make sure that all rules were obeyed and no rule-breaker go unpunished.
As I grew, my stresses moved from family focused to schoolwork focused. My mother and grandfather pushed me to do well in school, which I am thankful for. I truly believe I would be a much different person today if I did not have my mom and grandfather encouraging me to excel academically. However, as I transitioned from homeschool to public school I struggled to resist from letting academic pressures make me worry.
Later an even greater worry emerged. I began to worry about pleasing people. I wanted people to like me. I believed that the best way to get people to like me would be to do whatever they wanted me to do. This concept and way of thinking proved itself to be anything but beneficial. I became consumed with people pleasing until eventually it became too overwhelming. Serving others in moderation is good. However, when you begin serving others with the purpose of making yourself more likeable it becomes people pleasing. Serving others became a selfish idol and took the place over God in my life. Galatians 1:10 says "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Clearly, it is not God's desire for us to become anxious and stressed about pleasing people. He would rather us "with prayer and petition, present our requests to (Him)" (Philippians 4:6). He can handle everything that makes us stressed or worried! It's insulting to him when we doubt his sovereignty and power by not giving him our every worry.
So what are you stressed about? Are you stressed about schoolwork or excelling athletically? Are you worried that you won't get into a certain college or that you won't get the job you are hoping for? Maybe you are stressed about people. Maybe you are striving to impress a certain individual, or maybe you just want all people in general to like you. Whether you are struggling to make ends meat financially or not sure about what occupation you want to pursue in the future, give it to the Lord! He is most certainly capable of providing for us when we serve him. Put him first, and watch him sovereignly work his plan over your life.
As I grew, my stresses moved from family focused to schoolwork focused. My mother and grandfather pushed me to do well in school, which I am thankful for. I truly believe I would be a much different person today if I did not have my mom and grandfather encouraging me to excel academically. However, as I transitioned from homeschool to public school I struggled to resist from letting academic pressures make me worry.
Later an even greater worry emerged. I began to worry about pleasing people. I wanted people to like me. I believed that the best way to get people to like me would be to do whatever they wanted me to do. This concept and way of thinking proved itself to be anything but beneficial. I became consumed with people pleasing until eventually it became too overwhelming. Serving others in moderation is good. However, when you begin serving others with the purpose of making yourself more likeable it becomes people pleasing. Serving others became a selfish idol and took the place over God in my life. Galatians 1:10 says "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Clearly, it is not God's desire for us to become anxious and stressed about pleasing people. He would rather us "with prayer and petition, present our requests to (Him)" (Philippians 4:6). He can handle everything that makes us stressed or worried! It's insulting to him when we doubt his sovereignty and power by not giving him our every worry.
So what are you stressed about? Are you stressed about schoolwork or excelling athletically? Are you worried that you won't get into a certain college or that you won't get the job you are hoping for? Maybe you are stressed about people. Maybe you are striving to impress a certain individual, or maybe you just want all people in general to like you. Whether you are struggling to make ends meat financially or not sure about what occupation you want to pursue in the future, give it to the Lord! He is most certainly capable of providing for us when we serve him. Put him first, and watch him sovereignly work his plan over your life.
Monday, July 25, 2011
He Caught a Grenade for US!
I've spent the last two years of my life learning about education and different teaching methods. I was very fortunate to attend a highschool that gave me the opportunity to learn about teaching. Although studying education brought me to the conclusion that most certainly do NOT want to become a teacher, my two years have not been wasted. I learned so much about people and how they think and act. Thus, I've also come to an exceptional state of self awareness. I've learned that I am energized by people, yet I can learn functionally on my own. I've learned that I am a kinesthetic learner and I need to move around or I will get fidgety. I've also learned that I am a musical learner! Music helps me learn, remember, focus, memorize and delve deeper into the meaning of a concept or situation. I can remember homeschooling in second grade and learning ALL of the states through songs. Music just works with me, as it does with many others. It excites me and makes me think (as you can see because three out of four of my blog posts so far have been related to music).
