Take the First Step

What does it take to follow Jesus? Well, it takes a lot. Look through the Bible and you'll find countless attitudes and practices you must adopt if you wish to enter the Kingdom. But before you get down to all the specifics, there is one thing you should start with: an open mind.

Maybe the whole Jesus thing isn't for you. Maybe you don't believe in God, or maybe you are on fire with His love right now. Perhaps you want to feel that connection with Him but don't know where to start. Wherever you are in your faith journey, it is inevitable that you will doubt God at some point. It is human. We have all fallen victim to it. But we don't need to let this doubt sever our relationship with God or prevent this relationship from forming in the first place.

Open-mindedness entails willingness to listen to what God has to say. If we discredit Him immediately as a result of our doubts, then we don't even give Him a chance to reveal Himself to us. If we want to grow close to Him, or even if we think we may want to, we've got to take that first step. We must abandon our doubts and our insecurities. We must bring our worries to Jesus. Only then will we have clarity. Only then will we see that God has a plan for us, and that He wants for us to take that first step toward Him.

What do you have to lose? What do you have to lose by at least trying this whole "open-mindedness" thing?

If you don't make that choice to take a chance with God, then you miss out. Whether or not you think you are, you are missing a chance at a joyful life with a purpose. A God-filled life is not a perfect life, but it will bring you more satisfaction than any other earthly substitute can. Only God can fill the hole in our souls, a hole designed specifically for Him. Everything else will fall short.

If you do make that choice, however, a new world of possibilities will be opened to you. You will have faith to lean on and support you and a Father who cares for you even when it seems like no one else does. You'll have the chance to enter the narrow gates of Heaven, and you will be able to experience God's presence in your life constantly. You will come face to face with a God who loves you regardless of any times you have ignored Him.

Peter said to [Jesus], “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!” (Matthew 14:28-33).

Peter took that chance. He stepped out into the water and let Jesus work His miracles, trusting that He would protect Him. But the second He began to doubt that Jesus would come through for him, he faltered. He saw the wind around him and he didn't think God could overcome it. Peter began to sink and the only thing that could save him was Jesus.

If you make the choice to follow God, there will be wind to distract you. The wind of those who laugh at you, the wind of other temptations...all of it will be trying to lead to you away from God. Despite our human doubts, we must realize that God can triumph over it all. We must be willing to make that first step and then continue to actively pursue Christ without fear or doubt.

It's not a girl thing, boy thing, "Jesus freak" thing, nun thing, priest thing, or anything other than a YOU thing. You, no matter who you are and what you have done, have the chance to establish a relationship with God. If you're reading this, maybe you've already made that step. If so, let your light shine for all around you. Or maybe you're not too into your faith but just curious. If this is the case, if you haven't made that first step, ask anyone who has....it is worth it! The peace and comfort that only God can bring are at your fingertips. All it takes is an open mind, a choice to step out onto that water and abandon your doubt. All it takes is that first step towards Christ.

Related Song Links:
Keep Your Eyes Open by NeedToBreathe
Lead Me to the Cross by Chris & Conrad
Marvelous Light by Charlie Hall

Moving Mountains

And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you (Matthew 17:20).

Nothing is impossible with God. One tiny ounce of faith can move mountains! That's pretty impressive.

But we often forget to look at the bigger picture. Faith, though important, comes initially from love. It is formed by God's love and strengthened by it. It is nothing without this love, which allows our faith to have meaning. The greatest commandment is to love God with your whole heart, soul, strength, and mind. This is our priority. Faith will follow. 

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing...Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away (1 Corinthians 13).

Moving mountains. The same imagery is used in the verse from Matthew. Matthew 17:20 tells us that faith can move mountains. But 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that regardless of the mountains we move, we are nothing without love. We can accomplish great things with a bit of faith, but we can accomplish nothing if this faith lacks love. A faithful life entails LOVE. It is absolutely necessary. A truly faithful life cannot be achieved without it.

Tongues of men and of angels. So often today, we are persuaded by eloquence. Those with "tongues of men and of angels" lead us down their paths, trying to sell us on their beliefs or products. And more often than not, we fall for it. We fail to recognize that a voice without love is a hollow voice, full of empty promises. What benefit is there in convincing a crowd when your words mean only to harm them? 

