I am His, and He is Mine

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 
Philippians 4:6-7

Right now, a million things could be running through your head. You might have just had a break up. You might have just gotten into a terrible fight. You might have broken a bone. You might have been hurt by someone you love. You might be having the time of your life.

Whatever the case may be, this is a moment that you have chosen to live. As my mind has wandered today, I have been struck by how often I choose to just be. When I take a second to sit and just be, my stops wandering and looks to my Savior.

Sometimes we take for granted all of the blessings that we have. Actually, we do this more often than we care to admit. We take for granted the things that we have and the blessings that God lavishes on us so freely.

One of things that I strive to do is the good in every situation. I'm not perfect, so I don't do this all the time. But I do my very best. Right now, I'm worried about how I'm going to pay for school. I'm afraid of being forgotten while I'm gone. I don't want to say good bye to my friends. I don't want to say good bye to my students. I don't want to leave the comfortable environment that I have...Then I remember that I'm not supposed to be comfortable. God calls us to live uncomfortably. If that means that I have to fully depend on him for the six weeks I am gone, then so be it. If that means that I won't get to see people that I care so deeply for, then so be it. If that means that I have to lay down my life for Christ, then so be it.

Wherever God calls me, I will follow. Even to the ends of the earth. He is my King, my Savior, my Love, my Father, my Friend, and my Lord. If not for him, I would not be who I am or where I'm at. My life belongs to Jesus.


Are you willing to go where he calls you? Are you willing to live uncomfortably? Are you willing to follow him? Are you willing to live differently? Are you willing to lay down all that is important to you for Jesus?

I'm a lover, not a fighter

But I do know how to fight.
I fight for things that I love.
I fight for people I care about.
Not with my fists, mind you.
But with my words.
I fight for people with prayer.
I'm a prayer warrior.
I will fight and fight and fight.
And in the end, God answers.
He won't always answer the way I want him to.
But he still answers.
Fight for those you love,
and don't ever stop. 

Discipleship

My heart is to love, encourage, and inspire people to Christ. In every decision, that is what I try to do. I'm human, I fail. But I remember that I am not intended to be perfect, that's why I have Christ. To guide me. To lead me. And draw me to Himself.

I've been thinking a lot about discipleship lately. Discipleship and community. They go hand in hand. Right now, I work for my church as the junior high intern. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into when I started. I'd never really worked with junior highers before, but I felt like God was telling me to. So that is how I ended up with this job. God said do it, and I obeyed.

When I think of discipleship, I think of it as walking along side another person through thick and thin and pushing them to Jesus. It's a relationship where you may have to say some hard stuff, and hope that they hear Jesus saying it and not you. But it is also a relationship where God can do amazing things to grow you.

Read this with me.

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:18-20

Jesus commands us to go and make disciples. He tells us to walk with people through life. He says to encourage them. And when your strength isn't enough, He is with you, always. What a powerful promise.

A couple weeks ago I went to summer camp with my junior highers. Over this past year, I've gotten to know these kids and invest in them. I've seen them go through some tough stuff, and I've seen them seek Jesus. As one of their leaders, it's an honor and privilege to see them develop their relationship with Jesus. On the last night of camp, I got to be a part of the girls recommitting their lives to Christ. They stood up and told the room and each other that they wanted to live for something greater than themselves. I'm not gonna lie, I totally lost it. I sobbed the entire time that we prayed for one another. I just can't explain to you how much love I have for those kids. Each of them have incredible talents, great attitudes and a love for Jesus.

Discipleship means that you get to be a part of someone else's story. You get put aside your life, and love on someone else. Jesus calls us to invest in people, to love on each other and to encourage one another in Christ. If you aren't being discipled or making disciples, I want to encourage you to do so. The impact that God can have on your life is tremendous. The impact that God can have on the other person's life is incredible.

So much of the time we live selfishly in this world. Society tells us to do that. I want to challenge you to live differently. Those kids have no idea the impact that they've made on my life. Honestly, I doubt they will ever know. And I will never know how God used me in their lives. Regardless, we're put on earth for relationship. Relationship with Jesus and with others. Find someone to disciple, find someone that you can disciple. Even if it is a sibling. They look up to you. They want to be like you. Give someone the same love, grace and patience that God has given to you.

Inability

I really and truly do not understand humans. Most of the time, I can't even understand myself. We had a guest speaker at college group last night, who has spoken to us before. The man throws down. Like you can see the Spirit speaking through him. It was so great to hear him. 

Yesterday was rough. I spent all day doing homework and trying to recuperate. My stress level has been extremely high lately, and I just needed some down time. And what better way to do that when I'm house sitting. But I knew that if I went to college group, God had some words for me to hear...and they were not going to be pleasant. I knew conviction would come, and come it sure did.

We've been going through Luke for the past few months. This week we were on chapter 10. One of my struggles lately has been feeling like I'm not good enough. (If you saw my last post, Enough, you can read more about that there and the truth that God brings in it.) The speaker was saying that so often, we think that we have to some great person to be a disciple of Jesus. We have to have it all together and know what the future holds. But that's simply not the case. God spoke very clearly to me in that moment, he said
                  Bre, you can't have expectations too high for yourself.
"But Lord," I replied, "I have to, or no one else will. I have to hold myself accountable to be the best I can be."
                  No, I'll take care of that. Just let go. Let me have control. 