Music can definitely have a negative affect on some though. Last Sunday my pastor used the song "Grenade" by Bruno Mars as an example of how our society views love and puts it above God. He read the lyrics "I'd catch a grenade for ya. Throw my hand on a blade for ya... but you won't do the same" to illustrate the way our culture works today. While he was explaining his interpretation of the song, my friend and I came to a different conclusion. Bruno Mars wasn't singing about himself and a lover, he was singing about Jesus and us! (Okay, so maybe Bruno didn't exactly intend to be singing about Jesus, but it definitely parallels!) You see, God sent Jesus (his only son) as the ultimate sacrifice to save US (John 3:16). Just let that sink in... the creator of the universe sent his PERFECT ONLY SON to save us... to save YOU! And sometimes, we really do "toss it in the trash" as Bruno sings. Listening to the Bruno Mars song, you may think, "how could that girl be such a jerk? Doesn't she know how much this guy loves her?" Listen to it again and think about yourself. How could we know about the sacrifice of Christ and toss this precious gift in the trash? I find myself unconsciously rejecting the gift of Christ. When I act selfishly, when I run away from God, when I SIN... These are the times when reject the love that Christ has offered me.
I hope that Bruno Mars will encourage you as he has encouraged me. He reminded me of the blessing that God has sent to us! I don't want to be the girl in the song anymore. When we accept the love that Christ offers us, he will use us to glorify him and further his kingdom far more than we could ever imagine! It is my hope and prayer that you would find true passion and joy in him!
Music can definitely have a negative affect on some though. Last Sunday my pastor used the song "Grenade" by Bruno Mars as an example of how our society views love and puts it above God. He read the lyrics "I'd catch a grenade for ya. Throw my hand on a blade for ya... but you won't do the same" to illustrate the way our culture works today. While he was explaining his interpretation of the song, my friend and I came to a different conclusion. Bruno Mars wasn't singing about himself and a lover, he was singing about Jesus and us! (Okay, so maybe Bruno didn't exactly intend to be singing about Jesus, but it definitely parallels!) You see, God sent Jesus (his only son) as the ultimate sacrifice to save US (John 3:16). Just let that sink in... the creator of the universe sent his PERFECT ONLY SON to save us... to save YOU! And sometimes, we really do "toss it in the trash" as Bruno sings. Listening to the Bruno Mars song, you may think, "how could that girl be such a jerk? Doesn't she know how much this guy loves her?" Listen to it again and think about yourself. How could we know about the sacrifice of Christ and toss this precious gift in the trash? I find myself unconsciously rejecting the gift of Christ. When I act selfishly, when I run away from God, when I SIN... These are the times when reject the love that Christ has offered me.
I hope that Bruno Mars will encourage you as he has encouraged me. He reminded me of the blessing that God has sent to us! I don't want to be the girl in the song anymore. When we accept the love that Christ offers us, he will use us to glorify him and further his kingdom far more than we could ever imagine! It is my hope and prayer that you would find true passion and joy in him!
Friday, July 1, 2011
How high does a sycamore grow?
I, like many other teenage girls, am a Disney princess fanatic. I'm one of those girls who takes pictures with the princesses at Disney World and has a Disney princess calendar. I've watched all the movies, worn the costumes, and know every word to every song. I'm the one who gets mad when people try to recreate the classic stories, because nothing beats the originals.
Today I put my ipod on shuffle while I cleaned my room. As I cleaned, "Colors of the Wind" from the movie Pocahontas came on. (Yes, I do have most of the princess movie soundtracks on my ipod. Don't hate.) In the song, Pocahontas is singing to John Smith, an Englishman who has come to America to explore the land. In the bridge of the song, Pocahontas sings "how high does a sycamore grow? If you cut it down, than you'll never know." At first I sang this line as I usually would, letting the words roll off my tongue without really thinking about them. But then, I paused. I rewound the song, listening to the wise words of Pocahontas again... this time more carefully. "How high does a sycamore grow? If you cut it down, than you'll never know."
