Where do I begin?.....It seems such a long time since I even touched this.....and it has been. I guess I'll just share what is on my heart. I've been through my share of trials lately and it almost seems ironic that my last post on here was about letting go and giving control to God. All that being said God has been grabbing at my heart lately. See I'm a Christian but really...what does that even mean? In today's society? Do people really think I'm different or do they look at me and go "pfft...that sucker aint no different from me or anyone else"? I look at my generation today and I see hurt and I see pain. I see so much seeking in the forms of alcohol, drugs, sex, money, and fame, when all that we're really looking for is God. We look at our lives and say "this isn't good enough","I want more", "there's got to be more than this". AND. WE. ARE. RIGHT!
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." ~ Matthew 7:7
How often do you look at someone and ask them "How are you?" and get a response more than just "I'm fine"? How often does someone share with you what is truly on their heart whether they are struggling or thriving? It doesn't happen. We live in a world where we've been trained to put on a mask. To hide our true longing behind the masks of the things we do and the ways we live. When really, our one true longing is relationship with our creator, with a God who loves us and cares about us and will NEVER leave us nor forsake us.
Wanna know another thing that I see when I look at our generation? I see rebels. This can be both a blessing and a curse, a weakness AND a strength. We are a generation who has grown up rebelling. Rebelling against our parents. Rebelling against societal norms. and most of all rebelling against our own longing for God. What would happen if we took that rebellious nature and turned it into one of our biggest strengths? What would happen if we became rebellious for God? If we sought after him and his will for our lives with such reckless abandon that we rebel against the pressures of this world? See I'm one of those rebellious people. I've grown up in a Christian home and been taught to live a Christian lifestyle all my life. I didn't listen. Sure I let people see me that way if that's how they wanted to see me but that wasn't who I was. I go out to hangout with my buddies and it's almost like I throw everything I know to be true aside. I don't set a good example and for that I am extremely sorry guys. That ends NOW. God has placed on my heart that it is time to rise up, to stop putting on the masks of the world and take a stand. I look at our generation and I see a generation who has the ability, and more than that, the will power to be one of the strongest Christian generations in the history of this planet.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us," ~ Hebrews 12:1
About a month ago my girlfriend and I broke up. Some of the words she left me with were "Don't settle, keep climbing." I can't say I was really happy with the decision or those words. What did they even mean? God kinda has a funny way of working one people doesn't he? Turns out that those words burned at my heart more than any woman ever could. Was I really settling? was she? what were we settling for? eventually I became so broken and so lost that I had no where to turn to but God. I can definitely tell you I didn't want to. Like I said earlier it goes back to my "Letting Go" post. I struggle with letting go but slowly I am. God is putting me back together...again. Heck, I feel like Humpty Dumpty, except I don't have all the kings men working on me, I...have the king himself. Anyhow, as God has been putting me back together those words have still be eating at my heart. "Don't settle, keep climbing." God has called me to take a stand against the ways of this world. 'Cause guess what? this is not where I belong and it's not where you belong either.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness ,and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one .And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ~ Ephesians 6:10-17
TTFN Folks
