Missing the Point

To open his book "Crazy Love", Francis Chan asks, "Have you ever wondered if we're missing it?"

I think, especially at Christian schools or colleges, we focus so much on the nonessentials that we are missing the point. In the long run, all of this study of eschatology and typology and deeper Biblical meanings and methods of evangelism and baptism and worship and whatnot are good, but aren't truly essential.

Barlowgirl sings, "At the end of it all, I want to be in Your arms." When it really comes down to the end, where are we? Are we debating if the last chapter of Mark was original or are we sitting on God's lap and breathing him in? When your last day comes, will you tell Jesus how you aced your Hermeneutics exam? Or will you tell him about the people he used you to love? When you go to sleep at night, are you satisfied that you truly convinced the atheist about God's existence or satisfied that Jesus loves you, unconditionally, and has blessed you with the desire to show others his love?

Don't get me wrong, it's a blessing to be here at a Christian college and get the chance to learn my faith and prove it. But have I been missing the most important part?

Recently, I've been getting a weird feeling in worship and prayer and I asked God, "What are you doing? What's going on in my life?" And this morning God said, "Alex, stop trying so hard. Just sit here in me. Breathe me in. Relax and let me do something beautiful."

That's what I'm getting at. Yes, we should study the Bible and Christianity. Yes, we should love and serve and support others. But we should do so out of an intimate relationship and deep love with God.

Temple Tuesday

This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

(1 Timothy 1:15-17)

God loves you. If you don't yet know that, I'm going to tell you again: God loves you. And when he looks at you, he sees no sin, he sees no blame. He sees purity and spotlessness. Because Christ died a brutal, horrible death upon a cross for you, so that you could be washed pure from your sins and so that you could have a relationship with God.

But one wonderful thing about God is that he made and is in and fosters relationships. God is all about community. Listen, God freed you from sin and you are pardoned, but it doesn't end there. God uses our sufferings, our triumphs, our tears and joys, our battles and victories, and our stories to build up others. It's like listening to someone give their testimony or hearing a teacher or professor share a life lesson they learned, we can hear and learn from others.

So lose this ridiculous idea that life is all about you. Even the difficult things in life can strengthen others through us. Don't get all depressed that your life is falling apart. See the good that can come out of staying true to God even in hard places.

Also, one of the best witnessing tools is a life changed by the power of God. If people can see that, as a Christian, you are truly different, it will make all the difference.

Don't deny that you're a sinner. Believe me, when God reveals to you how much you need him, it's overwhelming. But don't dwell on that. Instead, dwell on God's love! How great is God's unfailing love that is poured over us every morning! Ask God for the desire and power to love others with his love.

A Call to Apologize and Forgive

Here's a song that exemplifies my call to apologize and forgive.

When we realize that God gave us everything when He didn't owe us anything and we didn't deserve anything, it makes us so much more willing to forgive others and to move on past both our mistakes and their mistakes. It's not easy, but it's worth it.

Embers and Envelopes

By: Mae

We write to apologize.
We ask to look past life as it goes by
I know you have sacrificed time, life, love, time to fly
Please consider all things trite,
forgiveness will be the thing that gets us by
I know to have something like this broken, is hard to fix

Embers, we're burning bridges down
Our envelopes stuffed with feelings found
To write this down as means to reconcile

Embers, we're burning bridges down
Our envelopes stuffed with feelings found
To write this down as means to reconcile

We write to patch things up,
maybe not to agree but to proclaim love.
Let's look ahead and then we'll see the One whose glory never ends.
And based on that we'll see,
there'll be room for change, but gradually.
I know to have something like this broken is hard to fix.

Embers, we're burning bridges down.
Our envelopes stuffed with feelings found.
To write this down as means to reconcile.

If all is said and done and over,
If we don't have to, we're not gonna
Make the change, it's worth the try.
What's broken can be fixed tonight.

Embers, we're burning bridges down.
Our envelopes stuffed with feelings found.
To write this down as means to reconcile.