I began thinking about leadership in the church. A lot of times, young Christians are "cut down" before they are ever given a chance to grow. So many new believers start out so strong in the Lord, but because they are not discipled and encouraged by more mature believers, they fall. They are "cut down" and never really mature past an infant level of spiritual maturity.
This week I witnessed an amazing revival among the students in my youth group. I realized that I had been cutting most of the new believers down. They would fall, and instead of encouraging them and praying that God would build them back up, I would write them off as a faker and give up on them. But this week God showed me that He will NEVER lose any of his sheep (Luke 15:3-7). He has a firm hold on each one of us and will do whatever it takes to bring us back to Him. It is our job as mature believers to build up those struggling in their faith. I have seen this week that God has a huge plan for each one of these new followers! If we cut them down while they're young and lose hope, we will never know how high they will grow!
I'm still learning. And I know I'll still struggle with being persistent with young believers. But it is IMPERATIVE that we don't give up on them! God will use them, he just needs to use YOU to encourage them first!
"So encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are already doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Today I put my ipod on shuffle while I cleaned my room. As I cleaned, "Colors of the Wind" from the movie Pocahontas came on. (Yes, I do have most of the princess movie soundtracks on my ipod. Don't hate.) In the song, Pocahontas is singing to John Smith, an Englishman who has come to America to explore the land. In the bridge of the song, Pocahontas sings "how high does a sycamore grow? If you cut it down, than you'll never know." At first I sang this line as I usually would, letting the words roll off my tongue without really thinking about them. But then, I paused. I rewound the song, listening to the wise words of Pocahontas again... this time more carefully. "How high does a sycamore grow? If you cut it down, than you'll never know."
I began thinking about leadership in the church. A lot of times, young Christians are "cut down" before they are ever given a chance to grow. So many new believers start out so strong in the Lord, but because they are not discipled and encouraged by more mature believers, they fall. They are "cut down" and never really mature past an infant level of spiritual maturity.
This week I witnessed an amazing revival among the students in my youth group. I realized that I had been cutting most of the new believers down. They would fall, and instead of encouraging them and praying that God would build them back up, I would write them off as a faker and give up on them. But this week God showed me that He will NEVER lose any of his sheep (Luke 15:3-7). He has a firm hold on each one of us and will do whatever it takes to bring us back to Him. It is our job as mature believers to build up those struggling in their faith. I have seen this week that God has a huge plan for each one of these new followers! If we cut them down while they're young and lose hope, we will never know how high they will grow!
I'm still learning. And I know I'll still struggle with being persistent with young believers. But it is IMPERATIVE that we don't give up on them! God will use them, he just needs to use YOU to encourage them first!
"So encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are already doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Worship is Everything
This weekend I had the pleasure of taking a trip with my aunt and three-year-old cousin to an island off the coast of South Carolina. The mildly deserted island contained more aquatic wildlife than I had ever before seen in person. I had the experiences of petting a dead horseshoe crap, trudging through a mud pit, finding sea turtle eggs and watching dolphins dance off the shoreline. I also had the opportunity to paddle myself through a kayak tour guided by a few highly specialized environmentalists. The tour began with a brief training for me and the other rather inexperienced kayakers. I tried to listen carefully to each instruction. I didn't want to be that one person to flip the kayak before the tour even began. The tour was very slow-moving in the beginning. The environmentalists gave the entire history of the island and what felt like an inventory of every living creature there. I tried to listen! I really tried! But there was a part of me that wished we could paddle a little quicker. I was up for a challenge.
