Plan Accordingly

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." -Hebrews 11:1

Is it wrong to hope my plans are God's plans? Is it wrong to take a step down a path without knowing if it's exactly where I am supposed to be? These are the questions I have been asking myself recently. Am I going the right way? If I do not get a "no" from God, I take that as a "carry on." But all too often, I get a "no," and I am forced to change directions.

I have to be honest, I really hate making long term plans. I like making short term plans...like what I'm doing for the next couple weekends, or when I am going to sit down and write a paper; however, when it comes to trying to plan my life out, I would rather crawl under a rock. My reasons...because God almost always changes my plans.  I get my hopes up for something, I really really really start looking forward to something, and Jesus ruins it. Now don't get me wrong, He replaces them with something bigger and better in the long run, but is it bad that I think its better just to not make them at all? Or should I still make plans, but allow God to mold my plans (...aka throw them in the trash and start from scratch)? I have yet to find the answer to any of these questions, but here's what I do know...I can hope my plans are God's plans, but if He decides to trash mine, it is alright because I know He knows what He is doing.

Challenge (to you and myself)...trust God, He knows what He's doing.

*"For my ways are not your ways, nor are my thoughts your thoughts. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts" -Isaiah 55:8-9

More Than One Shot

"Wide-eyed, baptized, and still wanting to sin, but thank God we get more than just one shot." -Luke Bryan "We Rode in Trucks"

I am a failure. In fact, I'm probably the biggest one out there. I have to try and try before I get things right, I often wish I could take back words I have said, and I am forever longing to be better at almost everything. The more and more I pay attention to the world around me and the view of Christians in our society today, the more I understand why people are so turned off by Christianity. I myself have been called a hypocrite before, and here is the thing that a lot of people don't get about Christians...we are not perfect. We are still human, we still make mistakes, we still hurt people through our words and actions, and we are still failures by the world's standards.

Here's the hope for all of humanity though...we get more than one shot. It is not a walk-on-a-tightrope life, where if you have one slip, you're done for. It's not even a three-strike-and-you're-out sorta deal. It is forgiveness beyond all measure and unending grace overflowing from a loving God. Romans 3:23-24 reads, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came through Jesus Christ." We are not perfect, and we never will be, but for those of us who are real Christians (not those who call themselves Christians as a default religion), God's forgiveness covers anything and everything we could ever do. We just have to ask for forgiveness and accept it.

In addition, for those who are not yet Christians, you get more the just one shot as well. What you are accepting is a little different though. You are getting the opportunity to accept the loving, gracious, miraculous God into your life and in doing so, you give your life back to Him. Being a Christian is not easy, if anything it's harder than before, but the abundance of love that God offers you covers any sort of temptations that you may fall to or stumbling blocks that may arise. "Love covers a multitude of sins." -Peter 4:8b

Challenge:  Accept your imperfection, and thank God for a multitude of chances.

Trouble

"Jesus promised his disciples three things---that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble." -DC Talk "Jesus Freaks II" (The book, not the song)


I started reading the book "Jesus Freaks" as a part of a Bible study my freshman year of college. Little did I know that this Bible study would be far from a mainstream study. The whole book is filled with stories of martyrdom and selfless acts done by people who love God. 


The quote above stood out to me more than any other quote in the book. It is a simple message of what Jesus's disciples stood for and what modern disciples should strive to stand for. They were a symbol of strength and bravery. Being a disciple is far from easy. As disciples we put ourselves in the midst of persecution in the hope of reaching one lost soul. Now you may be asking, "If it's scary, how can disciples be fearless?" This question has a simple answer...they were loved. 1 John 4:28a reads, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment." God's love is what gets us through even the toughest of situations and allows our fear to be cast far from our bodies. We may have an earthly punishment, but the ultimate achievement is a reward, not a punishment.


The second part of this quote addresses the attitude of a disciple. Although disciples should be persistent and determined, they should also be happy. Matthew 5:10 says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Umm...hello! If that doesn't make you happy, I do not know what will! If you think persecution for God's sake is not worth it...think again! Our reward is eternal, so why not be happy about being a disciple of Jesus! James 1:2-3 reads, "Consider it pure joy my brothers when you face trials of many kinds for you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." Enjoy your struggles because they are temporary. Rejoice because He is eternal!