Your Testimony

Look at your testimony, your story of faith. Describe it. Look at where you've been and how far you've come. What has God taught you?

Too often we have this mindset that the only good testimonies are the ones where we can see some spectacular sign of God's immediate and powerful work. We live like the only good testimonies are the stories of desperate, wicked sinners being radically and emotionally changed into God-fearing, loving saints.

...Wait a minute! Aren't we all desperate wicked sinners who need God? And aren't all Christians radically changed by God? And aren't all of us called to radical obedience and crazily giving everything back to God and letting him love others through us?

Well, yeah, actually. But we tend to play the comparison game, even when it comes to our testimonies. We say, "Oh, well, I accepted Christ when I was 6 and I've always lived in a Christian home and I never did drugs or slept around, so my life and testimony is boring" and we hear someone who lived an immoral life and who didn't listen to God until they were adults and have overcome such supposedly vast sins... And we think that their testimony is so much more important and special and influential than ours.

But the truth is that we are all sinners saved by grace through faith. My story is no more important or amazing than yours, because it's my story. It's what God said to me and did in me. Likewise with your story.

I see this in the two stories of changed lives we find in Acts 9:1-22 and in Luke 5:1-11. In Acts chapter 9, Saul is going to Damascus when God does something incredible. If you know the story, you know that a bright light shines down, Saul is blinded, and Jesus asks, "Saul, why are you persecuting me? ... I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." (v.4-6). It's a pretty amazing story. But God works in many different ways, and we see a slightly different faith story in Luke chapter 5. Jesus climbs into Simon Peter's boat and asks him to take the boat out a bit into the water so Jesus can preach from the boat. It is a seemingly ordinary move - a guy stepping into another guy's boat. Jesus called Peter, a simple, uneducated man who worked as a fisherman to follow him. And Peter didn't leave behind a life of massive, growth sin (in human standards), he left behind his own life. And he took up his cross and followed after Jesus. It changed his life.

So whether or not your testimony sounds "cool" or seems to compare with others' testimonies, it really doesn't matter. Because God has and is and will continue to work in your life. And God will use your struggles and your testimony for his glory. Because that's the purpose, that's the end result: That we are conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others.

Learning Some Lessons

I realized last night and today that I really love college. I'm so blessed to be here!! And I just wanted to share some things I've been learning, so that I can remember them and so that you may be blessed because of them. :)

• God has a purpose for everything that happens and he can use mistakes and problems for good - because everything works out for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
• God can and will speak through other people, circumstances, worship, and His word. Listen!
• When God tells you to do something, do it. Don't hesitate.
• People are not scary! Be willing to invest your life into others. Listen to their needs, pray for and with them, and concern yourself with lifting them up and being a tangible of expression of Christ for them.
• Forgiving someone doesn't mean they were right, it doesn't mean what they did is okay, and it doesn't mean you understand what they did or why they did it - it just means you don't hold it against them. It means you acknowledge that God forgave you and accepts you as his child, and because of that, you have to forgive those who hurt you, and accept them as brothers or sisters in Christ.
• Always be willing to listen. And love on people with every chance you get. God will honor that and bless you.
• When you don't know how to pray or what to pray for, the Holy Spirit will intercede for you "with groanings that cannot be expressed in words" (Romans 8:26). So don't worry about praying the right thing, because he understands.
• When God points out something in your life that you're trying to hold on to, give it to him. Don't get all angry that God is shaking up the way you do things. Give him everything. Don't hold back because you're afraid. Relinquish control on what truly does belong to God, because he wants to do something beautiful with those parts of your life he shows you that he wants you to let go of.
• Pray. And don't just babble on and on. Listen to God. God wants to say something to you, but are you quiet long enough to hear him.
• Finally, work ahead. Because you do not want to be doing chapter summaries at two in the morning!

