For the past few weeks I have been blown away from what God has been both reminding and building up in me through His precious Word. I wouldn’t trade communing with God for anything in the world! One phrase that I keep saying as a result of what I’ve been reading is this:
It’s so awesome to be a Christian!
(I think Nati has heard me say this out loud and at the strangest times..) But its true! It really is. Now what do I mean by that? Well let me explain.
It’s an awesome thing to be in Him, to be His and to be His children. It’s awesome to have been adopted into the family of God. I can’t help but think of 1 John 3:1. Behold what manner of love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God. And further more.. if children then heirs, fellow heirs with Christ! (Romans 8:14-17). This manner of love was meant to be beheld. And the end of that beholding is to worship and be in awe at the work of the Lord. When you’re discouraged look and behold, when you’re overjoyed look and behold, when you’re indifferent look and behold. This is heart-softening, pride-tearing, mind-gripping truth. Its awe-inspiring and altogether hopeful for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Now there are three areas in which God has gracious allowed me to look at and rejoice in this particular reality. Here they are:
- Missions & Carrying out what God has called us to do. (disciple, proclaim the gospel, serve, love, be at peace, patience..etc) My sister will be leaving to Texas for two years. There she will attend a missions program called To Every Tribe. In those two year she will be theologically trained to then go and be spent among an unreached people group. This is her hope, and the Lord has been opening doors. The sum of money needed to go there is pretty large. She also is sacrificing pursing a career(at least for now, or forever, may the Lord do what seems good to Him). These things can place a terrible burden on anyone. There can be great doubt and questioning. The worry, stress and anxiety can even go so far as to affect your body. That is unless you are rocked by the reality that God owns everything and that you are His and He is yours! And because of that everything is yours! Look closesly to 1 Corinthians 3. People were claiming that they were of Apollos and others of Paul and others of Cephas. But Paul makes it clear that those claims are foolish and futile. Apart from the Lord who gives the increase we are nothing. Now look at the conclusion (keep in mind that they were boasting in the apostles instead of boasting in the Lord)
“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. 23 And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
All things are yours, and you are Christ’s and Christ is God’s. There is no way around this precious reality. He owns weather, logistics, land, people, money, circumstance, life, death, ..everything! This should produce atleast three things in us: Trust, Freedom and Worship (there are more things, I am sure). Trust because of who He is, mainly the sovereign King of kings and owner of all things. Freedom because He is the One who has called us to go. Therefore we go knowing that He owns everything and we are His. Worship because He is who He says He is and we have done nothing to deserve Him.
- Relationships
I’ve been privileged to lead a small group of girls ages 18-25. The one thing that always blows me away is how much or little they think about marriage and relationships. A lot of girls freak out because there isn’t a guy around and they fear they are never going to get married. They think their singleness shows that there is something wrong with them or with the guys around them. And though there very well may be something wrong with them, I think God wants us to look, trust and think on Him. Some girls struggle when they like a guy. The feel stupid and think its somehow wrong to like him. Now, unless the guy is an unbeliever, I’ve learned that its foolish to think that its wrong or somehow stupid to desire to marry. That is so contrary to the Lord. Marriage is an honorable thing, and a prudent wife is from the Lord. He is the one who has placed that desire in us, mainly for His glory. The picture marriage paints is beautiful. A picture of Christ and His church. How foolish to think that the desire to marry is somehow wrong. It isn’t, dont let anyone tell you otherwise. Rather be in awe! In Awe that we are His and that He has numbered our days!I am convinced that the reason why I am single is because God is sovereign. Period. I am His. There is no need for me to worry, If I am His daughter this means that I have the perfect Father looking out for my heart. He is also all-knowing, and in His infinite wisdom He sees it fit that I remain single for the time being. There is no need to go crazy when It comes to relationships. There’s no need to freak out. The same One who spoke the earth into existence has numbered your days. So just love the your brothers and be Christ to them. (I know men play a different role, they are to search out a godly wife, the truth is you also can rest. Yes pray and seek but rest in knowing that a prudent wife is from the Lord). I hope Im making sense. The reality is that we are His and the fact that He is sovereign implies that we can rest and trust that He’s got every relationship under His authority. Just look to the Lord and trust, there really is no reason to worry ladies and gentlemen. - Life and death
And I have to admit that this is my favorite 🙂 Mainly because It branches into every area of our lives. ITS AWESOME TO BE A CHRISTIAN because no matter what happens we are His and we gain Christ. So if on my way to Haiti my plane falls and my life is lost Its awesome that I am His and He will forever be mine and that I will immediately see Him in glory. It will always go well for me whether in life of death. Its awesome that even if the worst thing imaginable happened to me I’d still be His and regardless of what comes and goes materially my inheritance is Christ. Its awesome because even If I fail every class this coming semester, Christ is more precious and I will still have Him. So whether in death or life I am His. And it is an awesome thing! If I end up in North Korea and my life is taken from me because I’ve proclaimed the gospel it is awesome that I will be in the arms of the One who took my place. I will see Him and worship Him and He and all His inheritance will be mine! What grace is this?! So precious and real. Such hope that we have in Christ. May we treasure it and may it bring us to worship Him. It’s an awesome thing to be His, mainly because of who He is. He is an AWESOME God. And we will be praising Him now and for all of eternity. Just one look at Him is enough to be undone. And what blows me away is the inheritance we have in Him, when I think about it too much I feel like my heart is about to burst. I get all together teary eyed and overjoyed at the thought of His grace and my unworthiness. I want to be spent and lay my life for such a Savior! I dont see how anyone can look at Him and not be led to such a conclusion.
❤ Pati.
Just Another Rational Romantic 