Mistaken

Throughout life the one thing we have to continually ask ourselves is, what is our purpose? Take a second to think about that question for yourself and truly think about what your purpose is for living your life. Through everything we have been through this year with all the drama, heartbreak, letdowns, etc., whatever has come about I hope that my life has echoed the attributes that Christ has exampled for me. While that is my hope for the past, that should be my will for the future. Every moment I should be striving to live out my faith by offering my life as a living sacrifice for Christ (Romans 12:1). As we, Christians, live our lives everyday people should be mistaking us for Christ. Because of the way we live, everybody that comes across us should feel as if they had just seen Jesus!!! The latter should be what we desire; we should want to be mistaken for somebody else, that being Christ Jesus our Lord! In everything we do and everybody that we come into contact with, we should be mistaken for Him because being crucified with Christ, it is no longer us who live, but Christ lives in us! Are you being mistaken?

What are you waiting for?

I have been thinking lately about how so many people say that they want to make a difference and how they want to spread the name of Christ across our campus, town, state, nation, and the world. My one question is what are you waiting for?!?!? You want to make a difference and change the world for Christ? Well, why are we still sitting around doing nothing, secluding ourselves to each other, doing dinner and other random fun? We have experienced the grace of God and the salvation brought by faith in Christ, and we are keeping that to ourselves. If you want to change the world, then the only way to do that is to introduce others to Christ who washes away sin! So we say that we want to make a difference, well then I say get off your butt and go do it right now! Seriously, stop reading this, go outside and tell somebody about how Christ saved your life and how He can do the same for them! Honestly, if you didn't just do that then go and do it NOW! We say we want to make a difference and that we want to change the world and spread the name of Christ, but why are we not out in the world telling others about Christ and showing them how they can have their lives transformed by his loving salvation! So, if you really want to make a difference, if you really want to change lives, then go now and do it and stop sitting around and waiting. There are millions of people who have never heard the name of Christ and we need to bring it to them. What are you waiting for?

Would it be love?

Simple question, if your friends were to describe you/your character would love be one of the words they use? Here's a good way to figure out whether or not love is something that can be used to describe you...take the following passage of scripture (which is usually misquoted) and replace the word love with your name. In doing so, you are applying the attributes and facets of love to you in hopes that you and love will be synonymous. This is something that can be used especially when teaching others how to find a Godly man/woman.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
~1 Corinthians 13:4-8~

Would it be love?

Poem

Every time I near the point of letting go
Your face reappears before my eyes,
Your song grows louder as your words echo
In my mind. No matter how hard my mind tries
My heart will never forget you.

Why you frontin'?

Front v. - to serve as a cover or disguise. This is something that I have been thinking about a lot lately and it continues to show up everywhere I turn. Unfortunately, this seems to be the case within the body of Christ. People are covering up and disguising themselves and we have to wonder why? Why is it that we do not portray ourselves to be passionate followers of the one and only Son of God? To me the thing that's worse than a non-believer is a Christian that is fake! We have to stop wearing these masks and acting like everything is just dandy and deal with the issues that are at hand. We should be so passionately in love with Christ that our lives are screaming his name. If we are professing to be saved by grace, we are told to not hide it, don't disguise it, stop frontin'! Are you being real?

Here Am I...

It has been a while, but a lot has been going on and I haven't had a chance to just sit and think in a while. I have gone through and revisited my previous blogs and the one thing I thought about was the title I gave the blog, Here Am I. What is the significance of that statement and where did it come from? As I was starting this blog I was listening to my itunes and MercyMe came on and it was the song "Here Am I." I began to think about how I continue to say that I am living my life for Christ and how I am dead to this world and that I want to proclaim the name of Jesus. This song became a reality because what a shame it is that people in this world will never hear the name of Jesus, and some of those around me have never heard it either! Who will tell them of this savior? Will it be me? Is my life and my heart screaming out "Here am I, send me!?" I am reminded of Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." I want to proclaim the name of Jesus, In all I say and do, UNASHAMED! That is the desire of my heart and I know that God can and will use us to proclaim his name throughout the nations. Everyday we are surrounded by people who have never heard the name of Jesus and have never believed in it and if we never tell them of His saving name then they may never hear it and that is on us! Here am I all of me, take my life it's all for Thee. Is this the prayer for your life? Here Am I...

Enough

In the past week or so I have thought a lot about the word 'enough.' One of the questions that has been rolling through my head lately is that if somebody came up to me and asked me why I believe what I believe would I have an answer for them? After talking to a few people and praying a lot about it, it came down to the question is Jesus enough? Something to think about is that if all is stripped away, if all that makes you 'happy' is taken away, would Jesus honestly be enough? Clearly I would hope that that answer is a resounding yes, but it is something that is a continuous struggle. Everyday I have to remind myself that God loves me no matter what and that his love never changes. Because of this love, we are told in 1 Peter 3:15 to "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." I find my joy in the salvation of the name of Christ and He alone is the reason for the hope, for the life, and for the joy we experience. Will you always be prepared to give the answer? Is Jesus enough?

An opportunity

So I was on the way home on Friday, to hang out with the fam and watch the Superbowl on my dad's new sweet tv! Anyways, I got about 50 miles away from Chapel Hill and my car decided to stop working. Definitely not how I thought my weekend would start. Anyways, I sat there for about 45 minutes and it was amazing! I definitely needed some time to just be secluded and just spend time with God. After this the tow truck finally got there and I got to ride with a guy named JC for about an hour, back to Chapel Hill. I had an hour to just hang out with this guy and just talk. He opened up to me and talked a lot about his family and some of the struggles they've been dealing with and I had the chance to talk about some mission trips and to just a share a little bit. This was an amazing opportunity that God laid right in my lap! It was great to be able to just talk and get to know a random person and show them the love of God and to just pray for them. I can only pray and hope that God will continue to show me and open my eyes to the opportunities he has provided. Are your eyes open?