If you've read this far, I'd love for you to comment with some thoughts or post some things God's been teaching you. :)

Crossing Those Monkey Bars

Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward. - Unknown

So, it hurt, right? You're still not sure exactly what happened. All you know is: things are different now and you can't explain it. And now you feel hurt and upset. And by this point, you're starting to get over that hurting feeling in your heart. But despite trying your best to get over it, whenever it pops back up, your stomach feels all knotted again. And you wonder if the regret and the frustration will ever completely go away.

And that's when God speaks...

Give it to me. You gave it to me so I could bring about good in your life and in the situation. You gave it to me when you realized you had no other option. And when I started to shake things up a bit, you got frustrated and you tried to take it back. But, my child, it belongs to me. And now I want you to give me your frustration and your remorse and your confusion. Cast all your cares upon me. For I am gentle and humble in heart and in me you will find rest for your soul. My child, give it all to me. And I will show how I will make the situation right again. I will show you if and how I want you to move, and I will prepare you. Listen to me. Seek me in everything you do. Before you make a move or utter a sound, ask me what you should do. Because in me you live and move and breathe.

My beloved, I will never allow something in your life that is not for a purpose. You will be challenged and you will grown in this circumstance. But I want you to give it to me. Box it up, label it, and place it in my open hand. You cannot manipulate your emotions about it anymore than you can control it.

So, give it to me.

I Can't Do This

After the first couple days of classes, syllabus shock set in. I was terrified to even open my syllabus, afraid that some big monster would jump out and drag me into a mismatched calendar or a dayplanner with missing pages. But then I realized it was okay. I can write chapter summaries on the book of Mark in two weeks. I can make a Portfolio Outline for Teacher Ed, and it really wasn't that difficult.

And then last night, it hit me again. I said, I can't do this. I can't finish chapter summaries and go to my study group and be prepared for this test and practice piano and everything else on my calendar and actually stay sane.

And you know what God said? He said, "No, you can't... alone. But I'm your God. And you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you."

Talk about a wake-up call! See, my parents are not going to come down to my college and rescue me if I fail. I'm on my own. But this is just another reason to rely fully on God.

I'm reading the book of Psalms, and today I'm on chapter 40. It's a beautiful story of needing God, and below I have verses 1-3, 5, 12-13, 17, but I encourage you to read the entire chapter.

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing,a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.
O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.
For troubles surround me— too many to count! My sins pile up so high I can’t see my way out. They outnumber the hairs on my head. I have lost all courage. Please, Lord, rescue me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
As for me, since I am poor and needy, let the Lord keep me in his thoughts. You are my helper and my savior. O my God, do not delay.

What If There's More To Life

What if life isn't really about me? What if all this time I've wasted on my earthly concerns could have been better spent rejoicing in God and thinking about his concerns?

How would God view the people in my life? How would God view the circumstances I'm facing today? This week? This week? This year? How would God treat those he loved? And those he didn't particularly like? How would God feel about those around him? How would God deal with interruptions? Confusions? Annoying people? Rude people?

What if there is more to life than jumping from one experience, one relationship, one gift, one party, or one weekend to the next? What if each moment in my life is important? What if God has a purpose and a plan for me, not only for the significant, emotional, and trying times, but also for the seemingly boring moments?

What if my chief goal is to glorify God and be satisfied in Him?

How would I go about life differently?

My Disappointments

To me, true beauty is being able to take something that looks like a mess and turn it into something good. And God does that well!

I'm so excited about what God is doing in my life that I don't have time to worry about it. It's so amazing that God can use my disappointments to strengthen and prepare me, encourage others, and glorify Him. :)

I had been praying for God to provide guidance and direction and peace in a certain aspect of my life, but it wasn't until I made the conscious effort to give this thing to God that I really saw him working and heard him speak. And when I gave him full control of this issue, he did something wonderful - He took it away from me. I know what you're thinking: What?! How could God take that away from her? For a while, I was really disappointed. This was something I wanted, and had wanted for a while, and God removed it from my life. But I had given it to God. I realized that I couldn't just take it back from God now. It belonged to him. It had already belonged to him, I was just giving him control. I was relinquishing my futile grasp on what already belonged to him. I was saying that I would no longer try to manipulate circumstances or people that I honestly couldn't control.