Know all mysteries and all knowledge. Again, we are reminded that love is more important than anything else. You can know all there is to know about God, but you can never convey His truth without love because GOD IS LOVE. You cannot separate them.

What is the purpose of life? It is simpler than it seems: TO LOVE AND BE LOVED. I'm not talking about superficial love either. Love is not measured in boxes of chocolates or roses. The word love itself is tossed around so much that it is easy to lose sight of its significance. Love means caring for another with our whole hearts. This love will not only bring joy to our lives, but also to the lives of all we meet. God loves us more than we could ever imagine. His love alone can give our life meaning; it can give us faith and hope, along with a billion other virtues. It can give our earthly lives purpose and our souls eternal life. It is our duty to reciprocate this love and reflect it upon all we meet. Our life must be evidence of God's love. This is the most effective way to be a walking example of a faithful life. This is the most effective way to follow God's will to love Him, our neighbors, and ourselves. 

If we love God, others, and ourselves, God's love will seep into our daily lives. We will become messengers of God's powerful affection for us. All it takes is one step to realize God's love. The moment we see His perfect love for us, we will fall in love with Him, and the moment we fall in love with Him, we will want to spread His beauty to the world. Everything God did for us, He did out of love. It is our obligations as human beings, created out of His love for us each as individuals, to return God's love and spread it to all. God is love. He gives us His love, He expects our love in return, and He commands that we love one another as He has loved us.

"Love" can exist without God, but it is not true love. This Godless love can never compare to the love God gives us. Only God's light and love can bring us eternal life. This love never fails. It forgives all wrongs. It can fill our days with endless joy. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. It can move can move mountains.

Related songs:

The Proof of Your Love (Monologue Mix)- for KING & COUNTRY (featuring 1 Corinthians 13).

How He Loves- David Crowder Band

One Thing Remains- Kristian Stanfill, Passion 2012


Fall in love with Jesus Christ, to live his very life, so that our world may have life in the light of the Gospel.
-Pope John Paul II


P.S. Check out my youth group's Harlem Shake video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr_C80t_zgk

Weakness

Weakness. We all have it, but we rarely ever show it. We are afraid that weakness will be cause for our rejection, a hindrance to that perfection we constantly seek. We think we can hide it and deny its existence, and then it will disappear... But there is no denying the FACT that we are weak. 

We are human. We sin. We fail. We are weak.

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me (2 Corinthians 12:9).

God shows His power through our weakness. He shows us that although we are easily disheartened, we still have the greatest power in the universe supporting us. With this in mind, we can turn moments of weakness into moments of closeness with God. 

By openly accepting that we are in need of God's strength, we realize that we can't do it all on our own. Sometimes, the only way to make it through is to cling to God for dear life. God's grace is sufficient to relieve us of the weakness.

Nothing else can compare. Nothing, no person, no object, can ever bring us the true healing that God can. He alone knows our every thought. He alone can see through any mask of strength we put up to diguise our true weakness. He alone will accept us despite our sins and strengthen us to leave behind these sinful ways. Unlike humans, He will never disappoint us. 

Even now, says the LORD,

return to me with your whole heart,

with fasting, and weeping, and mourning

(Joel 2:12).

Why would God associate returning to Him with fasting and weeping and mourning? Weeping, especially, seems to signify weakness. A tear is so often associated with the cry babies, the weaklings who can't handle it. Why would God expect us to come crawling to Him with tears in our eyes? 

Because he knows WE CAN'T DO IT ON OUR OWN. We are imperfect beings. 

What is the point of giving up something for Lent? This sacrifice helps refocus our lives on God. If you are fasting, what will you most likely be thinking of? Food. It will easily dominate your thoughts. And by giving it up to God, each time you think of this hunger you are reminded of its purpose. You are reminded of Jesus's sacrifice, and therefore strengthened by the increased presence of Jesus in your life. 

Sacrifice isn't easy. We must put ourselves voluntarily in a position of weakness. Weakness is not comfortable. It is not enjoyable...But it has the potential to unite us to God in a profound way. Through this unification, God turns our weakness into strength. He turns the unconquerable mountain into a stepping stool to a more personal bond with Him. 

