When I first started my blog I titled it "Made to Thrive". It comes from Casting Crown's song "Thrive". I had kind of made it my "motto" the last few months so I wanted to incorporate it in my blog somehow.
"We know we were made for so much more than ordinary lives. It's time for us to more than just survive. We were made to thrive." This part of the song really stuck out to me and made me really fall in love with the idea to live by it. It's so easy to get comfortable in our everyday lives and to be content with just going through the motions. We can sit back and not stand out because standing out could risk losing friends and being ridiculed. But God didn't create us for that. He calls us to be a light in the darkness. To be a light, we can't be ordinary.
I attended a Casting Crowns concert last summer at Magic Springs and the lead singer spoke of the story behind "Thrive". The song talks bout a tree planted by the water. When you think of a tree thriving, you think of big huge branches, that reach way up and way out, but for it to be stable it needs a firm foundation. That requires a strong root system that reaches deep into the ground with very big roots to hold the support. When you think of a thriving Christian, you think of someone that is bold witness, that reaches out to all people. The same is required for the Christian. He or she needs a firm foundation. That foundation is Jesus Christ, and comes from digging deep into His word and into prayer.
So how exactly do we become this "thriving" Christian? Our evangelist answered that with three short verses last night. Psalms 1:1-3.
Verse 1
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."
This verse tells us what NOT to do. While it's good to try and reach out to those around us that don't know Christ, it shouldn't be the people that influence us the most. It is SO very important to have Christian friends that build our faith up and encourage our relationship with God. It's not wrong to have lost friends, but it's important that our Christian friends are our closest.
We need to rid ourselves of the sins, people, and relationships that are toxic to our relationship with Christ. If it's not bettering us then it is NO good. If we want to be someone who thrives, we can't have things hindering us from being close to God.
Verse 2
"But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."
This verse is telling us what to do. The law of the Lord is His word. It says to meditate on it day and night. That doesn't mean reading a Bible Verse once a day and thinking a split second about and then going on about with the rest of our day. Meditate is to think over. Really dig into God's word. There's always something new to be learned. And then pray. Pray over our readings, and that God would give us wisdom to understand His word and find ways to apply it to everyday life.
Verse 3
"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
Verse 3 tells us what to expect. We will prosper and produce fruits. We will THRIVE. This doesn't mean life will be perfect and easy. Life may even be hard and full of trials, but God's rewards are eternal. Whether or not we're rewarded for our works on earth, God has promised eternal rewards which are much more precious than temporary rewards on this earth.
God doesn't call us to be ordinary. We were called to be different. Instead of just getting by from day to day, we should be overflowing with God's love. He died for us so we should strive to LIVE for Him.
Check out Thrive and Casting Crowns full story behind it here!
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Monday, July 27, 2015
God is the perfect B.F.F.
I was having trouble deciding on which topic to do my next blog post on and narrowing it down to just one topic. I have this problem where I can jump from one idea to the next and before long I've thrown several topics together making a confusing mess of thoughts.
Tonight was the opening of my church's revival. Evangelist, Bro. Tommy Oglesby brought a very powerful message from John 1:1-5. Verse 1 really stood out to me. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Part of the message was centered around that verse and the complexity of God. Well God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Except they are also one together, as God. And the Word has always existed. It was with God. Only it WAS God, too. That's a lot to understand. I believe every word of that and I understand it to an extent, but there's no way I'll ever completely comprehend it. God is way too complex and intricate for any human to be able to comprehend all of His wonders and capabilities.
Tonight I was skimming through the Bible, just looking for something to stand out to me. I began to get frustrated. I had so many thoughts that I couldn't put into words in a way that anyone could understand exactly what I wanted to get across. I feel like this a lot actually. Not one person knows every single thing about me. Different people know different things. But no one understands all my experiences, joys, and pains. There's so many sides to me that no one can ever fully comprehend.
Then I flipped back over to read John 1:1. My study bible had a footnote that read, "Do you ever feel your life it too complex for God to understand? Remember, God created the entire universe, and nothing is too difficult for him. He created you..."
