Buyer's Remorse

What am I worth?

I ask this question far more than most people would assume.

You see, I have learned to mask the insecurities and fears that are deep within.

But quite honestly,

I question my value and significance far more than I care to share.

But over the course of the last few days,

Jesus has been revealing a healing message and 

touching the deepest parts of my soul.

It all began with a concept presented at Code Orange Revival:

"Why would you question the worth or value of something that has already been purchased."

The second this sentence was uttered,

something clicked inside of me...

When I go to a store and purchase an item,

I take it home and utilize it for its intended purpose.

I do not walk around my home every day questioning the cost of every item,

wondering if it was worth every cent I paid for it.

It doesn't matter. It's mine. I own it already.

There is no point in negotiating or questioning the value of something,

when that has already been decided. 

So why then should I question my value when I have already been bought with a price?

(1 Corinthians 6:20)

The ultimate price, in fact.

I belong to Jesus Christ now.

I am not my own.

And Jesus does not have buyer's remorse.

Maybe I need to repeat that (for myself included)

JESUS CHRIST DOES NOT HAVE BUYER'S REMORSE. 

He paid the price and has not looked back once.

So why should I?

Maybe you are reading this thinking, "Duh! Where have you been all this time?"

Well, I have been where I am inclined to believe a lot of people are.

I have been believing what satan says to be true about me,

rather than what Jesus does.

But since I have had this minor revelation,

I also came to realize He knows my weaknesses and my tendencies.

So although it is enough to understand my value rests 
in being under the ownership of Christ Jesus.

Anytime, day or night, that I bow at His feet and beg Him to show me my worth in His eyes,

He reveals a new layer, a new dimension, 
a new aspect of my worth in and through Him.

He is patient with us.

He loves us through our insecurities and brokenness.

He yearns for His children to see ourselves as He does.

Rest in knowing that your value was decided at Calvary thousands of years ago.

No More Because I Am Made For More

Yesterday, I was feeling a little ambitious after glancing on Pinterest. 

I ventured over to Hobby Lobby and had quite the crafternoon.

[Excuse the corniness]

I gathered everything I needed to make my first Pinterest masterpiece, 

and I got to work.

However, the entire time, I was thinking thoughts like,

"What in good heavens gave you the idea you could do this?"

"Stop now, you're going to mess this up."

"See, you are messing this up."

"The dumpster is about the only homely place for this piece of work."

By the end of the process, I felt condemned...

about a craft nonetheless.

It sounds crazy, I know it does, and maybe I am,

but I could not stop thinking about the 

thought process that ruined my crafternoon.

You see, the end result may have ended up the very same 

as it would have if I had a positive outlook and 

chosen to refute those thoughts,

but the experience was entirely different.

My experience was highly unenjoyable, 
though it had the potential to be enjoyable.

I think life is like that.

More specifically, I think my daily life is like that.

I don't get to enjoy the experience or the process

because I am basking in condemnation.

It hurts, it is awful, and I hate it,

but I accept it and take ownership over it.

So that by the end of an experience, 

I am so wounded and winded from the journey 

that I can't even enjoy the outcome.

Thoughts like,

"How could someone so weak be used by the Lord."

"Cute couple. Better admire from afar. 

That's as close to a Godly relationship as you'll ever get."

"Why try, you will only fail."

"If you looked like her, maybe then..."

You see the destructive nature of these condemning lies and accusations?

No wonder I lay may head to sleep at night 

feeling as though I just fought World War 3. 

I did, in my mind, and I lost.

But I decided yesterday that because, 

"There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus," 

(Romans 8:1) I will not carry condemnation into my daily life any longer.

This too will be a process of change,

but Christ speaks life and love,

so why should I accept anything less?

I do not want to get to the end of my life, 

whenever that may be,

and realize that though the end result looks similar,

I did not enjoy the experiences and the process,

because condemnation ruled in my heart.

Satan wins a victory when I allow this to happen.

He loves to see us so beaten and battered along the journey 

that our destination is no longer desirable.

But we were made for more. 

Choose to believe what Christ says to you and about you. 

My Safe Place

I would be lying if I said reading the Word of God has always been

 something I was extremely passionate about.

I would be lying if I said that I lived with a insatiable hunger 

and an unquenchable thirst for His word at all times.

However, I have found that in this season of my life, 

my safe place has become the Word.

Lately, I'll catch myself thinking,

"If I can just sit down and get in the Word."

Why so?

I think I've come to realize that there is security in knowing that when I don't have much certainty to stand on, when I don't have the answers, when the future is unclear,

the privilege and honor of opening up God breathed scripture is comparable to none other.

For a moment in time, when I choose to stop the striving and be still before Him,

I can trust that there is no uncertainty about the fact that His Word is true, without error, unchanging. 

