MAY LOVE INCREASE & OVERFLOW

I find myself so often struggling to love others, myself, and the Lord. That sounds crazy right when said aloud? Does that make me a “bad” Christian for actually saying that? Let’s be honest, you would think that as a Christian this would be easy. The Bible so clearly calls us to love one another as ourselves (John 13:34-35). Jesus lays out the framework for the life of a Christian in what it looks like to truly love the way He does (1 Corinthians 13). So then, as believers (speaking for the crowd of us who do not have this area perfected), why do we have such a hard time loving others well? Why do we have such a hard time loving others even when our feelings do not perfectly align with “lovey” feelings? How do we renew our minds in changing our heart posture and perspective on living a life that is constantly displaying the love of Christ?

There are a few places to start when diving into what it means to love as Christ loves, but for this brief moment, I want to dive into the book of 1 Thessalonians.

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones // 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

So then, how do we go about truly loving the way we are called to? Plain and simple, staying connected to Him is how we are able to truly embody and express the kind of love that the Word talks about in 1 Corinthians 13 and 1 Thessalonians 3. Staying connected to the Father looks like remaining in the word daily, being intentional with praying, staying connected to your community, worshipping the Father through song, and most importantly guarding your one on one time with the Lord. When we fully embrace the love of who God is (1 John 4) then we are able to love others the way we are called to as believers.

I think it is fair to bring up this side of what it means to love and I often think about this question, and maybe you have before too – “What do I do when I don’t love others the way I’m supposed to? What do I do when someone has wronged me, am I to love that person?” The simple answer: love anyway. Why? Because Christ loved and currently loves you even when you rejected Him and wronged Him with your sin. God’s love is inexhaustible, therefore we should follow in His ways of loving in that same manner. God’s love is a love without conditions and without contracts, yet so often we see contractual love being displayed (in marriages, friendships, etc.) rather than unconditional love.

Now, this is not to say you have to be best friends with every single person, even the ones you do not care for, because that is unrealistic to say. However, as a believer, you are called to love your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. This means you respect them, and lean into the Lord praying to see them the way God their Father sees them. This is hard, and I have failed so many times in loving a brother or sister in Christ, but there is grace to those who are in Christ and we have the ability to repent to our Father and ask Him to change our hearts. By His power (not our own) He can soften our hearts, and renew our minds so that we are able to love His children well. 

Ultimately, our love for the Lord should be our driving motive for all we do in word and in action. It is out of our love for the Lord that an overflow of love comes and is poured out upon others. Think about it, as you draw closer to the Lord, as you abide in Him and get to know who He is based on His character, you will naturally have an increase in love for Him (because He is love). Out of that increase in your vertical relationship with God, your horizontal relationships will benefit from this overflow. The love you have towards the Father will ooze out of your heart and flow into all your earthly relationships as well as into your passions and desires. 

I personally have noticed such a difference in my heart and how I think and speak to the Lord, myself, and others when I am studying God’s character. When I take the time to stay rooted in His word, I naturally want to emulate what the Word says. I naturally want to do all I can to say no to my flesh and to sin. I naturally want to love and put others before myself when I am fully embracing and diving into what the Lord says through His scripture. I think this largely has to do with the mere fact that the Word is alive and active and that all scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4;12).

God’s love is a love that took a chance on you and me. He freely gave His son for us so that we may come to one day know just a glimpse of His love. I don’t think we as humans can even fully comprehend that kind of love because we are limited in our thinking. We are able to catch glimpse of His love by seeing a Christ pursuing marriage, a new baby born, or even in the way a stranger loves on another stranger. There are glimpses we see God’s love displayed to us, and as believers, we are called to live our lives in a daily, active pursuit of holiness. As His children, we are set apart and given a purpose to go and spread the gospel. Apart from this is how do we actually live our lives so that others know we are Christians? We love. As Christians, this is how the world will know who we serve… it is by how we love (John 13:35).

Alright so, I have some homework for you (if you have gotten to the end of this novel of a blog post)! Here are some questions to ponder on maybe in your quiet time or throughout your day as you pray….

• How can you grow closer to knowing God’s character?
• How are you tangibly able to see God’s love displayed? (remember a time you may have witnessed firsthand someone display God’s love to you).
• God’s love is sacrificial, not selfish. Do you gravitate to being selfish in your horizontal relationships (maybe even your vertical relationship with God) or do you tend to be more on the humble, sacrificial side?
• How do you speak about your Heavenly Father? How can you love as He loves?
• How do you speak about yourself? How can you rightly love yourself and see yourself as an image-bearer of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
• How do you speak about others and creation? How can you better love brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as non-believers? How can you live a life that points to Christ based on how you love?

I hope you truly take the time to sit in at least one of these questions. Pray about it. Ask the Lord for help. Run to Him in repentance. Run after His ways and seek after His face. May love increase and overflow in your life.