Do not be afraid to show your weakness. Some may not accept your for it...but God always will. He will accept you and love you more than anyone else can. Through your weakness, He will bring His power and love to perfection within you.

Light of the World

For You are my lamp, O LORD; And the LORD illumines my darkness (2 Samuel 22:29).

God is a light, the brightest light in the world. We are each like unique windows surrounding Him. When God created us, He gave us the tools necessary to spread His light to the world. Like a stained glass window takes a pure white light and turns it into vibrant colors and stories, God expects us to let His light shine through us, revealing His love vibrantly and enthusiastically to all. He expects us to paint a story of God's love through our lives.

Some people paint their windows black. God's light is still shining on them from within, but they choose to keep this light from showing through. They miss the whole point of having a window in the first place.

Others, however, choose a different route. They use the gifts God has given them to construct a beautiful stained glass window. God's pure light shines on them, and these people turn it into a vivid piece of artwork that catches the eye of all they meet. They glorify God through their lives, fulfilling the true purpose of their windows. Even strangers often notice that "something special" in such a person. They have an inner light that overcomes the darkness of the world. They are able to create light from within, from God's light. They are living examples of God's love.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).

During sophomore year retreat, my small group leader, Haley, passed out Christian CDs to my fellow group members and me. We each had different verses on our CD's. Mine read, "You are the light of the world; a city on a hill cannot be hidden." At the time, I didn't pay much attention to this verse. That's cute. It's a good quote for when you're not feeling very special, I thought. And that was all it meant to me at the time.

I never imagined that this verse would define the way I wanted to live my life.

Only later, when I came face to face with and recognized countless "lights of the world," did I realize the significance of what has now become one of my favorite verses in the Bible. God doesn't tell us that we are lights of the world so we can feel good about ourselves. It's so much more than that. God tells us we are lights of the world because He wants us to use our lives to bring God's light to a dark world. He tells us we are lights of the world to make us aware of our purpose on earth: to be a light and to share God's light. Such a glorious light as this does not deserve to be hidden. It cannot be hidden. When we are on fire with God's light, we cannot help but let it show in our lives.

Nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket. If you had the brightest light in the world shining through you, why would you want to conceal it? Why would you want to paint your window black instead of constructing a beautiful stained glass window? God did not give us His light so that we could hide it, but rather he wanted it placed on a hill and on a lampstand. He wanted us to share our light (HIS LIGHT) with everyone in our homes and everyone on earth.

When others see God's light within us and when they see God at work in our lives, it should inspire them. It should cause them to stop and think twice. It should help them realize that only a life lived glorifying God can bring us true fulfillment and joy. Though it is ultimately up to them, such light-sharing may even kindle in them a spirit eager to God's will and share His light, inspiring them to glorify [the] Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16 is not just a little pick-me-up verse. It gives us PRICELESS instructions on how to live our lives.

Will we hide the light God has entrusted to us under a basket? Will we attempt to conceal a city set on a hill? Or will we stand up and stand out as lights of the world, making God's light visible to all we meet?

Allow God to fill your life with His light. Then share this light with all you meet. 

Whisper

How great would it be if God answered our prayers immediately, presenting His will loud and clear? That would be quite convenient. That would make life so much simpler. That would make following God's will so much easier. Discernment would not be painstakingly difficult, but rather, nearly effortless.

But that's not the way it works. Sure, God is sometimes speaking to us in His thundering voice. But only sometimes. More often than not, He's speaking to us in that whisper. He is telling us what He wants from us in a barely audible voice. It is difficult to hear not because He does not speak loud enough, but because we block out His voice by focusing on other insignificant sounds.

It would be SO EASY to find the path God wants for our lives if He spoke to us in an obvious and spectacular voice. But He doesn't always do that. Why? He prefers to reveal His plan in subtle ways. Besides, in the words of Mark Hart of Life Teen (a Catholic youth ministry organization), "If God did everything my way—according to my plans— well then He really wouldn't be God." We want God to open every single door in our path immediately. But instead, He allows us to choose our path. As a result, we fumble from door to door until we get it right. Sometimes we choose the wrong path. Other times, one door closes and only then will we notice the other door God has opened for us.

