Faithful
Just about to leave for a retreat with my church family aka bunch of crazy college kids. I’m going to be leading worship for the retreat, and even though I’ve lead for retreats before, it feels like I’m going into another unknown for me because I know the people so well-whereas the other retreats have been more like, “okay I don’t know where you all are spiritually, but I’m gonna wait on the Spirit to use me and give me wisdom to lead you guys.” We’ve seen each other grow throughout jr. high, high school, and now college.
I guess I’m getting a little nostalgic already, even though it’s only my second-to-last quarter of my senior year. But it’s so amazing to look back and see how God has been so faithful to His children. In my personal life, He took me through the deepest, darkest valleys during the last couple years. Even though I am still healing from some of it, I wouldn’t have traded it for the world, because going through the darkness showed me that even if I felt like I lost myself, He knew exactly who I was-a child of God redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Even if I made mistakes and felt worthless, He never saw me that way.
The gospel, in a nutshell, can sound too good to be true. God, being rich in mercy, provided a way for us to be saved and to have a personal relationship with Him. All we have to do is have faith in the Savior. No checklist of fasts, pilgrimages, phrases to memorize, tithes to give. Have faith.
But then even after that, God doesn’t ask much of us either. He doesn’t ask us to travel 40,000 miles and start an underground church (although this may apply to 0.01% of you). He doesn’t ask us to drop our careers and go rescue child sex slaves in Thailand (although this is the case with Greg Nakamura) Because really, all of these amazing things that believers do around the world for His glory is a response, not an obligation. It’s a response to encountering the almighty, holy, glorious God and stepping out in faith because of who He is. He asks us to have faith.
Jesus said have the faith of a child’s (Luke 18:17). Sometimes, the circumstances in which He asks us to have faith won’t really make sense to the world/”grownups.” Like my fiance and I getting engaged, even though we both don’t have careers and are poor college students.
He also said that the faith of a mustard seed can move mountains (Matt 17:20). I have seen for myself, over and over again, that once you take that first step of faith, God will work out the rest. It may not work out instantly, you will probably be very uncomfortable, and you might even get mad at God sometimes (I know I have). But He is faithful.
He is going to heal those scars.
He is going to hear your prayers.
He is going to provide for you.
He is going to protect you.
He is going to use you for His higher purposes.
And so this is what I hope to share with my church family this weekend at retreat. :) or maybe they should just read this when we get back.