Talk to ya next time,

Rachel

RAHAB THE PROSTITUTE

I recently had to write a paper for my Old Testament Survey class on a character from the Old Testament. I have recently within the past few months been so passionate about the story of Rahab, or if you know from sunday school, Rahab the Prosititute/Harlet.

Today, I am sharing the words written from my paper because 1. I was planning on sharing it from the beginning, and 2. because it is packed with Gospel truth. Buckle up, and get ready for the story of Rahab!

[ I am also posting as it, with references, citations, and all for those of you who are into that sort of thing! ]

OVERVIEW OF RAHAB

The story of Rahab the Prostitute is one that I believe should not be neglected. Rahab is one of the most overlooked characters in the Old Testament and the bible and her story can serve as encouragement for us, whether you are a believer or not. Rahab was known as a Prostitute, hence being tacked on the end of her name. It was by Rahab’s faith that her story was drastically touched and changed by God. Due to Rahab’s immense courage and risking her life to help these Israelite spies, her life and her family’s life was spared when the Israelites took down and captured the city of Jericho. It was by Rahab’s faith and hospitality that God wrote her story into the lineage and genealogy of Jesus. She was and is, an incredible woman of faith. A woman that should be looked up to and used as a role model (May, 1993).

The story of Rahab is found in Joshua chapters 2 and 6, and it takes place in the city of Jericho. Jericho at the time was a Canaanite city and also a pagan city – meaning, there was no trace of the Lord being worshipped within the city. Before Rahab is introduced, it is important to have the context of what was going on with the Israelites, God’s chosen people, and the city of Jericho.

It was also at this point where Moses, the iconic leader and man of God, had died. Joshua, son of Nun, had just assumed as leader over the Israelites (Joshua 1). It is here in the first chapter of Joshua where we find out the kind of leader Joshua has become. Joshua was brave, heroic, had immense faith in the Lord, and was brave. The Lord spoke to Joshua reminding him that God was by his side. Three times, the Lord says to Joshua, “be strong and courageous, do not be afraid and do not be discouraged.” Be strong and courageous was a reminder that the Lord needed to instill in Joshua for the tasks and trials that were to come in moving into their promised land. 

THE STORY OF RAHAB

The Israelites were planning on crossing the Jordan River into the land of Cannan, which was their promised land from the Lord, but they had one obstacle – the city of Jericho. Joshua had two spies go into the land to do just that, spy and get inside the city of Jericho. As these two spies were in Jericho they crossed paths with one of the most important women in the Bible, Rahab. The two Israelite spies were helped out by Rahab and she brought them into her home to help aid them. This is completely unexpected for a prostitute to help out these two men because if a woman who was a prostitute had men into her home, it was simply to use them for her means of providing an income. Word got to the king of Jericho and when he found out that Rahab was providing aid to these spies, he asked her to bring them to him. It was at this moment where Rahab had to make a choice, just like she did when she decided to help the spies in the first place. She had to choose to lie for the sake of sparing their lives or give them over to the king of Jericho. She led the king off the trail of thinking that Rahab knew where they were. This poses a huge moral dilemma. Was it okay for Rahab to lie to the king of Jericho to be obedient to the Lord?

So, because Rahab was put into a situation of either lying or facing death, was it wrong for her to lie to help save the two Israelite spies? While both of the outcomes of her decision would have led to sin, lying would be considered the lesser evil of the two. However, lying still requires repentance to God. It is assumed through the text that she had repented for lying. The interesting part about all of this is, is that God had her story written. He had already known that Rahab by faith would make the choice she did and aid the Israelite spies (Jones, 2016). She acted to fulfill the will of God, by her actions of saving the two spies and lying to the king of Jericho (Hutchison, J. C., 2001).

In James chapter 2, James explains that faith without deeds is dead (James 2:26). This is a huge statement to make because you can do good deeds and work all day long, however, if they are not done with faith and right intention then they are meaningless. The verses before are so critical in Rahab’s narrative. James 2:24-25 read…“You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way, was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?  Her actions were deemed as acceptable by God and we know this because she is known to have made her choice by faith. By faith, she was counted as acceptable to the Lord (Jones, 2016).

As we come to the end of the Rahab narrative there are some key points to take note of. Because Rahab by faith aided the Israelite spies, she was spared. Joshua spared her life as well as her family’s lives from the future conquering of the city of Jericho by the Israelites (Joshua 6:25). Rahab was spared because of her faith, her kindness, and her obedience. A woman who was completely flawed and who previously was living a life of sin as a prostitute was saved by her faith in her deeds (Lynn, 2014).