There is one person who knows each of us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He designed us each to find joy in different things. To feel pain from different things. He created us knowing our fears, our loves, and knowing what trials we would be faced with. We are complex. Because we were created by a complex God. No one can ever fully understand us. But it's so refreshing to know that the Creator of the Universe does. He's holding the entire earth in His hand, yet He still knows the desires of your heart, and every single thought or feeling that occurs to you. This leads to my conclusion.
I believe God intended for no one to be able to completely understand us, besides Him. He created us to rely on Him. God is powerful and He is to be feared and respected greatly, but I've also found Him to be a best friend that no one else can compare to. There's been many times I can't fully express my feelings to even my closest family and friends, but I can feel the Holy Spirit wrapping me up, acknowledging and understanding the depths of me. It's simple to God, and I can't imagine not having Him to lean on. We were made to need a relationship with Christ. If you haven't accepted Christ you are missing out big time, and I encourage you to accept Him as your Savior. Even some Christians lack this relationship with Christ. God wants to hear from us more than just on Sundays. We need a personal relationship that requires to rely on Him all throughout each and every day. And some Christians already have this relationship with Christ, but John 1:1 proves God's complexity. There's always more to learn about God and His word. Make God your best friend. He knows you better than anyone.
Check out this song!
Steffany Frizzel- You Know Me
Tonight was the opening of my church's revival. Evangelist, Bro. Tommy Oglesby brought a very powerful message from John 1:1-5. Verse 1 really stood out to me. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Part of the message was centered around that verse and the complexity of God. Well God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Except they are also one together, as God. And the Word has always existed. It was with God. Only it WAS God, too. That's a lot to understand. I believe every word of that and I understand it to an extent, but there's no way I'll ever completely comprehend it. God is way too complex and intricate for any human to be able to comprehend all of His wonders and capabilities.
Tonight I was skimming through the Bible, just looking for something to stand out to me. I began to get frustrated. I had so many thoughts that I couldn't put into words in a way that anyone could understand exactly what I wanted to get across. I feel like this a lot actually. Not one person knows every single thing about me. Different people know different things. But no one understands all my experiences, joys, and pains. There's so many sides to me that no one can ever fully comprehend.
Then I flipped back over to read John 1:1. My study bible had a footnote that read, "Do you ever feel your life it too complex for God to understand? Remember, God created the entire universe, and nothing is too difficult for him. He created you..."
There is one person who knows each of us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He designed us each to find joy in different things. To feel pain from different things. He created us knowing our fears, our loves, and knowing what trials we would be faced with. We are complex. Because we were created by a complex God. No one can ever fully understand us. But it's so refreshing to know that the Creator of the Universe does. He's holding the entire earth in His hand, yet He still knows the desires of your heart, and every single thought or feeling that occurs to you. This leads to my conclusion.
I believe God intended for no one to be able to completely understand us, besides Him. He created us to rely on Him. God is powerful and He is to be feared and respected greatly, but I've also found Him to be a best friend that no one else can compare to. There's been many times I can't fully express my feelings to even my closest family and friends, but I can feel the Holy Spirit wrapping me up, acknowledging and understanding the depths of me. It's simple to God, and I can't imagine not having Him to lean on. We were made to need a relationship with Christ. If you haven't accepted Christ you are missing out big time, and I encourage you to accept Him as your Savior. Even some Christians lack this relationship with Christ. God wants to hear from us more than just on Sundays. We need a personal relationship that requires to rely on Him all throughout each and every day. And some Christians already have this relationship with Christ, but John 1:1 proves God's complexity. There's always more to learn about God and His word. Make God your best friend. He knows you better than anyone.
Check out this song!
Steffany Frizzel- You Know Me
Monday, July 20, 2015
Following Christ or Following The Rules?
