Wisdom from a Candy Wrapper

"Be a role model to someone."

That's what my Dove chocolate wrapper said today. "Be a role model..." Wow. That's a big responsibility.

It's something that I have tried to be in the past. I've had "little sisters" at school and/or church that I have tried to take under my wing. It's something that I am now as I'm watching my little brother grow up and teaching kids at church. I love the idea of being a mentor, because my mentors have made such a big impact on my life.

But that responsibility is not something that you can take lightly. I once had a younger friend's mother tell me that she was glad I was around as a positive influence on her daughter. Just having her mom tell me that really made me think about every decision I made. And, honestly, I think that if everyone had that kind of responsibility it would really do our community, state, country and world a lot of good.

Think about it - if you had someone holding you accountable for every move you made, wouldn't you think twice about all the things you do? If you had to consider the impact that you were making on your younger siblings, friends, peers, etc., wouldn't you be more careful about the way you act and the things you say?

The biggest problem is that we all DO have someone holding us accountable. You may not know it, but someone, somewhere IS watching you. There's a little kid out there that thinks you are the coolest person they know. There's a younger friend, a younger brother or a cousin that wants to be just like you.

Do you realize how big of a responsibility you have? Do you realize that every move you make is making a difference in someones life and that it's up to you to decide if you are going to be a good influence or a bad one? Do you understand the weight of your decisions on the lives of people you care about?

I wish that we all knew how much the little things mattered. If we were able to see past ourselves and see the long term affects of our daily actions, we would all be so much more responsible and so much more respectable. Think about what a better place the world would be...

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." Matthew 5:14

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." Ephesians 4:29

"...be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12b

"Be merciful unto me, O God; for man would swallow me up, O thou most High. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me." Psalm 56:1-4

Do you remember the story about David and Goliath? David was a young shepherd boy and his father sent him to the army camp to take his brothers some food. When David got to the camp, he found tents full of soldiers that were scared. They were hiding. Why? Because a giant was parading in the battlefield, calling for someone to come fight him. He was big. He was bad. He was a bully. And not one soldier wanted to fight him.

But David did.

Are you as brave as David?

You may not be in an army camp, but if you're a Christian, each day is a battle. And Satan has his giant warriors parading in and out of your home, school, office and even your church. His warriors are big. His warriors are bad. His warriors are bullies. And they're calling you into battle.

What warriors? They're more familiar to you than you would think. They have names like Stress, Worry, Fear, Failure, Jealousy, and Bitterness. They roam all over your life. They stake their claim to every part of you that they can get. They get in between you and God. They stand up, tall and looming, in front of you and try to distract you from how big and mighty your God is.

See, the problem with the soldiers that were hiding in their tents is that they knew all about Goliath. They knew how big he was. They knew what size sandal he wore, what size sword he carried and how big around his biceps were. They had looked at him for so long that they couldn't see anything else but him. They had become consumed with thoughts about how big Goliath was.

David, on the other hand, was more focused on how big God was. David never saw Goliath before he decided to fight him. But he knew that his God was bigger than any giant that was roaming around looking for a fight.

So how do we defeat our giants? We have to do what David did. We have to focus on God.

I just finished reading Max Lucado's book Facing Your Giants (I read the teen edition because I am teaching parts of the book to my Wednesday night youth class, but he also has an adult edition available).

One of my favorite quotes from the book is:

"Focus on giants - you stumble. Focus on God - your giants tumble."

Do you feel like giants are trampling all over your life? Are they so big and so scary that you can't see around them? Try looking at God for a change. He's bigger than any giant that you'll ever face, and He's waiting to show you what He can do - if you'll let Him.

Some thoughts on prayer

Do you ever feel like you're just praying to your ceiling? Like your prayers aren't going anywhere? I've felt that way at times. I think a lot of us have.

And I wonder why - why is it that we think God isn't there? We know that He is. He's promised us that. I know that He hears my prayers, so why do I sometimes feel like I'm just talking to thin air?

I think it's because we don't expect God to show up anymore. We get so caught up in the ritual of prayer that we forget Who we're praying to. Our prayer life should never become a ritual. It should never be habit.

I think another reason we don't feel like God is there is because we don't invite Him to come to us. We say our prayers, but they're just empty words - just comfortable, normal bedtime rituals. We talk at God instead of talking to Him. And we don't listen for His reply.

God wants a relationship with us and relationships require communication. We can't know God if we don't talk to Him, and we can't learn from Him if we don't listen to Him.