I am only in the initial stages of my college search and I can already see that just because I ask God to tell me what He wants me to do with my life, it does not mean I will wake up the next day with everything mapped out in stone in front of me. Instead, I know I will debate and go back and forth and try many doors before I find the right path. If I am open to God, I know He will reveal Himself slowly but surely in my life.

 He unravels the plan He has for our lives piece by piece. He takes us where we least expect to go. It takes time to find for us to discover where we were meant to go. I think it is much more rewarding, anyway, to find your path in life not just because "God says so," but because your personal experience has proven to you that what "God says" is for your own good.

He has a plan for us. He is answering our prayers...just not in the ways we expect.

The prophet Elijah, in 1 Kings 19, desires desperately to speak to God. He needs the consolation and peace that only He can bring. God instructs Him to stand on a mountain in front of the Lord. Elijah waits and waits.

A great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 

Elijah waited for God. Surely God would appear in the strong wind, and in the earthquake, and in the fire. But He did not. He did not choose to reveal Himself spectacularly to Elijah. He chose, instead, to reveal Himself humbly. It was the gentle, easily-ignored blowing alone that brought the voice of God. Though he did not expect it, Elijah realized that this low whisper was God and was restored by Him. Elijah, like us, expected God to come to him promptly and obviously.

Even later, the world expected Jesus to come spectacularly as the Messiah. But instead, He arrived humbly as a baby in a manger. The Messiah was definitely glorious, but His glory did not show in the material form of riches or rank. He did not bring salvation as the glorious, obvious Messiah that everyone expected. He brought salvation as a glorious but humble human.

The manner in which God chooses to speak to us is usually anything but spectacular. The effect of this revelation, however....that has the potential to be very spectacular.

When we pray to God, He is revealing the answer. We can hear this answer in the big things, in the little things, and throughout each second of our lives... if we are listening attentively. And we need not only listen for the blaring megaphone of God's voice that we so often expect. We also must learn to listen for that gentle, unexpected whisper, for even then, God is speaking.

Fall and Rise

Philippe Petit between World Trade Center Buildings
August 7, 1974

I've never tried it, but tightrope walking seems quite difficult. A narrow path makes it easy to fall off. All it would take it one wrong step. To stay on, you must concentrate. You must balance, and you must keep your eyes on the destination in front of you. The second you start to doubt that you can make it, you will become unsteady and perhaps you will even fall.

Following Christ isn't much different. The gate that leads to heaven is narrow. If you are going to devote your life to God, you'll be expected to follow His commandments. You can't take your eyes off heaven for too long or you'll lose balance in your life. The second you let something else come before God, you allow yourself to falter. One wrong step, one wrong decision, and you're falling.

But falling is okay.

Humans have been falling and failing and MESSING UP since the Garden of Eden. That's why God installed a safety net beneath our tightropes.

In our quest to enter heaven, WE WILL FALL DOWN. We will at times lose sight of God and of what is truly important in life (and after life). As we fall through the air, we may not see God. We may not know up from down or right from wrong.

And then we will land. Hitting this safety net means realizing that we have messed up AND turning to God to fix it. Sometimes we hit it because there is nowhere else to go; we've hit rock bottom. Sometimes, another person will lead us to it before we fall any further. And sometimes, we ourselves will simply hear God guiding us to Him as we fall.

As we hit that net, God surrounds us each individually in His loving embrace. Once we acknowledge Him, He looks into our hearts, sees our sin, and WASHES IT AWAY. Gone. Forever. All it takes is our plea for forgiveness and our repentance. Then God forgets all about the ways we have messed up. He no longer frets about how badly you have fallen off that tightrope; now His desire is to take your hand and lead you back to it to try again.

We walk on that narrow path. We fall. We rise. Over and over again. For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again (Proverbs 24:16).

It's inevitable. We all fall down. I have. I will. You have and you will. But don't be afraid of this inevitability; just because you will fall down doesn't mean you will stay down. "The hands that hold the world are holding your heart" (Safe, Phil Wickham). These hands are going to aid you as you once again endeavor to follow the difficult path of Christ.