I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was only in the third grade. I knew I was lost and bound for hell and I needed Jesus to save me. That was the greatest day of my life. As I said, I was only in the third grade. I continued living how my parents had raised me to behave and how I knew a Christian should behave. Church was not an option. I attended every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night, and was always at vacation bible schools, church camps, and revivals. I tried to pray every night before bed and I knew mostly every Bible story. Up until last year I thought I was doing everything right....
Then I came across Mark 10:17-31. It's the story of Jesus speaking to a rich man. The man approaches Jesus and tells Him he has observed the law since his youth but still wants to know what he can do to receive eternal life. Jesus tells the man he lacks one thing. He needs to give up everything he has and "take up the cross, and follow [Him]". The man turns away from Jesus because of his great possessions. Jesus didn't want the man to just follow the law, but for him to desire a relationship with Christ so much that he would be willing to surrender his heart and follow Christ Himself.
God spoke to me strongly through these verses. Yes, being a Christian was about living a life that was an example for others to see. I needed to make the right choices and do what was right. But that wasn't where I was supposed to stop. For so long I depended on myself not breaking the rules to be the core of my walk with Christ. But God has called us for so much more. He desires a true relationship with each of His children and willingness to submit to His plan and will.
That night God showed me He wants more. It opened me up to a completely new prayer life and relationship with Christ. God created us to need Him as our ultimate desire. If anything is reigning above Him in our hearts, we need to give them up and put God where He belongs. The rich man followed the law, but failed to put his possessions below Christ and follow His call. Following the rules is great, but there is so much more to being a Christian than just that. We are to take up our cross and be willing to follow the will of Christ no matter the cost.
I encourage you to check out
Then I came across Mark 10:17-31. It's the story of Jesus speaking to a rich man. The man approaches Jesus and tells Him he has observed the law since his youth but still wants to know what he can do to receive eternal life. Jesus tells the man he lacks one thing. He needs to give up everything he has and "take up the cross, and follow [Him]". The man turns away from Jesus because of his great possessions. Jesus didn't want the man to just follow the law, but for him to desire a relationship with Christ so much that he would be willing to surrender his heart and follow Christ Himself.
God spoke to me strongly through these verses. Yes, being a Christian was about living a life that was an example for others to see. I needed to make the right choices and do what was right. But that wasn't where I was supposed to stop. For so long I depended on myself not breaking the rules to be the core of my walk with Christ. But God has called us for so much more. He desires a true relationship with each of His children and willingness to submit to His plan and will.
That night God showed me He wants more. It opened me up to a completely new prayer life and relationship with Christ. God created us to need Him as our ultimate desire. If anything is reigning above Him in our hearts, we need to give them up and put God where He belongs. The rich man followed the law, but failed to put his possessions below Christ and follow His call. Following the rules is great, but there is so much more to being a Christian than just that. We are to take up our cross and be willing to follow the will of Christ no matter the cost.
I encourage you to check out
Mark 10:17-31 for yourself!
Friday, July 10, 2015
Why Wait?
I am currently about to start my senior year of high school. This is a memorable year for many reasons but it is also a year spent of planning. Almost stuck in "the waiting". I have found myself thinking and even telling people that I can't wait to get to college and get my life started. I can't wait to join MBSF or any other Christian group I'm led to, get involved in a huge youth group, and just get on fire for the Lord. I plan on becoming more bold in my faith, start bible studies with friends, and have a better prayer life.
It occurred to me other day while planning all of this, I hadn't prepared for THIS school year and how I could be a witness and be on fire for God. I overlooked the year because I've already fit in to who I am and who everyone expects me to be. I'm comfortable. It finally hit me. Why wait? There's no one telling me I can't start praying not just over my far off future but also this upcoming school year. There's no reason I can't be more bold, start encouraging friends and engaging in God's word together NOW. God doesn't call us to take action a year from now. He wants us to serve, starting the second we are called. Whether we are in "the waiting" or not God still has a plan and purpose for us all, each and every day.
It may seem like our lives are at a standstill but God can and will still move in us and through us if we allow Him to. God is often making us wait to build our patience and put us through situations that will allow us to grow and prepare us for the future we are so looking forward to. God isn't making us wait to torture us.