The final part of this quote again has to do with persecution. If you are suffering for your faith, good. Christianity is no longer mainstream. It is no longer accepted all over the U.S. "Jesus Freaks" can be a very appropriate title, hinting at the oddness of one expressing such a desire for their faith and for others to know the same joy. This upsets a lot of people and causes trouble. Now yes, we are called to be peacemakers, but being in trouble with people comes with the Christian territory. Now we are not going around stirring up trouble just for the heck of it, but we are following in the steps of Jesus. Jesus says in John 15:18 that "if the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first." There it is from the Lord Himself. We, as disciples, will be in trouble and be hated because He was hated and got into trouble with the people of His day. He told people that they were not perfect, He showed them the truth, and He uncovered the God-sized hole in their hearts. 


Challenge:  Be a real disciple. Be fearless, happy, and welcome trouble that comes with persecution .

1 Year

I began this blog a year ago. In one year, my life has changed in more ways than I could imagine and the blessings I have had are unimaginable. Here are my biggest changes/accomplishments in 2011.

1. I got an awesome roommates and a wonderful apartment 

2. I have challenged my faith a lot more. Learning to question traditional Christianity, not taking things at face value, finding the truth in what we've created to be just another "religion" and strengthening my faith in the process. 

3. I have cut ties with people who were not a good influence 

4. I spent another wonderful summer with some of the best kids on this earth and I feel as if I have a better grasp on my influence on other people.

5. I have found myself in a mature relationship.
6. I have learned that sometimes you have to trust people to do things for you. It may not be done exactly the way you want, but you can't do it all yourself.
7. I have strengthened the friendships that really matter (even if I don't see those people very often).
8. I have learned to trust God with more aspects of my life. My trusting Him is still not perfect, but He has prevailed in being faithful every time, so my goal for 2012 is to fully trust Him.
9. I have learned more scripture in the past year that I ever have in past years.
10. I have maintained a blog that I have been told it is an encouragement. If it isn't to anyone else, it surely is a way for me to release my feelings and ideas and put them into words. Also, my blog is currently being read by people in 15 countries! Exciting! 

Not a Fan

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." -Galatians 2:20

I am not a fan of Jesus...yes...you read that right. I. am. not. a. fan.

While stumbling around in Books-A-Million today I came across an interesting title in the Christian literature section. It was simply titled, "Not a Fan." I read the back of the book, and was going to buy it until I cracked it open and read a few different spots of it. While reading I realized that I already had all the knowledge that this book had to offer, so I set it back on the shelf. However, the book got me thinking. It got me thinking about how we (both Christians and those raised-in-a-Christian-nation/home-and-claim-to-be-Christians) have become fans of Jesus.

A fan is defined as "a person who has a strong interest or admiration for something." Having strong interest in Jesus is good, admiring Him is better, but a fan is not what Jesus is looking for. He doesn't want your admiration, He doesn't want your curiosity...He wants your life. He doesn't want fans; He wants disciples. In Matthew 16:24, Jesus says to His disciples "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself take up his cross and follow me." If you are willing to make the same sacrifice for Him that He made for you, then you will have what He wants from you. You must pursue Him, you must leave your selfishness out of the picture, and you must follow. Follow Him into the unknowns, follow Him into the valleys, follow Him wherever He may lead. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it.

Challenge:  Be a follower, not a fan.

Facebook Prayers

"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." -Matthew 6:6

So I have had a lot of mixed feelings on my mind this morning. For those of you who did not hear, a City of Aiken police officer was shot last night and died in the hospital. The situation is extremely unfortunate especially around this time of year; however, that is not what I am addressing in this blog. Here's what this blog is about...it is about why we wait until the bad things happen to pray, it is about using Facebook as the new "prayer request board" (aka gossip column), it is about making intimate prayer a public action.

