Showing posts with label the word. Show all posts

be faithful, not fearful.

i've been debating and thinking about this post for about a week.

i've started and restarted it about five times, but each time i couldn't come up with the right words to say.

last weekend, we went on retreat with the rest of the NL students at tyndale.

and, as in previous years, it was a fantastic time meeting with God. but, in a magical turn of events, it was a great time with great people too!

on the first night the speaker focused on leadership, and how it entails pain. pain of criticism, creating something new, making hard decisions, and disappointments.

now, if that isn't a shock to the system after settling in for a relaxing, encouraging weekend, i don't know what it.

you see, back when i was in my first year i was terrified. it physically pained me to think about being in ministry. so much that whenever i would enter into the presence of God i cried uncontrollably. i didn't think i was good enough for this calling, i didn't think that i would be able to handle it. i was controlled by fear.

but during this weekend, i realized that this pain was inevitable. i have no control over how others perceive me, i can only be responsible for how i see myself. no one else's opinion about me matters other than God's, and he loves me beyond compare.

since arriving at tyndale, one constant theme has been following me: dream big. God has been challenging me to keep dreaming bigger dreams that i would have ever dared to dream before.

before this year, i was afraid of the plans that God had for my life. but i've heard him whisper to me: i'm with you, i go before you and i walk beside you wherever you may go. dream bigger than anyone thinks you can. be full of faith in the dreams you have. not full of fear.

Paul says in Ephesians:



20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. - Ephesians 3:20-21

dream big.

be faithful, not fearful.

until next time,

the power of words.

if you know me, you know i love books.

old books, new books, used books.
paperbacks, hardcovers, whatever.

i love books.
(currently reading the horse and his boy by CS Lewis, and Jesus>Religion by Jefferson Bethke, just FYI)

there's just something about the magic of books - their ability to transport you to faraway lands, to take you out of the now and into the past - or the future. to put yourself in someone else's shoes for a couple of hours, while the worries of your life fade away.

Bo Burnham wrote a poem, and it is probably the best poem about words i have ever seen in my life.

Bo Burnham, Egghead: Or, You Can't Survive on Ideas Alone, 2013






































magic. 
it's really the only logical explanation there is, right?

now, as much as i love fiction (and struggle through my textbooks, or anything non-fiction), they don't possess a quality that a certain book possesses.

the writer of Hebrews says:

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.  (Hebrews 4:12-13)
 i have to be honest. a couple of years ago, i did not think my bible was the most exciting book in the universe. i always placed it in my "top 10" favorite books, mostly because i thought that's what a "good" Christian girl should do. but mostly, i took it to get a sticker in sunday school when i was a kid, and as something to help me doodle during the sermon when i reached high school.

but this is the actual, genuine word of GOD. the God who created words, language, and the people using them. He created CS Lewis, JRR Tolkein, and all of the greatest writers of all time. and He gave us a way to know him, to read his words, and to experience His Spirit flowing through the pages of it.

This is pretty amazing.

what would happen if we used this "sword" to our greatest advantage? what if we actively dug into His word every day?

i've taken up the challenge to read my bible every day, something that i have struggled to do for so long. and it is incredible how the fruits of the spirit start to become a part of your everyday life.

i have more peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self control on days that i pray and dig into the Bible than on days when i do not.
         
that's the power of His word.

 His word has more power than Harry Potter, or the Fault in Our Stars. It overcomes the power of the Illiad or any classic literature.

it has the power to change the way we live. and through it, we are saved by God and His grace.

that's more power than the wizarding world has to offer.

some wednesday thoughts.

"12 After washing their feet, he [Jesus] put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message." - John 12:12-16 (NLT)
"34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 12:34-35 (NLT)
Love. Humility. These are the things Jesus teaches his disciples in his last hours with them. These are the things we need to strive for. It doesn't matter if you are the most exciting, outgoing, well-spoken person, if there is no love for your brother in your heart it is pointless. This is what God has called us to do: love God, love others. Sometimes love is all you have to offer, and it is often enough.

 I saw a quote on Pinterest this week that said this:

"There is no curriculum or program that is life-changing.
It is the truth and relationships being shared that are life-changing."

A lot of the time, I feel inadequate. I mean, who wants this awkward, insecure person who is terrified of speaking in public leading their ministry? God doesn't choose people based on what the world values, He chooses those who will humble themselves so He can work through them to reach out to the world in love. It boggles my mind that God would love me so much that he wants to use me for His work! 

- Sarah
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