God taking this from me was probably the best thing he could have done, obviously. I mean, I had prayed for God to show me that I could trust his plan and purpose and for an understanding of his guidance and future and desire to give me what is best for me. I've realized that when God wants to teach me something, he doesn't just show me, he puts me in a circumstance where I will have to learn it. So, to teach me that he always does what is best for me, he took this thing I thought I needed out of my grasp. To teach me that he is reliable and dependable and trustworthy, he placed me in a situation where the people I thought I could depend on let me down, and the people I didn't really want to trust were the ones who stuck by me throughout the situation. See, God knows me better than I know myself, and he knows what I need and what I want, what I long for and what he desires for me. And God allows trials and difficult circumstances in my life to strengthen, prepare, encourage, and grow me. He has a reason for allowing the hurt that comes from both my mistakes and outside influences.

So, yeah, it hurts that at the end of the day, this issue doesn't pop up. It hurts that things have changed. But, at the same time, it's a blessing that I no longer have to control this. It's a blessing that God is in control of my life. It's a blessing that I don't have to worry about what's going on anymore. Because Christ died for me - and all I can do is give myself to him as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:2). God can do infinitely more than we might ask or imagine if we are willing to give him our first and our full (Ephesians 3:20).

I realized that I would make a mess of my life if I held on to it. I realized that I would ruin everything if I jumped ahead before God called me. But waiting for God to lead me only means that he has something SO much better for me and that if I wait on him, he will bring it into my life at the perfect time.

Why not trust God with your life and your joys and your disappointments? He knows what's going to happen! He has a great and wonderful plan, and when you trust him, he can do wonderful things in you and through you for others.

Temple Tuesday

Yesterday was the midpoint in the semester, which means I am halfway through my first semester of college. Where on God's green earth did the time go? Seems like, last week, I was a tenth grader sitting at a round table in Williams Chapel filling out an application for college. And, here I am, a freshman in college. Wow.

Just wanted to remind you that God has plans for you! He is taking you somewhere, not only for your good, but for a grand purpose for this world and his creation.

Don't get so focused on the little things in life that you neglect the two most important things...

Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."

(Matthew 22:37-38)

Sometimes I Feel Like a Mess

But, you know what? It's okay! Because when I'm broken and desperate and needy, that is when I realize my need for God. That is when I realize how I'm going nowhere without him. In the New Living Translation, Matthew 5:3 reads, "God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs." It's okay to struggle and it's good to realize that we don't and won't have it all together, because through that we come to understand how great and powerful and forgiving and holy and accepting of us God really is. So, run to him and climb up in his lap and love him and receive his love for you! Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Along those same lines, I often find myself going through life searching for the next "thing", the next "high", if you will. For many people, life is just a series of events strung one after the other. It follows that "living for the weekend" mindset that you may have noticed in high school or college: life consists of planning parties for next weekend and 'recovering' from parties last weekend.

We even see this in the Christian life. We think that we are truly Christians, or that we're doing it right, during those moments of high intensity in our Christian walk. There's this subconsious idea that, as Christians, those moments where we are completely on fire for God and we see God everywhere are better or "right" and that those times of living in the valley and struggling to see God are not "Christian" or are "wrong". But we forget that life can't lived on an emotional high everyday. We need moments of peace. Also, God may be using the times when you don't necessarily "feel" him as an opportunity to prepare you for something better in life. For example, for me personally, I can see how God is using this moment of singleness (even when being single hurts!) to prepare me for his future for me in regards to dating and marriage. I've learned so much through the struggles that I truly would not trade it for anything.

My friend Tori said it well when she said, "God is just preparing you to be ready for the best." If it's not the best, then it's not from God - and God's "best" usually looks different than mine! Hold out for God's best, trust that he knows what he's doing (because he does!), and use today to learn something. What is God trying to teach you through this experience?