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STORY OF RAHAB 

This story is so vital to read and understand. It is a reminder that God’s faithfulness is on every page of the bible, and all pointing to the purpose of Jesus the Messiah coming to earth to save the world. Rahab is a perfect example that regardless of your past and your sin, God outweighs our sin with His grace and perfect love. He can use all of our past and sin, as well as our faith and obedience, for His glory.  It is important to know the why behind the story of Rahab, because of her great faith, her life and story were forever changed. 

It is interesting that in the book of Matthew, the only book that records the genealogy of Jesus, there are many people in Jesus’ family line that you would be shocked to see, like Rahab. Rahab, a woman who lived in sin, a woman who was a prostitute, a woman who you would think would not deserve to be in Jesus’ family, was in fact written into the family genealogy of the Messiah. In general, the women of the old testament who are in the lineage of Jesus the Messiah further shows and is an example of God’s provision over these women, as well as His grace (John C. Hutchison, 2001). It shows that Jesus came for all people and that He is a global savior. He did not just come for His people, He came for all the Jews and all the Gentiles. This is so key in understanding Matthew chapter 1 because not all the people in the lineage of Jesus were Jewish. Rahab was not a Jew, she was a Canaanite woman, a Gentile. She decided in a moment of choosing to aid the Israelite spies to leave her pagan lifestyle to believe in the God of Israel. God honored this decision. He honored her decision to believe in who He is and what He could do (May, 1993).

HOW RAHAB PLAYS INTO THE REDEMPTIVE STORY OF THE BIBLE

The story of redemption is not just found in the New Testament, but it is from chapter 1 of Genesis, and through to the end in Revelation. One of the main themes and I dare say the true theme of the bible, is the story of redemption. Redemption is a word that can sound very professional in the world of the church, but redemption is simply the act of being saved or rescued from sin or evil. In our case as believers, we have been saved and rescued by Jesus from our sin and wickedness. In the case of Rahab, she was redeemed from her life of living as a prostitute because of her faith, she was counted as righteous before God. 

We read in Hebrews chapter 11, otherwise known as the “hall of faith”, that Rahab is remembered by her faith as the woman who saved the Israelite spies. She is not remembered for her sin or her life as a prostitute, she is remembered for her great faith. Along with all of the other Old Testament characters who had sinned greatly, were still remembered in the book of Hebrews for their great faith in God. This serves as a reminder for us that God uses all of us, broken people, for His good and for His plans. 

The story of Rahab reminds us that you are never too far gone in your sin to be redeemed, and saved by God. Rahab’s story and her life are meant to be a reflection, for those who read her story, of God’s power in redeeming those who may seem far off or unworthy of His grace.

References:

Hutchison, J. C. (APR 2001). Women, Gentiles, and the Messianic Mission in Matthew’s Genealogy. Bibliotheca Sacra, BSAC(158), 630th ser.

Jones, D. W. (2016). Rescuing Rahab: The Evangelical Discussion On Conflicting Moral Absolutes. Southeastern Theological Review, STR(07:1).

Lynn, N. P. (2014). The Deliverance of Rahab (Joshua 2,6) As The Gentile Exodus. Tyndale Bulletin, TYNBUL(65:1).

May, G. (spring 1993). Who’s Who? Biblical Models of Women in Leadership. Priscilla Papers,PP 07:2. Retrieved October 10, 2020.

2020 ISN’T CANCELLED.

May I confess something to you? Like actually can we sit down and have a heart to heart? In doing so, I ask that you come to this conversation willing to listen (even if we have different opinions) and be open to what the Holy Spirit may be trying to communicate with you.

So here it is — I am tired of hearing the negativity surrounding this year of 2020. I am tired of everything I see on Instagram or Facebook being somehow related to why 2020 is a crappy year or why 2020 is cancelled. I have seen so many people get dragged into the lies that the enemy is swirling up and seeping into every area of life. I am over the cancel culture.

Now, I don’t want you to think I am dismissing all our country and the world is facing. I am not at all dismissing the events of injustice, violence, and of course, COVID. However, what I am proposing is – get a new outlook and perspective FROM Jesus and NOT the media/news or a political party.

It has dawned on me that the majority of Americans allow the news, Facebook posts, etc., to dictate their thoughts, feelings, and truth. Majority of people get their information not from their own research, but from a news article or a heavily influenced / opinionated news channel or something along those lines. Yes, I understand being informed and staying up to date with what is going on in our country, cities, and the world. HOWEVER, when you start to allow that to be your source of truth and NOT THE BIBLE… that is where you may need a change in perspective and mindset (I am talking to the Christians here).

Maybe an example would help… this is one that completely woke me up, so get ready for some honesty. I, personally, had bought into the lie, however at the time it was considered “truth”, that it was okay to be in a relationship where it was normal to do all the things that you would in marriage (I hope you get the picture I’m painting here) AND simultaneously love God with all. This is a message that is flooding our culture right now – that you can be in a relationship, have sex, act like you’re married… but you really aren’t (and married in our hearts is not actually being married), and do all those things. On top of that culture says, “it’s okay because everyone else does it so it’s normal.”