Even the saints had to fall every once in a while on their earthly tightropes until they made it to heaven. What helped them finally make it their was that balancing beam. In this post's picture, you see Petit holding that horizontal bar to help Him balance. Well for a Christian, this bar is the Holy Spirit, Church, prayer, friends, mentors, etc. Anything that helps you maintain a balanced Christ-centered life will make that tightrope trip easier.

God will lead you above the evil and hate and pain of earth if you can manage to stay on that tightrope. You will experience a loving connection with God. At times you will fall. But you are never forced to stay on the ground.

God will pick you up and take you by the hand. He will be by your side as you walk the tightrope, as you fall, and as you rise. Every second of every day, He's there. Until you jump off the tightrope and enter His gates, He's there.



Shout out to Caroline for letting me come to her house to write this when my wifi broke. Jesus loves you, Caroline.

Abandon Your Nets

As [Jesus] passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him (Mark 1:16-20).

Simon, Andrew, James, and John were not waiting around for Jesus. These Apostles were busy when He called to them. But that didn't stop them. They dropped what they were doing and followed Jesus. They left everything and everyone behind.

Gone were the days of simple fishing. Jesus had another plan for them. They would no longer be helping fish get from the sea to the boat. Now their job was to help souls rise from earth to heaven. Their nets, their voices, would reach out across the earth to invite each and every person to establish a relationship with Christ.

Jesus is loving. The Apostles knew that and wanted to be with Him. After all, with Jesus we can inherit the Kingdom of God. We can become fishers of men, lights of the world, temples of the Holy Spirit. That sounds pretty nice, huh?

Jesus is demanding. The Apostles knew that and still wanted to be with Him. God is both loving AND demanding. We must meet Him half way. We must disregard earthly matters and turn our attention fully to Heaven. God deserves nothing less.

Following Christ is rewarding without a doubt, but it's not easy. We must leave behind the nets we cast. We must take nothing on our journey (Luke 9:3). God expects us to give ourselves wholly and completely to Him. No regrets. He knows we may mess up, but He will never give up on us. He is dedicated to us, and we, too, must be dedicated to Him. Half-hearted love won't cut it. Jesus loved us with a lot more than half His heart as He carried the Cross. He gave all so that we could have eternal life. He loves each and every one of us personally with a love so great that it cannot be expressed in words. Shouldn't we try to return this love?

Come after me. Just as He called the Apostles, God calls us all to follow Him. As I mentioned in a previous post, hearing His call and answering it...well, that part is up to us. If we choose God, IT WILL BE DIFFICULT. We may have to leave behind the nets we were casting and trust in God as He transforms us into new people. But I can't stress enough how amazing it will be to become this new person focused on living a Christ-like life. We are no longer caught in our nets, slaves to earthly desires. Our nets are cast aside and we can finally raise our heads skyward and live a life in preparation for heaven.

By choosing to establish a relationship with Christ, we are able to hear His voice always in our lives. We can feel His presence and His overpowering love. Our lives can become joyful and fulfilling and purposeful, all with one word: yes.

When God called his disciples, they made a conscious choice to say yes, to follow Him. Jesus did not force them into forming a relationship with Him. Peter was even warned by Jesus himself of the fate he would face as a result of his faith.

“I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me" (John 21:18-19).

Follow me. Peter (Simon) gave up not only his nets but life for Jesus. He was not discouraged by the difficult path ahead of him because he knew where the path would end. Once he breathed his last, he knew that the trouble, the earthly pain, would all disappear. He would see God face to face. He would enter the Kingdom of God and be entrusted with its keys. All of this was within reach for Peter the minute he chose to follow Jesus.

We, too, can have this opportunity for eternal life. It won't be easy to get there, but it will be worth it. So what are you waiting for? Abandon your nets. Abandon your fears, your insecurities, your chains. Your answer is all it takes to start the relationship. Answer His call and feel His presence in your life always. Answer His call and become fishers of men.

Chiclana de la Frontera, Spain

Related song:
The Struggle by Tenth Avenue North