Finally, have patience. Josh Wilson sings, "My friend, you know how this all ends and you know where you're going, you just don't know how you'll get there. So say a prayer. And hold on, cause there's good for those who love God. Life is not a snapshot, it might take a little time, but you'll see the bigger picture." And he's right - it's going to take time, but press on. God loves you and he has a good and perfect plan for your life and he will never fail you.

Maybe there are things you can't see and all those things are happening to bring better ending. Someday, somehow, you'll see.

- "Before the Morning", by: Josh Wilson

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.

- Zephaniah 3:17

Selfless Living

When was the last time you gave of yourself to serve someone else selflessly? It could be an organized service project or a spur of the moment decision to love. It could be a global initiative for missions or a consistent effort to brighten your roommate's day. It could be listening to a friend's concerns and needs or feeding a hungry child. It could be anything where you give of yourself and become nothing so someone else can be blessed. Philippians 2:3 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." I think that's what I'm getting at.

It's like this: I've got homework, I'm tired, I feel a headache coming on, and I'm hungry, but a friend comes into my room needing help, and I must be selfless and listen to her and give her advice.

Or: Despite my work and school obligations, one of my classes is doing a service project and I'm required to be there. Do I show up late and with an attitude? Or do I strive to get there as soon as I can and demonstrate a servant's heart?

Or: I totally forget about something a friend is struggling with and I bring up related, awkward topics without considering the effect it might have. Why do I do that?

Because I'm sinful. Paul said, "I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate." (Romans 7:15) But guess what? Christ, living in me, through the Spirit, can do fantastic things, such as selfless living. When I give everything I am and have and desire to God, he can use it for great things to bless others and further his kingdom. Your longings and fears and desires and family situation and past and relationships and circumstances and plans are not coincidence. Let God use them for His glory.

Listen, God will never take something away from you without giving you something better. God works everything out for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28) and he will give you what is good (Matthew 7:9-11).

Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

Romans 6:13-14, NLT

Temple Tuesday

Jim Elliot said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

God has a better plan for my life than anything I'm trying to hold on to.

Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for thee.

Take my voice and let me sing always, only for my king.
Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from thee.
Take my silver and my gold not a might would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use every power as you choose.

Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for thee.

Take my will and make it Thine it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own; it shall be thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord I pour at your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be ever, only all for thee,
Take myself and I will be ever, only all for thee.

What a blessing it is to come before the Lord in prayer!

Struggles and Triumphs

It seems that when I've finally decided I don't need something, Satan throws it in my path again and again. And when I make the decision to give every part of my life to God, I am consistently tempted by my weaknesses. When Satan sees progress in my faith, he is all too eager to put an end to it.
But all of this reminds me that I can't do this alone. See, life is not meant to be lived alone. We need close, Christian friends who will hold us accountable and encourage us. We need to rely and depend on God with everything and every part of us.
And even when it seems impossible, we must press on and press into God. We must place our focus on God and others. My youth pastor always said, "It's not about me. It's about Him and them."

Psalm 35:22-28 says:

O Lord, you know all about this. Do not stay silent. Do not abandon me now, O
Lord.
Wake up! Rise to my defense! Take up my case, my God and my Lord.
Declare me not guilty, O Lord my God, for you give me justice. Don't let my
enemies laugh about me in my troubles.
Don't let them say, "Look, we got what we wanted! Now we will eat [her] alive!"

May all those who rejoice at my troubles be humiliated and disgraced. May those who triumph over me be covered with shame and dishonor.
But give great joy to those who came to my defense. Let them continually say, "Great is the Lord, who delights in blesing his servant with peace!"
Then I will proclaim your justice, and I will praise you all day long.

Finally, when dealing with the enemy, remember to be strong in the faith. We have no need to fear Satan, because the one who is in us (God) is stronger and greater than the one who is in the world (Satan). 2nd Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."
Brothers and sisters, keep on keeping on!