First subject of discussion. It is short and simple. Why do we wait until the atrocities happen to start praying? 1 Thessalonians 5:17 calls us to "pray without ceasing." I am just as guilty as the next person on this one. I cannot do not try hard enough to have a continuously prayerful mindset. Anyways, that's the end of that. Challenge #1-Don't just pray when things get hard. Pray continuously.

This may be a bit controversial, but I have a problem with seeing "praying" or "thoughts and prayers," etc. on Facebook over a certain subject. For example, my news feed this morning was crammed with notifications about the police officer in Aiken. Every single one (no exaggeration) had the word "pray" in it somewhere. Do I have a problem with prayer? Of course not! It is the strongest tool we have a Christians. Here's what I do have a problem with...how many of those people considered that Facebook status their "prayer" for that family? Just for clarification, Facebook statuses do not equal prayer and a news feed is not a prayer request board. I have a feeling that God could really care less about Facebook. He knows what we post, but He doesn't sit around reading it all day like we do. If the point of prayer is talking to God, Facebook is taking the wrong route anyways. We didn't have it 10 years ago, and we got along just fine in our prayers. Lastly, I have a feeling that if people were actually praying every time they put that "praying" as their status, this world would be a very different place. Prayer can produce results, and the results speak for themselves. If you ever notice, very few "prayer warriors" go around flaunting the fact that they are praying. They may tell the person they are praying for but that's about it. The results of their prayers are enough for people to know that they were, in fact, praying.

Third is the idea of prayer is a very personal thing that can be done in groups, but is often much more intimate if the talking is just between you and God. There is no need to let the whole world to know what  you are doing. Just do it. The verse at the top is in contrast to the religious leaders of Jesus's day. They would pray out on the street corners so all could hear. Facebook has become our street corner. Instead Jesus said "go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen." Prayer is between you and God and needs no intermediate of Facebook. Does this mean that if something happens to me that I do not want people writing "praying for you" on my wall??? Yes...yes it does mean that. No need to tell me, if prayer is actually being done, the results will be apparent.

Now for a gutsy challenge that many of you will not do simply because you want the world to know your every move...I challenge you to not post on Facebook that you are praying, instead, go do it!

*Sorry if I sound very anti-prayer (or anti-Facebook). By no means is that the case, and I do understand that social networks can be a tool of information and can be used for good. Just consider everything you write before you hit post. In addition, this is not just brought on by the cop being shot in Aiken, it has been on my mind for a while. God Bless and Merry Christmas.

The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall...

"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, it is then that I am strong." -2 Corinthians 12:10

The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Yep, that's right, I'm talking about haughtiness, pride, and boasting. Where do these things get you in life. Nowhere. I can be a very confident person. I usually know what I want, I will do what needed to get it, and I will do it in the most efficient manner; however, when the fine line between confidence and pride and conceit is crossed, destruction follows. Proverbs 16:18 attests to the same thing saying, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before the fall." The most disastrous thing a person can do is to rely on their own strengths, their own thoughts, and their own works. For it is often found that a life of self-reliance soon crumbles leaving nothing but hopelessness and sorrow. 

Now on to a touchy subject...weaknesses. We all have them; we all try to cover them up. But imagine a world where we all owned up to our weaknesses. Yes, we would be vulnerable, but so would everyone else. Although others may beg to differ, I find that weaknesses and difficulties can be a wonderful thing. It is in our vulnerable spots that we find His strength, it is in our weaknesses that we see His greatness shining through. So why wouldn't we want to see this side of God everyday? We beef ourselves up and put on the "I can handle anything" mask only to cowardly hide behind a facade everyday. Why not own up to those weaknesses and watch God show His mighty power? Why not stand up and say "My name is ________, and I struggle with ________"? I have come to find that great burdens are lifted, tensions are released, and true strength is found when you let God take on the hardest parts of life with you. That is why we should "delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when we are weak, it is then that we are strong." If you are already on your knees worshiping the one and only God, then you have a very little distance to fall when the times get hard. He will stand to protect you, and it will be in His strength that your life prospers in even the darkest of times. 

I challenge you to own up to your weaknesses. Trust that God will give you more strength than you will ever need if you only humble yourself and welcome the hard times with God by your side.