And peace flows like a river from that understanding.

Because when I can trust nothing else,

being able to fling every ounce of my security 

onto the only One who can carry that weight is relief at its finest. 

Are you burdened, desperate, confused, or feeling alone tonight?

Fling yourself onto the One who died to give you an easy yoke and a light burden.

If you are looking for a safe place,

may I encourage you to share with me in mine.

You will never be more safe and secure than 

the very moment where you are firmly rooted in the Word of God. 

Psalm 18:2

The Lord is my rock & my fortress & my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

If that is not a safe place, 

I am not sure where else is.

Jesus>Religion

religion says [do] when Jesus says [done].

It Is Finished.

3 Million

When I last posted, 

I spoke of the $1,000,000 given in just two days

 by the 42,000 college students at 

the Passion Conference this year in Atlanta. 

However, I said, "to stay tuned, because we were not finished yet."

And that we were not.

By the end of the conference,

over 3,000,000 dollars was given to end modern day slavery.

We are a generation said to be obsessed with 

consuming unreal amounts of Ramen,

 spending all of our free time at the movies, 

and constantly being hyped up on Starbucks. 

But really, 

we are a generation fighting for freedom,

for justice,

for the name and cause of Jesus Christ. 

We are a generation that gave over $3,000,000 in just 4 short days.

That is 8,571,429 packs of Ramen,

300,000 movie tickets,

1,714,286 tall Starbucks coffees.

I know that numbers do not mean everything. 

But that number - $3,000,000 - 

will help to change the number - 27 million - of slaves in the world today.

So, in a sense, numbers do matter quite a bit.

In fact, the message that was sent to the world by donating to fight for freedom,

spoke so loudly that CNN caught wind of it. 

However, we are fighting to end more than literal slavery in the world,

we are fighting to bring people out from under the bondage of sin,

and that freedom is found in Christ alone. 

You see, freeing 27 million people from slavery would be a good thing,

but freeing 27 million people from slavery and sin,

by presenting them with the gift of freedom & eternal salvation,

will be a God thing.

Let it not be said of us that we did not get in the fight. 

We are not looking for excuses, we are not indifferent, 

we are passionate.

God is at work in and among us. 

Oh, what a glorious, holy mystery. 

We are the freedom generation. 

Freedom Generation

http://live.268generation.com/

Having someone believe in you is arguably one of the most empowering things ever for a human being. Unfortunately, many adults are quick to condemn and write off this generation, my generation.

To be honest, it is disheartening, because I see the potential. 

I see women my age committing to purity and to ministry.

I witness men surrendering their lives to Christ & falling passionately in love with the Word of God.

No, we are not perfect, but we are redeemed. 

The potential and power, through Christ, of those redeemed must never be discounted. 

And, thankfully, at a 'little' gathering called Passion, that potential was and is being proven. 

You see, a couple by the name of Louie and Shelly Giglio chose to not write my generation off, they chose to believe in us, and I am forever grateful.

The Giglios not only chose to believe in us,

 they have invested their lives to empower us through Passion. 

This annual conference of college-aged students attracted 40,000+ young Jesus lovers to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia this year. 

I have watched religiously online, because at the last minute, I wasn't able to go this year.

The experience has been far different from watching on a computer screen,

but the Lord is moving both here and there. 

If you happen to have read a few of my recent posts, first, bless you : )

and secondly, you may have noticed something that has been heavy on my heart this year: 

modern day slavery.

Ending this injustice has been a focal point of Passion this year.

Ignorance is not an excuse for my generation any longer,

because we have been equipped with the crippling facts 

about the 27 million people living in chains today.

We weren't looking for excuses though,

we were looking to step up,

and that we did!

In just two days,

the 42,000 college students at Passion raised over 1 million dollars to free slaves worldwide. 

Stay tuned, because we aren't finished yet.

We are hungry for freedom, hungry for justice, hungry for Jesus.

I cannot help but think what the outcome of 42,000 driven Saints fighting against slavery would be. 

In fact, I am choosing to believe we will bring an end to modern day slavery. 

Audacious? 

Yes.

But I'm tired of sitting back, wondering.

We are acting, we will continue to act, to move, to change things,

through the limitless and abundant power of Jesus Christ.

Christine Caine delivered an extremely powerful message at Passion about slavery and something she stated has stuck with me ever since,

"the light shines brightest in the darkness."

Slavery is darkness defined. 

We are children of the light. 

And we must step outside our comfortable clusters of light

and penetrate the darkness.

To the 42,000 Passionate lovers of the Lord,

let us bring the freedom we have been given in Christ

to the 27 million worldwide who know nothing of life outside of captivity. 

May we truly be known as the Freedom Generation. 

Passion goers giving to freedom. 

Passion.

Wow. We are united for freedom.