 Northern Ireland missions trip (2008)

 The speaker went on to say that sometimes we want to be in the most comfortable place so we can have maximum control. Then we freak out cause we lose control. Pastor Paul always talks about how we need to "figure it out." That's his catch phrase. There are shirts. And yes, I have one. People ask him why he says it and he says, "figure it out." What I think he's saying though, is not to just figure it out on our own, but figure it out with God. We are incapable of figuring things out on our own. It's only through God that we can do that. I don't know about you, but the greatest things in my life have happened when I have let go. The speaker then gave us the example of a missions trip. When we go on a missions trip we literally have no control over any situation. We have to give control to God, because the trip is not in our area of comfort.

When we judge people, we are attempting to be God.
When we try to control, we are attempting to be God.

That is one of the biggest insults to God that we can make. I do this all the time. I suck. Thank God, he extends grace and love. This is not the intention of my heart, but I do it anyways. My battle with this sin is ever present and raging.

This week has been hard and at every turn, I just feel like a mess. The shame and guilt that has been my constant companion, is not from my Father. He reaches down and picks me up and carries me along the beach. This journey that you and I are on with Christ, is not one that is walked alone. No, my friends, it is meant to be walked together. As we grow in relationship with Christ, we have to lean on God for understanding. He is the only way we can know him better. It's crazy and it doesn't fully make sense. Regardless, we just need more Jesus. In every situation, we need Jesus. That's it.

It's also been a hard week in loving people. If you've ever met me, you know that that is my goal, to make everyone feel the love of God. This was what God showed me...

My inability to love people stems from 

the inability to love God

and be loved by God.

 
What a humbling moment that was. Is this what your heart is feeling right now? I encourage you to examine your heart and allow God to speak to you. He will show you what needs to be changed. But you have to have an open heart and open ears to see and hear how he wants you to change.

Seek Jesus. 

Run to Him. 

Let him guide you. 

Let him have control. 

He'll do a WAYYYYY better job that you can do.

Enough

This is the time in life where everything changes. I have been told that over and over again. I understand it. Because that has been the pattern for a couple years now. Friends come and go. Some stay. Regardless, there are lessons learned; lessons taught. Words are spoken, only a few are heard. Incredible amounts of coffee are drank, so we can continue to be awake. Students have graduated, family is growing up.

All of these things seem to dictate our world. But the one thing that holds us close is time. There is never enough time. Or there is too much time. There's no middle ground. It's never good enough.

Enough.

That word intrigues me. Although some may say that they can attain their ideal when there is enough of such and such; they don't really mean it. Because contentedness is not something that Americans are well versed in.

Definition of enough.

"Occurring in such quantity, quality or scope as to fully meet demands, needs, or expectations"


Honestly, I've never liked the word enough. Because society always tells people that they're not good enough. That is constantly what we strive to be; good enough for others.

Am I good enough? 

Maybe you don't ask that outright. Maybe it is an underlying theme in your life. Maybe you strive for being good enough without even realizing it. But here's the thing. 

You ARE good enough.

There is no measure of how good enough you are. But when it comes to what God thinks of you, you are good enough. You are exactly who you are supposed to be and he loves you for that. This is one of the truths that God has been speaking to my heart lately. I don't have to prove my worth to anybody, because I'm good enough. 

This is a truth that is a reminder of the greatness of our God. No longer must we prove our value. We are valued and enough for our God. It is never a competition of who can be the best Christian. No, sir. You are good enough. That truth sets us free. Live in the truth.  

With

Every single time I've tried to write this week, I just can't seem to think of anything to say. But when I don't have time to write I can think of a billion things to say. Oh well, I'll try anyways.

There have been a myriad of events lately. I'm not in control of any of it. I don't want to be, most of the time. I think that I'm just tired. I haven't been sleeping well, and I've been having super weird dreams... It's kind of obnoxious. But at the same time, I know God is with me.

Wow, now I get it. That's what God has been trying to get through to me. He is with me.

That is powerful. The truth that we choose to ignore, is the truth that we need the most.

God is with me.

God is with you.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and 

be content with what you have, because God has said,

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

So we say with confidence,

"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. 

What can man do to me?"

Hebrews 13:5-6

More Life Altering Change

Decisions, decisions.

This whole growing up thing is a bit ridiculous. I figured it wouldn't take this long...
I'm 21 years old and I'm still trying to make big life decisions that will be a part of my journey.
Now, I have no doubt that God will guide me. That he will show me what to do. AND I know that no decision I make, will be the wrong one.

My brother plays baseball. At his game last week, 6 cars got broken into and stuff got stolen. A few people who heard about that have chosen to live in fear. They lock their doors regularly. They're lives are ruled by fear.

In the Word, it talks about how God has not given us a spirit of fear.
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 
2 Timothy 1:7


We have been given something greater than fear. Our lives are to be ruled by the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He is the one that is protecting us and watching over us. My life is not to be lived in constant fear, but in trust. I need to trust the Ruler of the Universe with all that I am, all that I will be and all that I have been. He is in control. I am not.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, hold and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. 
Romans 12:1-2