What's Your Story?

If Jesus came back tomorrow, would you be ready to meet Him? How did you come to know Jesus as your Savior? Do your friends and family know the story of how you decided to become a God follower? Have you ever written it down on paper? If not, then why not now?

If someone asked you why you believe in Jesus, could you tell them? Please don't give the Sunday school answer, "Because the Bible tells me so." It has to be more personal than that. Who is Jesus to you? Where in the Bible can you find Scriptures that confirm that Jesus is LORD of your life? When did you answer the door and let Jesus into your life? Why did God choose you, and what did He call you to do for His glory? Please stop right now and write your story. People need to hear it, and your faith will grow stronger as you share it.

Paul shared his story with Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:12-19. He told a part of Timothy's story too. Paul began his story by telling what he used to be: a blasphemer, persecutor, and ignorant unbeliever. Paul did not deserve God's forgiveness, yet he was shown mercy. God gave Paul strength and chose him to serve in the Kingdom. Paul confessed he was the worst of sinners, yet he was given grace, faith, and love when he came to Christ. Jesus will also show patience to you if you will believe in Him and receive eternal life.

In 1 Timothy 1:2, 18, Paul told part of Timothy's story too. Paul called Timothy his "true son in the faith." This indicates that Paul may have been the one who led Timothy to faith in Christ. We know for certain that Paul was a mentor to Timothy. Who have you led to Christ? Who are you mentoring now? I guarantee your faith will grow if you will commit to share your faith with others. Paul also encouraged Timothy to recall the prophecies once made about him so he could fight the battle well.  When I was in high school, my best friend's grandmother prophesied that I would be a preacher's wife. Girl, I took that word and ran with it, and I am living that dream today! What is the prophecy over your life? I dare you to seek God's call and purpose for your life and to chase Him with passion.

I have written my story, and I would be thrilled to hear your story! Will you share it with me?

I Just Want to be Normal

"Why am I so awkward and lonely? I just want to be normal." In my past year as a counselor, I have found that some of the more comforting and calming words I can share with people are these: "You are normal. You are not crazy or weird. Anyone in your circumstances would feel like you do. You are not the only one who feels this way. You are not alone. Everyone feels awkward sometimes. I say, embrace the awkward!"

Our Scripture reading is from 1 Peter 5:5-14 today, and Peter addresses the topics of humility, anxiety, and thinking of others who are suffering.

God created us for relationship; so it brings comfort knowing we are not alone. Satan uses the tool of isolation to make us feel lonely, hopeless, and without confidence. In a culture where we pride ourselves on building our kids' self-esteem, we have instead created a generation that is incredibly self-conscious and lonely. We brag on every kid, tell them how super special they are, and give everyone a trophy. Kids see right through our flattery, and they start comparing their talents with those of others. Deep down they may know they were not capable of being a star soccer player, but we gave them an award anyway. So we force them into this feeling of false humility, knowing they are undeserving of the applause. People feel so much more accomplished when they work for their rewards. Self-esteem comes from helping our kids recognize and excel in their God-given talents and passions. Our kids do not have to grow up to be professional baseball players or famous musicians. We can encourage them to be kind and compassionate and to think of others instead of always wanting to be the winners.

Our goal is to raise decent human beings, not arrogant, spoiled brats. Teaching our children to be confident and humble is difficult, but not impossible. You see, humility is not thinking that we are not good at anything. Humility is knowing we are good at something without being arrogant. Humility is knowing we can win the race but choosing to stop and help someone up who has fallen instead. One of Zig Ziglar's motivational quotes is, “You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.” True self-confidence leads to genuine humility, because a self-confident person has no need to brag or to prove themselves. Instead, they have the ability to put the needs of others before their own.

One of my favorite Christian songs right now is "Hills and Valleys" by Tauren Wells. It reminds us that we did not arrive on the mountain on our own, and we are never alone in the valleys. When we are self-confident, we are able to recognize that we did not get here on our own. So, we can give back by helping others achieve their goals. In turn, we get to enjoy the blessings of humbly putting others before our own needs.

Not only are we raising a generation that lacks self-confidence, but they are riddled with anxiety. And no wonder! We run them from activity to activity, and we hand them a digital device to keep them quiet in the car. Their brains are continually over-stimulated, and their human interaction is limited. Our kids are adrenaline junkies, and they flip out with anxiety if they do not have their digital device or if they are required to talk to another human face-to-face. We must teach them how to feel calm, to rest, to be still. It is okay if our children feel bored at times. We can let them use their creative imaginations instead of rescuing them from a moment of silence. We must teach our children to cast their anxiety on God, because He cares for them even more than we can imagine! (1 Peter 5:7)

The answers to your feelings of awkwardness, loneliness, anxiety, and selfishness can all be found in the Bible. Stop looking to find all the answers on social media or in the busyness of life. Stop. Be still. Humble yourself before the God who loves you without measure. Read His Word, and find peace for your soul.

Tell Me about Your Flock

Our reading today is from 1 Peter 5:1-5.  Just because these verses are addressed to the elders of the churches, please do not skip over them. If you are growing in your faith, then God will also give you a flock of people to shepherd.

Take a few minutes to list the people your faith can influence. Describe the flock under your care. What are your favorite things about this group of folks. Are you willing and eager to serve them? They need you to serve them well. God has entrusted them to you for His purposes. Are you setting an example of godliness and faithfulness for them? Who are you mentoring to shepherd his or her own flock? Recently, I have been able to encourage a fun group of young moms to spread their spiritual wings. It brings me joy to see them testing their spiritual gifts by serving their families and our church family. It's exciting stuff to watch seeds of faith sprout and grow into strong trees that are bringing shade and blessing to our community.

If you've never given this any thought, then you are missing out on some of the biggest blessings of serving God. You will find that helping someone else come to faith in Christ will bring more joy to your spiritual life than you ever imagined. It's like birthing a spiritual baby. Helping a new believer understand the truth of God's Word will challenge you to know God better. If you are not discipling someone else, then you are not obeying the Great Commission. (Matthew 28:18-20.)

Ask God to bless you with a flock to shepherd. Pray He will also give you someone to guide your spiritual growth. Your pastor or Bible study leader are certainly shepherding you, but I encourage you to seek a personal spiritual mentor who can give you individual encouragement too. Send a message to someone right now. Start a new relationship that will grow your faith and the faith of another Jesus follower.