Where is the truth in that? There is none. Now take it to the Bible, where God says the truth is that sex is not bad BUT GOOD, in the context of marriage. Anything outside marriage is sexually immoral (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). The truth is, how can we love God with ALL our heart, mind, soul, and body, yet simultaneously commit a sin over and over again? We can’t. It doesn’t add up. This is a very real LIE that I 100% gave into, until God opened my eyes. This is a very real LIE that has been pushed by culture as truth.

We aren’t giving God our all when we are giving ourselves to sin. The GOOD NEWS IS – Jesus stepped down from heaven to save us from this sin and to redeem us because He knew we couldn’t get out of it ourselves. Even still, with this being the truth, we have to continually – and I mean DAILY, go to war against the lies the enemy is pushing out about this topic.

The point of the example: the TRUTH is found in Jesus. Because He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). The truth is NOT found in anything else the world may feed you. 

As Christians, our source of truth should be the Bible – the breathing, living word of God, NOT the news or the media. In 2 Timothy 3… Paul speaks on the Bible being spirit breathed… “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

I say all of this too as a reminder for myself, because I am not perfect. None of us are… and in the world we are living in now, we have to be the ones who rise up to declare the Gospel is for EVERYONE – ALL ARE WELCOME. This is not a time to sit on the sidelines and watch the game, but to get in the game. This is not a time to become lazy in your faith, but to get in your word and be disciplined. Now, Jesus said He will build His church… that is a FACT. But don’t you want to be a part of that? Don’t you want to be a part of lifting high the name of Jesus? I know I do. So much so that I have to daily lay now my selfish desires, my sin, my flesh, and yield to the Father’s way.

So, what I want you to leave with is a question to ponder on and ask yourself daily maybe for the next week or two (AND BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF)…

Are you spending time in the word?

Are you seeking out truth from the media instead of what God says?

Do you find yourself allowing worldly views to dictate your thinking?

So. 2020 isn’t cancelled. God hasn’t cancelled anything. God hasn’t cancelled you EVEN in your sin, shame, guilt, past or current failures. God hasn’t lost control, and we can rest knowing He won’t ever lose control. If anything, there is revival going on from what I have seen and experienced. Jesus will build His church, regardless. I implore you to say yes to allowing Him to use you as a vessel to partner in building His kingdom.

INVEST IN YOUR TIME & TALENTS FOR THE KINGDOM.

When I use to hear the phrasing “investing in yourself,” I had a very negative connotation added to that phrase. And to be honest, I’m not exactly sure where I got those negative feelings towards that phrase. I have seen this phrase either really taken out of context or highly overused, so maybe that is why. I have also always thought of it to be selfish to invest time and money into myself. While I always wanted to either join a program or whatever it may be to develop my skills and giftings, I never thought of it as a “must or have to.” Honestly, I saw it as a waste of money for a long time. However, recently, within the past eight months, I have noticed a HUGE shift in my thinking and perspective in terms of what it means to invest in myself.

This shift in my thinking is what I want to share with you today.

When I started thinking more along the lines of developing the God-given talents and gifts that I have for His glory and the kingdom, everything changed. It changed the way I view investing in myself – because, in my mind, it takes the focus on ME and puts the emphasis on having a KINGDOM MINDSET.

Also, here is the thing you don’t have to spend a lot of money to invest in developing and enhancing your gifts. It could be as simple as watching leadership development videos on youtube, listening to podcasts, or reading books. These are all EFFECTIVE ways to shape and mold you, and they work all the same as investing in a program. So, hear me, you do NOT have to spend a lot of money if you are not in a position to do so.

However, for myself, I have invested in some fantastic programs that have drastically changed my life in terms of crafting my talents/ gifts. Those programs are: Own It Academy, which is run by Jordan Lee Dooley, COMPEL Training, which is run by Proverbs 31 Ministries, and Brush and Barley’s Procreate Course (procreate is an app that I use for drawing, making graphics and design). ALL of these programs are women-owned and run, which is a HUGE deal that God has used these women to pour into other women who are creatives. These courses have shown me that there is so much more in the world of writing, design, and creativity. AND, they have shown me that I am too talented, gifted, and I should embrace the gifts the Father has ingrained in me.

I never thought I would be able to say that I am apart of communities like this that are Christ-centered, with Spirit-filled leaders who do what they do to expand the Kingdom of God further. I am thankful the Lord has blessed me with the means to do so. If you are an entrepreneur, small business owner, creative, writer, literally whatever it may be, invest in yourself. Get a leadership development book, say yes to entering a writing program, do what you need to do to invest in crafting your gifts. We all have natural giftings and talents given to us by the Father, but without time and practice, we will never grow or develop.