So the next time you feel like you're just praying to your ceiling, pray harder. Say what you mean and mean what you say. God just might show up and blow your socks off.

"Lead Me To The Cross" by Hillsong United

Savior I come

Quiet my soul, remember

Redemption's hill

Where Your blood was spilled

For my ransom

Everything I once held dear

I count it all as loss

Lead me to the cross

Where your love poured out

Bring me to my knees

Lord, I lay me down

Rid me of myself

I belong to You

Lead me, Lead me to the cross

You were as I

Tempted and tried, Human

The Word became flesh

Bore my pain and death

Now You're risen

Everything I once held dear

I count it all as loss

Lead me to the cross

Where Your love poured out

Bring me to my knees

Lord, I lay me down

Rid me of myself

I belong to You

Lead me, Lead me to the cross...

"And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name." Acts 5:41 (KJV, emphasis added)

The disciples understood what it meant to be persecuted for their beliefs. They truly understood the sacrifice that Jesus had made for them. They knew what it meant to take up their crosses and follow Christ - and they were thankful to be able to do so.

My Sunday school lesson this week is about persecution. Last night's devotion was "We must trust God more than we fear men." (Acts 5:17-42)

The above verse (Acts 5:41), really spoke to me. The disciples had been arrested, thrown in jail, had to stand before the council and were badly beaten. And what did they do?

They REJOICED!

They didn't cry out to God with complaints. They didn't whine and pout. They didn't give up and give in to the demands of the council. They were THANKFUL that they had even been considered worthy to suffer for Christ!

Do we understand what it means to suffer today? Do we really know what it means to take up our crosses and stand out and be different in the name of the Lord?

I'm afraid that we have become controlled by fear. We don't want to look like one of those "Jesus Freaks." We're afraid that if anything seems out of place, people will judge us. We're afraid that if things aren't perfect, people will wonder what we did to deserve punishment. We're afraid that if we freely worship God and raise our hands to Him in praise that people will think we're weird. We definitely don't consider it an honor to suffer for Christ.

But that's exactly how the disciples felt. See, they had witnessed the Savior be beaten and die on the cross. They had seen Him die, they had seen Him after He rose from the dead, and they believed in Him.

They didn't care what men thought about them. They didn't care what traditions and rituals they broke ("...We ought to obey God rather than men." - Acts 5:29) They had life-changing news to share and if they had to share it while they were being beaten and stoned, so be it.

They suffered joyfully. (See 1 Peter 4:12-19)

But what does that mean for us today? We don't have to fear being stoned to death for our beliefs, but our fears are just as real. We fear being ostracized by friends, having to miss out on certain activities, or not getting that promotion if we stand up for what's right. But take heart!

We were promised that we would suffer in this world. "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Timothy 3:12

But Jesus also promised us that we would be rewarded for our faithfulness and perseverance. "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you." Matthew 5:11-12

So if you're struggling, rejoice in the Lord.

Remember how Jesus suffered for you, and remember that He is still with you always. Consider it an honor to suffer for Christ. He considered it an honor to die for you.

Something to Say

I just started reading a new book called Paperdoll: When an Ordinary Girl Meets an Extraordinary God by Natalie Lloyd. It's about image and how the media and the world tell women what we need to be successful and happy, but that all we really need is God. So far, it's been great.

One of the things that really caught my eye last night was this quote: "When God speaks, He always has a purpose to accomplish."

Matthew 12:36-37 says, "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shall be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

That's a pretty scary scripture to a girl like me. My mouth is moving every minute that I'm awake. I'm one of those people that talks just to hear my own voice. And I'll have to account for every idle word that I say? Ouch...

What if we never spoke without having a purpose to accomplish? Think about all the great work we could do if we used our mouths to build each other up instead of tearing others down. Imagine all the great and wonderful things we could talk about and tell people if we truly surrendered and gave our words to God...

What if we REALLY had something worthwhile to say? Guess what...we do! All of us have a story, and your story can save a life. When we open up and say what God leads us to say, and share our stories of triumph over tragedy, or loss and redemption, or defeat and victory, then we are shining for Christ. He gives us the words we need, IF we're willing to speak them.

What about you? Do you have something to say?

Through the eyes of a child

"The LORD has done GREAT things for us and our HEARTS are filled with JOY!"

Psalm 126:3 (NIV)

Every Wednesday night, before we begin class, I line up all the kids (usually between 30-40 from 2 years to 5th grade) and let them tell me prayer requests and praise items.