This "waiting" period does not mean waiting to be a shining light and a bold witness, and that's what I turned my waiting into. In getting so excited about how I want to serve the Lord in college and how He is going to use me, I allowed myself to think that this year I could just sit back and dream about all these big plans. This is the most selfish and ridiculous thought that I could have. How could I think I am just going to sit back and be comfortable for a year and when I'm ready and starting over, then I will be on fire and expect God just to jump in and take control again. I know God can, and I am praying He does, provide all these openings and blessings in college but He also wants me NOW. I still have a WHOLE year to leave a testimony. I have a school full of lost souls that need Jesus and after this year, I may not ever have the chance to be a light to them. I have teammates that need to see me giving honor and glory to God on and off the field/court, that need God's love, and need to see an example of sportsmanship (which I also struggle with because of my competitive personality). When God gathered His disciples He didn't say, "Follow Me and I will make ye fishers of men, next year when you're most ready." He called them immediately.
God makes us wait and sometimes the wait can seem unbearable. But as we wait we shouldn't be so blinded by our plans to serve Him through the wait. With all this being said, God has really opened my eyes to the here and now. There are so many ways I can serve Him and show His love each day. I pray now that God not only consumes me when I get to college but becomes my focus during my last year of high school, too. This is my last year to maybe impact someone's life and while I wait for all the amazing things God has planned for me, I will do my best to serve Him and be a light this upcoming year.
This is also my first post on my first ever blog. What inspired me to do this? I had planned on starting a blog when I began college, but as harped on previously, God doesn't want us to just wait to serve Him, and He led me to this and provided the perfect way to start my first blog.
It occurred to me other day while planning all of this, I hadn't prepared for THIS school year and how I could be a witness and be on fire for God. I overlooked the year because I've already fit in to who I am and who everyone expects me to be. I'm comfortable. It finally hit me. Why wait? There's no one telling me I can't start praying not just over my far off future but also this upcoming school year. There's no reason I can't be more bold, start encouraging friends and engaging in God's word together NOW. God doesn't call us to take action a year from now. He wants us to serve, starting the second we are called. Whether we are in "the waiting" or not God still has a plan and purpose for us all, each and every day.
It may seem like our lives are at a standstill but God can and will still move in us and through us if we allow Him to. God is often making us wait to build our patience and put us through situations that will allow us to grow and prepare us for the future we are so looking forward to. God isn't making us wait to torture us.
This "waiting" period does not mean waiting to be a shining light and a bold witness, and that's what I turned my waiting into. In getting so excited about how I want to serve the Lord in college and how He is going to use me, I allowed myself to think that this year I could just sit back and dream about all these big plans. This is the most selfish and ridiculous thought that I could have. How could I think I am just going to sit back and be comfortable for a year and when I'm ready and starting over, then I will be on fire and expect God just to jump in and take control again. I know God can, and I am praying He does, provide all these openings and blessings in college but He also wants me NOW. I still have a WHOLE year to leave a testimony. I have a school full of lost souls that need Jesus and after this year, I may not ever have the chance to be a light to them. I have teammates that need to see me giving honor and glory to God on and off the field/court, that need God's love, and need to see an example of sportsmanship (which I also struggle with because of my competitive personality). When God gathered His disciples He didn't say, "Follow Me and I will make ye fishers of men, next year when you're most ready." He called them immediately.
God makes us wait and sometimes the wait can seem unbearable. But as we wait we shouldn't be so blinded by our plans to serve Him through the wait. With all this being said, God has really opened my eyes to the here and now. There are so many ways I can serve Him and show His love each day. I pray now that God not only consumes me when I get to college but becomes my focus during my last year of high school, too. This is my last year to maybe impact someone's life and while I wait for all the amazing things God has planned for me, I will do my best to serve Him and be a light this upcoming year.
This is also my first post on my first ever blog. What inspired me to do this? I had planned on starting a blog when I began college, but as harped on previously, God doesn't want us to just wait to serve Him, and He led me to this and provided the perfect way to start my first blog.
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