Think of an athlete like a golfer. Majority of pro golfers have a natural, God-given talent and ability to hit the ball and succeed. However, it is the best of the best who go into the PGA Tour and play professionally. What makes them the best? The fact that they put in the time and effort to invest in their talent. They practice long hours, have the best clubs, work the clubs, and don’t stop until they have grown and developed their ability. We all have God-given talents and gifts; what are you going to do to grow and steward them for the kingdom of God?

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 & 11

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit  distributes them.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone  it is the same God  at work.

All these are the work of one and the same Spirit,  and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

TODAY I GIVE THANKS.

TODAY I AM THANKFUL.

TODAY I AM TAKING EVERY MOMENT IN.

TODAY I GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR ALL THE GOOD & ALL THE BAD.

Sometimes, it can be very hard to give thanks when all hell has broken loose in your life.

Sometimes, you so easily forget all the little blessings in your life because you’re so consumed with all that you are facing in this moment.

Sometimes, you just don’t have it in you to even get the praise or thankfulness out in words.

Even in these moments, we are called to praise Him. This does not mean we completely disregard all that we are walking through, even if it is a storm. However, we are called to praise Him in the storm because we know for certain that He is walking through the storm with us.

Then there are times, where you have nothing but praise and joy coming out from you and there will be times like this, my friend.

There are times when you are living in the moments of the highest highs and there are blessings after blessings being poured out upon you. Even in these moments, we are called to praise Him.

So what do you do? What do you do when you are faced with pain, grief, suffering? What do you do when you are faced with joy, blessings?

I encourage you to read Psalm 86 and Psalm 24. These Psalms encourage me, and set my heart on fire for the Lord in thankfulness. Psalm 24 hits on that everything in this world is the Lord’s – EVERYTHING! He established everything, from the tiny molecules that form water, to the vast creations of the world that take our breath away. How can you not bow down in worship when you understand that we are nothing without the Father? He has the whole world in His hands and is working in His sovereignty. Psalm 86 again, sets my heart on fire to want to deepen my love for Him. In times of feeling so far off, Psalm 86 speaks of aligning our heart with the Father’s and drawing near to Him. His ways are so much greater than our own, and David knows that here in this Psalm. He is asking the Father to teach him His ways, and may we be doing the same.

So again, what do you do? What do you do when you are faced with blessing or pain? Do you go to the Father in response? Do you go to the world to find a solution or satisfaction? I think questions like these are important to ask often, because as sinners and humans we so easily can take our gaze and focus off the Father. We are so easily distracted – that is why David in Psalm 86 talks about having an undivided heart. A heart that is not distracted by the things of this world, but a heart that focuses on the goodness and character of God.

I don’t know where you are at in life right now, but I hope you find it in you to praise Him regardless of what your circumstances may be. I hope you lean into Him if you are in a storm. I hope you seek to know Him deeper if you are full of joy and blessings right now.

HIGHS + LOWS : APRIL – JULY RECAP

WOW! What a crazy, unexpected past few months it has been. Truly, I still cannot believe the events that have all played out these past 7 months from COVID- 19 to all the racial injustice in our country. Just in January, I was in a stadium filled with 65,000 men and women… of all different ages, different colors, different stages of life, all in one place giving praise and glory to Jesus. We were all there with one intention and purpose. Now, it seems like that was so long ago, in a completely different time. Things are just so different now and it’s weird knowing that we have to adjust to this new “normal.” However, ONE thing is for certain, regardless of everything in our world and culture changes (which it will) JESUS remains the same today, tomorrow, and forever.

As always, I want to remind you as you are reading this 4-month recap/life update – I did none of this on my own… ALL of the good, the blessings, even the lows I’ve walked through the past few months, it is all JESUS. He alone deserves all the credit and all the glory.

The past 7 months of 2020 has been a true growing season in listening to what the Lord wants/has for me and being open in going where I am being led. I have had to make decisions that haven’t been comfortable, say no to my flesh and yes to Jesus, and face confrontation (which is not my favorite thing to do… Can anyone relate?). 

Something the Lord has so kindly pressed more onto my heart the past few months has been my singleness. I think for a while I tried to fight it because what girl in her twenties wants to be single? Many of my friends are in serious relationships or engaged or married… so I think I’ve just been wanting to go with the flow.  However, God showed up and made it clear that singleness is a GIFT and during my singleness, I should be pursuing and running after Him rather than other things. Something clicked, a light bulb went off, and the whole idea of dating or being in a relationship was turned off in that moment of being quiet with the Lord. I can’t explain it fully, but I have never been more content with saying “yes Jesus, I will and want to run after you, and only you.”