They always amaze me! They can't wait to share stories about the things that are happening in their lives, and they give God credit for every little thing that they enjoy - from playing a baseball game with their mom that afternoon to getting to go to the mall and have a cookie for snack.

Kids are so wonderful. They are completely honest and they find beauty and wonder in the simplest things. I wish that I was still that innocent and that open to seeing God working around me.

Jesus instructed us to keep a childlike faith in Mark 10:14-15. "But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." (Also see Matthew 18:2-4)

Think about what life could be like if you looked through the eyes of a child...they see past the piles of laundry and stacks of mail and scattered toys on the carpet. They see wonder in the clouds and hear music when the birds sing. They see love in the tiniest actions. They see joy in a lollipop and adventure in a walk through the woods.

Take some time to see your life through the eyes of a child. God has done great things for you, and He wants to show you all that He's done.

Will you open your eyes and let joy fill your heart?

Generation Lost...

I just got home from a wonderful weekend at the beach with my aunt and cousins. Usually, we go to Destin or Gulf Shores...somewhere that's private and away from all the party scenes, but this time we went to Panama City because my cousin was competing in a cheerleading competition there.

We rented a condo and were on the top floor of our building. Our view was amazing!

While we were sitting on the balcony one night, my aunt looked at the sunset and said "How can anyone look at something that beautiful and say there's not a God?"I've always heard people say that, and I've thought it myself. It really made me think that night. All weekend, we had been surrounded by kids that were in PC for their Spring Break vacation. They all had one thing on their minds...partying. I can't tell you how many high school kids we saw drinking, and there were a ton of teen clubs close to the beach that stayed open all night long. These kids certainly were not looking at the sunset thinking about the awesome Creator that made it.

And my biggest question is why? It seems like kids (teens and young adults, especially) are the hardest age group to witness to. They seem to think they don't need God. I know that I fall into that category - I'm only 22, but I have no idea how to witness to my peers or how to make them understand that they won't live forever and that THEY NEED GOD!

I've heard a lot of young people say that they want to have fun for now and that they'll worry about God and all that other stuff when they're older. That statement makes me cringe. You can't put off a relationship with God - you need Him NOW.

I've been wanting to read the book UnChristian (by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons). It's about the way that young Americans view Christians. Since I haven't gotten around to reading it yet (it's a little thick for a beach read), I'm going to quote the book review in my Sunday School book (Fusion Magazine, March - May 2009, Randall House Publishing) -

"[The] book, UnChristian, presents finding from research done by the Barna Group showing that young Americans (16-29) outside the church view Christians as 'Antihomosexual, too political, hypocritical, insincere, and sheltered.'...Using the hard evidence of research, UnChristian chronicles a growing polarization between the beliefs of this generation and their parents. Increasing numbers of young Americans accept homosexuality, cohabitation and premarital sex as viable lifestyle options. As the older generation expresses strong views against this type of behavior, younger Americans outside the church grow more and more disillusioned with the church."

It sounds like we need to bridge a really big generation gap, doesn't it? And I mean WE...I may be 22, but I have an old soul. A lot of the things mentioned in that paragraph were going on at the beach this weekend and it just made me cringe. But cringing and correcting isn't going to win any souls. The book review in Fusion continued to say -

"Christians are known for what they stand against. We are famous for what we oppose, rather than who we are for."

I know people that look at Christians that way. I've had friends say "thou shalt not judge" when I start harping on them to start acting right. They all like that verse. (Matthew 7:21 "Judge not, that ye be not judged.)

Why is it that they seem to think my concern for them is judgment? I know that's the devil working - trying his best to get me to stop trying to tell my friends and peers about Jesus. He is always so quick to point out to me that I'm not perfect either and that I seem like a hypocrite trying to tell others how to live. But I have God on my side, and I know that He can use imperfect people like me to bring about great things.

I didn't get to actually share my testimony with anyone this weekend, but I hope that my actions showed my testimony to them. I hope that they could see the way I treated others and see Jesus shining through me.

We do have a huge gap between us and the unchurched young people in this country, but God still saves. And His net is wide enough for any generation gone astray. Please pray for our young people - the unsaved and the saved. They are our future and our responsibility.

Somehow, we have to show people what and Who we are for - instead of what we're against. We need to dwell on the positive instead of the negative (my Sunday School teacher tells us that every week). And we need to have fun! Why would anyone want to be part of something that's dull and serious and somber all the time? God wanted us to be joyful! (Check out Psalm 17:22)