When one of the specialists announced that we should head back to the shore, I quickly bolted. I was ready to use my rutter and paddle at full speed. Apparently, an older woman and some guys in a double-boat had the same idea because they were far ahead of me before I could blink! After a few minutes of hard core paddling, I looked back to see the substantial distance I had formed between myself and the rest of the group. When I looked forward I suddenly became overwhelmed by the beauty of the moment. The sea was bright and blue! The sand, far in the distance, had a shine to it that made it look like someone had showered it with glitter. There was not a cloud in the sky! The afternoon sun brought the whole estuary to life. I began to sing. "I stand in awe! I stand in awe! Symphony of all created things, sing the song that we were meant to sing!" That praise to Jesus slowly morphed into a medley of worship songs. I sang a song until another one popped into my head, then I would begin the next song with no proper transition. Sometimes in the middle of a word! I even switched keys in the middle of songs to make it easier on my voice. I am no Kelly Clarkson.
In the midst of my performance for my Lord I did not realize how close I was getting to the guys in front of me. I saw them glancing back at me a few times and I know that they chuckling about me. I quieted my singing to a whisper for about a second, then I raised my voice to an even louder level than before. I didn't really care. I didn't know these guys and I wanted Jesus to hear me loud and clear!
An environmentalist on a motor boat came up to me right in the middle of "Blessed Be the Name" and told me to move further to the right. I looked to my left to see an alligator nearly twenty feet beside me hovering on the surface of the water. I began to sing again as I paddled much faster than before, changing the words of the song to "Lord protect me from this creature!"
I arrived at the shore and looked out to the rest of the kayakers still slowly paddling back. I took a deep breath basking in the glory of God for one last moment. God truly spoke to me in that moment. He challenged my idea that worship is a song in a church and taught me that worship is everything. The air I was breathing in. The kayak keeping me afloat. The alligator that could have eaten me! Worship is my baby cousin when he struggles through words. It is my aunt speaking about worm poop with passion and excitement. It is me... trying to sing. Worship is everything! "Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness." Psalm 96:9
When one of the specialists announced that we should head back to the shore, I quickly bolted. I was ready to use my rutter and paddle at full speed. Apparently, an older woman and some guys in a double-boat had the same idea because they were far ahead of me before I could blink! After a few minutes of hard core paddling, I looked back to see the substantial distance I had formed between myself and the rest of the group. When I looked forward I suddenly became overwhelmed by the beauty of the moment. The sea was bright and blue! The sand, far in the distance, had a shine to it that made it look like someone had showered it with glitter. There was not a cloud in the sky! The afternoon sun brought the whole estuary to life. I began to sing. "I stand in awe! I stand in awe! Symphony of all created things, sing the song that we were meant to sing!" That praise to Jesus slowly morphed into a medley of worship songs. I sang a song until another one popped into my head, then I would begin the next song with no proper transition. Sometimes in the middle of a word! I even switched keys in the middle of songs to make it easier on my voice. I am no Kelly Clarkson.
In the midst of my performance for my Lord I did not realize how close I was getting to the guys in front of me. I saw them glancing back at me a few times and I know that they chuckling about me. I quieted my singing to a whisper for about a second, then I raised my voice to an even louder level than before. I didn't really care. I didn't know these guys and I wanted Jesus to hear me loud and clear!
An environmentalist on a motor boat came up to me right in the middle of "Blessed Be the Name" and told me to move further to the right. I looked to my left to see an alligator nearly twenty feet beside me hovering on the surface of the water. I began to sing again as I paddled much faster than before, changing the words of the song to "Lord protect me from this creature!"
I arrived at the shore and looked out to the rest of the kayakers still slowly paddling back. I took a deep breath basking in the glory of God for one last moment. God truly spoke to me in that moment. He challenged my idea that worship is a song in a church and taught me that worship is everything. The air I was breathing in. The kayak keeping me afloat. The alligator that could have eaten me! Worship is my baby cousin when he struggles through words. It is my aunt speaking about worm poop with passion and excitement. It is me... trying to sing. Worship is everything! "Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness." Psalm 96:9
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