Truthfully, I have never been happier just being me. I think singleness gets a bad rap… because society puts such emphasis on having someone and that is the only way you can have a purpose – WHICH IS NOT TRUE.

It’s completely counter-cultural to be single AND not talk or hook up with someone. We live in a world where it’s normal to hop around from relationship to relationship, claiming Jesus as Lord, yet doing relationships and sex societies way vs Jesus’ way… (I say this so bluntly because I have lived it and now understand the truth). We live in a hookup, shack up, break up culture… and again, it’s counter-cultural to do relationships and singleness Jesus’ way. I am grateful that God got a hold of my heart exactly where I am at – because now I know what is right in the eyes of the Father and how He does relationships.

So yes, I am completely content and full of joy with where the Lord has me (and I’m not just saying that to say it, I mean it!) At the end of the day, I know who holds my heart and has my best interest in mind. I know who has my story written, therefore I am not worried about what the future holds in terms of a relationship. For anyone who is single OR in a relationship and you want to take advantage of this gift/season – I recommend checking out Relationship Goals  by Mike Todd and Single, Dating, Engaged, Married by Ben Stuart!

Now that I have that out in the open… I have to say, July has been my favorite month this year (next to January)! The Father has been revealing His faithfulness to me as I have been taking steps of obedience in my walk. I have been seeing fruit from ministering to my 7th-grade girls who I lead every week (they have been the best part apart my summer). I had an opportunity to submit a writing challenge for the First 5app (w/ Proverbs 31 Ministries). I applied for bible college, AND GOT ACCEPTED INTO SCHOOL! I never thought I would have the opportunity to pursue ministry in this way, but God has continued to pull me in this direction. It truly is so exciting to know that my story is written and God is just showing up in His faithfulness to me.

What I’d love for you to take away from all of this is to be open to the Lord. This is what I mean by being open to the Lord – be willing to surrender your plans over to Him. My prayer for you as you read this is that you would walk open-handedly with Him and let Him guide your steps, rather than you seeking to take the lead. He is so faithful to us and He wants us to experience His faithfulness. I don’t think I would be where I’m at right now in my life if I had not taken the leap of faith to surrender my plans over to God.

So, here is to the last half of 2020 and walking with the Lord with open hands and an open heart!

IDENTITY FOUND IN JESUS.

I’d like to share with you the message that has been on my heart since I’ve been studying Ephesians 1 for the past almost 2 months…

I don’t know what you may be walking through. I don’t know if you have been in a season of feeling distant from the Father, or if you are walking through heartbreak. I don’t know all the answers as to why things play out the way they do. I don’t know why God doesn’t always give us direct, straight forward answers right when we want them.

But I do know something to be absolute (well a few things), your worth, your identity [ as a believer ] is found in Jesus & Jesus alone. If you try to find your identity in anything or anyone else, for example, yourself/ other people or a relationship… a sport… a status, title, or job… [ insert many other possibilities here ] they will disappoint you / never fully satisfy you.

Each and every one of us who put trust into the Father have been given a new life & purposed to be adopted as His children. May we walk in our identity that is found in JESUS, may we walk in freedom knowing that His way is higher than our own.

Because you are chosen by the Father, and when your faith is placed in the Son, you are no longer a slave to sin, insecurities, anxiety, depression, or fear. You are a child of God and therefore you are an heir to His kingdom.

 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,  to redeem  those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.  Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”  So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir (Galatians 4:6-7).

Even if you aren’t a believer OR you aren’t so sure about God / have doubts – YOU have a purpose, YOU were created for more than just living to survive… there is a place for YOU here, & at the table. I want to be clear that you do not have to follow Jesus to be welcomed here. I hope you know that regardless, you are loved & seen (Romans 10:1).

WHERE IS GOD IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR STORM?

Today I want to look at two passages found in scripture, one found in the old testament and one found in the new testament. I believe both of these passages show God’s sovereign hand over all things, storms and all. With things still so unsteady in the current state in our world, I think this is the perfect reminder to trust God in ALL circumstances.

All right, let’s dive into a story about a King of Judah found in the old testament. [ 2 Chronicles 33:10-20 ]

A little back story, up until this point, it was hit or miss with the kings of Judah. What do I mean by that? It was hit or miss if they followed the Lord or if they did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Not every king in Judah followed the Lord like King David or King Solomon. A lot of them did evil in the eyes of the Lord, worshiped idols, and this caused the Lord to become angry and He displayed his wrath on his own people when they did not obey, listen, or follow His ways.

One king in particular that I want to study with you today is King Manasseh. Hold onto your bible and be prepared, this story is about to knock your socks off. King Manasseh did evil in the eyes of the Lord, he established alters for false gods, he worshiped these false gods, he sacrificed his children (UM WHAT?), basically this guy was the worst of the worst. He was all sorts of jacked up.

Before I continue, let’s be real for a minute. Don’t we do this too? You may not be sacrificing your children (I hope you don’t even think twice about this), but don’t we put things before the Lord? Don’t we worship idols? Yep, we do. We can be honest here. Money, sex, technology, cars, houses, you name it, we worship worldly things that lead to a never-ending cycle of wanting what does not fully satisfy us.

Back to the story. God spoke to the people of Judah and to Manasseh, and what do you think they did? They ignored Him (with their track record, are you surprised? I’m not) and this is where the story takes a turn…
The Lord had Manasseh taken as a prisoner by the king of Assyria. The Lord without question, allowed him to be captured and taken as a prisoner – think about this (we will talk about this in a moment). Now, they didn’t just take him as a prisoner, but they put a hook in his nose, bound him up with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon. I think Manasseh was thinking, “I am not longer in control, I do not have the strength on my own to get myself out of this situation. I need help.” Have you ever been backed into a corner like that? Have you ever been caught up in a storm in your life that you realize you cannot by your own strength get yourself out? You aren’t the only one. Look at what happens next with Manasseh…
“In his distress, he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.” [ 2 Chronicles 33: 12-13 ]

There is so much to unpack here, but I will give you my main take away from this story… The Lord allowed Manasseh to be captured, to be caught up in a storm on purpose, SO THAT he would realize that God is the one and only true God.

In God’s sovereignty willingly allowed Manasseh to be taken a prisoner by his enemy, caught up in a storm so that he would be knocked down, so he could then look up and realize that God is in control and He is trustworthy. So, how does this relate to us now present day? God wants us to abide in Him and trust Him fully to carry us, which is why I believe that God sometimes willingly allows us to enter into a storm SO that we realize we need Him.

We can see almost this same theme in the new testament when Jesus calms the storm. [ Mark 4:35-41 ]

Up until this point, Jesus has been teaching and after His teaching when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went on a boat to cross to the other side of the land (side note: notice how Jesus takes time to get away from the crowds to have time to rest and refuel. We should have this same take on our own lives!). When they were on the boat, Jesus rests his eyes and takes a nap. Meanwhile, a storm comes and let’s just put it this way, the disciples were freaking out. I can only imagine what the disciples were thinking and feeling, but it was enough to have them wake up Jesus and ask, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

Have you ever felt that way towards God? Maybe you’re in a season now where you’re asking God the same thing, “Father don’t you see I’m close to drowning? I can’t see the end of this storm. God if you love me at all, help me, save me!” I’d be lying if I said I haven’t prayed that prayer before. When my eyes are so fixed on my circumstances, I have a hard time seeing God’s hand over my life. My faith is weary because I see what I am going through here on earth thinking the Lord has abandoned me. However, I know the truth. I know that “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” [ Psalm 9:10 ]

Back to Mark 4… Jesus woke up, with absolute zero fear, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves “Quiet! Be still!” Just by the power of His words, the wind calmed and the waves ceased. Jesus then said to the disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Gosh, can’t you just sense the power in these questions Jesus is asking the disciples? The disciples have witnessed Jesus heal people, surely they would have believed that He was in control of all things?

Sadly, we do the exact same thing. We know the truth that is in the Word. We know that God raised Jesus from the dead after He was killed and buried. God is the God of the impossible, it is who He is. That should be enough for us to know and trust that God is whom He says He is, that He alone is in sole control. Yet, when we take our eyes off of Jesus and put our eyes on our present circumstances, our trust goes to the temporary things rather than our Father. Jesus shows His sovereign hand in calming the storm. If we only trust Him, with the outcome of our circumstances He will take care of us in the storm. Where are you placing your trust? In the hands of Jesus or in your circumstances?

All it takes is a mustard seed of faith and that’s all God wants from you. Choose to trust in the one who is sovereign over all things here on earth and above in Heaven. Choose to trust that the storm you are in is producing character and shaping you into who God has created you to be. Choose to trust that God is working all things out for His glory and for our good.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO HAVE CHRIST-CENTERED FRIENDSHIPS?

I want to talk about community for a moment. Specifically, I want to talk about what Christ-centered community looks like.

This is an area in my life where I have become SO passionate about. I feel like I was very blind in this area and I didn’t realize the importance. I am here to tell you that if you are a believer, Godly community is ESSENTIAL to your walk with Jesus.

So, what does the bible say about this? Let’s look at Genesis 2:18… God says “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Now, you could take this into the context of relationships/ marriage, BUT it also points to community and our relationships with one another. In the beginning, God points to the importance of community. He says, “it is not good for man to be alone.” Which leads me to ask YOU, are you alone? Do you think you are good on your own without anyone close walking through life with you? OR do you have a community of people who you know if anything goes sideways you can pick up the phone and call? I’m telling you, walking through life with your people is just better (I know this from my own personal life). God wants this for YOU. He wants you to have those people who love Him and push you closer to Him.

To get personal, I was praying for a long time for friends who loved the Lord, for friends who were on “my page”, and people who I can do life with. I had friends during this time, but I knew something wasn’t right in my heart when I got honest with myself. I began to pray. It wasn’t until last November that the Lord opened the door for me to join a disciple group and these women have all become so close to my heart and because God is SO GOOD He has brought more and more people in my life. I have mentors, leaders, friends, and most importantly brothers and sisters in Christ.

I asked on my instagram page [ @thebeautiful.brave ] for people to send in questions in regards to Christ-centered friendships. I wanted to address these three.

Q #1. This is not exactly black and white. I believe your core, inner circle group/ community should be believers, if you are a believer (this is just my opinion). If all of your friends and people in your life are believers, that is amazing, but then are you making disciples/ spreading the gospel to ALL peoples? We are called to spread the gospel to all people, all nations. This is the great commission. How I see it, as a believer, I am called to make disciples. Therefore, I should have people in my life who may not believe what I believe so that I may be an influence and witness to Christ.

Q #2. You LOVE them. You LOVE those the best you can even if they don’t believe what you believe. You continue to demonstrate the grace that Jesus shows you daily to them. You can still love someone and have space. You don’t necessarily need to say “never talk to me again if you don’t believe in Jesus” rather, set some boundaries. If you have party friends who constantly go out and you want to stop that, then set those boundaries. If you have people who influence you to be someone without morals, then set those boundaries and draw a line. There is a way to set boundaries that are healthy for you and the person/peoples involved.

Q #3. Again, this one is not black and white. I don’t want to put out there that you should completely cut off friends or people in your life if they are not on the same path as you in regards to following Christ. But here is my thought, sometimes it takes just saying “no, but I appreciate the offer.” It is an opportunity to explain why you may want to distance yourself… it is an opportunity to share the gospel. If they are close enough to you or if they are truly your friend, they will understand your reasons behind taking a step back. Having boundaries is biblical, especially in friendships. REMEMBER : YOU CAN STILL LOVE SOMEONE FROM A DISTANCE.

My encouragement to you is to get in community. If you are a believer, community is necessary for us to grow and deepen in our faith walk. Don’t you want people who love the Lord leading and guiding you? It takes boldness stepping out to find community, but God is the source of strength and courage. Ask him for the strength and courage to do this… He will answer because He wants you to be surrounded by His children.

JESUS AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL.

If you’re a Christian & Jesus isn’t at the center of your life, then you’re doing life wrong.
No seriously, I’m not joking.

What is the point then of being a follower of Jesus if He isn’t the one thing driving all you do?

This is a wake-up call kind of statement & question… one I’ve wrestled with in my own walk with the Father.

I had to get real REAL honest with myself (these are questions I reflect on more often than not) … & to be practical these were questions I was pondering :
Were my friends driving me towards Christ?

Was the way I was acting displaying values like Christ?

Did the way I speak reflect the Word of God?

Did the way I view myself & others show that I know what true love is?

Is the way I carry myself pointing to the very fact that I am a believer in Jesus??

I can dance around ALL these questions to get the answer to be “yes.” BUT to put it simply, no. I wasn’t. I did what I wanted to do. How I wanted to do it. My fleshy desires & passions drove my actions & decisions. I claimed to be a Christian, yet I proved to be the opposite of that. I fell into the trap, as so many of us have… of being a typical modern-day Christian; picking & choosing what part of Christianity seems “good for me.” This isn’t how God works. You either believe & follow the Word of God in full OR you don’t.

Yes, I went to church, read my bible. I struggled with conviction in EVERY area of my life. Yet, I basically said to God, “I know better.” Until He stripped me of what I thought I knew, knocked me to my knees, & it was at that moment just half a year ago that I KNEW, my eyes were opened, I needed to repent & change the race I was running & run after my Father.

Yes, that involves doing the hard things LIKE recognizing some friendships are for a season & not forever. Letting go of expectations & lists. Redirecting my thoughts to set my mind on Heavenly things & not worldly things.
Speaking TRUTH over my life when the devil tries to speak shame & guilt. Putting myself out there for the sake of finding a Christ-like community.

Saying YES to the Father & NO to this world. Saying YES to purity & NO to sexual sin or desires. Saying YES to pursuing the Lord’s plans for my life & NO to my plans.

If you’ve gotten this far … I say all this out of a place of love & because I wish so desperately for ALL to know the truth that comes from following Jesus. I also wouldn’t say this if I haven’t walked through the valley myself. The truth is that God RESTORES & REDEEMS. Even if you think you’re too far gone, THINK AGAIN. Stop running away from the one created YOU, designed YOU, & knows YOU better than you know yourself. Surrender it all over to Him because He cares for YOU.