lifestyle

Made to Worship

christian, Christian lifestyle, encouragement, lifestyle, prayer, Worship

Towards the end of 2022, I began this infatuation with a few phrases. I forced myself to memorize them in an attempt to prevent myself from falling back into my old ways when I would feel upset. And one of those phrases was “Made to Worship”. This phrase caught my attention when I first saw it printed on a sweater while scrolling through instagram. And after that, I have run into signs, stickers, and other posts stating those very same 3 words.

As I contemplate the kind of changes I hope to make this year in order to accomplish my “new years resolutions”, I find this phrase running laps in my head. Made. To. Worship. So simple yet so powerful. It is a phrase that gives us identity, purpose, and hope.

Aiming to pursue a Christ-like character while trying to balance the responsibilities God has given me, I have often found it easy to stumble into seeking my identity through my success or status in things like my blog, school, or social life. But this phrase, I would argue, captures the message of WHO we are to God and why things like our successes, failures, titles, or awards have no place in determining our value. We were simply made to worship. Not to become rich, or have the best family, or be the valedictorian, or have the most friends. Not to say those are wrong, but that’s not who we are. We are children of the one true God who sees us as free, loved, chosen, cherished, and beautiful. Who we are ought to be based on the identity our Creator gives us. And honestly, I believe that can be described as a beloved worshiper in every circumstance and every new day God brings us into.

Yet our identity is not where God stops. He proceeds to go deeper in our value so that we may see ourselves through His same lens. He gives us purpose. A reason to keep going. To keep cultivating life. Though our individual journeys can be completely different, we collectively have the same thing driving us. We have been given the purpose of worshiping God in all we do. Through every season, we have the responsibility to praise Him and bring glory to His name. When we begin living with the mindset of “how can I fulfill my purpose by glorifying God today?”, we begin living in the most prosperous way. It no longer remains all about you or the goods you can store here on earth, rather, it becomes truly Christ-centered. This kingdom mindset is not just a great lifestyle, it is essential to living in the way you were designed. You were made to bring glory and worship. It is your purpose and embedded in the very core of who you were made to become.

What a beautiful life it is to live humble yet confident in the fruit that you produce simply because you rest assured in the faithfulness of your Creator. There is an overflowing well of peace that floods the hearts of those who live a life dedicated to following their purpose because of their identity. In 2022, life felt like it went up, down, and even in some spirals. To say the least, my circumstances changed an unimaginable amount of times. But one thing that remained the same was who God was to me and who I was to Him. The consistency behind His character and design allowed me to collect these random phrases I would find, like “made to worship”, and be confident that their meaning was timeless. Meditating on the word of God is a spiritual discipline EVERY Christian ought to implement in their lives. These day-to-day reminders may seem a bit agitating and in some cases, the last thing you want to hear during a trial, but my dear friend, it is worth everything. As we begin to see the world and ourselves more and more like God sees it all, His beautiful plan becomes so much more exciting to follow and reliable in the hard times. It is just the beginning of His limitless hope.

In the new year, people tend to seem most inspired. This is the time where journals, planners, and anything related to working out is at its peak selling point. Why? Because to most, having something to live for is important. It gives value, joy, and peace in knowing we have reason behind our breath. So as you enter into the first few weeks of this fresh start, hunger for spiritual growth. Seek to develop the habits and mindset to praise in every scenario. Dear Christian, you are made to worship. May you see that as an honor instead of a responsibility this new year.

Intentionally Interruptible – Part 2

bible, christian, Christian lifestyle, encouragement, lifestyle, prayer, Worship

When God speaks, how confidently do you listen?

This past week I spent my time in a foreign land. Though incredible, my heart faced one of the most spiritually refining moments it has had in a while. Time after time, I stumbled into situations that called for a new perspective and humble obedience. These scenarios required genuine listening. The kind of listening that you not only seek understanding for and prayerfully discern, but the kind that you feel compelled to follow through with in faith-driven confidence.

The trip I went on was one that required a lot of flexibility. The daily plans were not extremely clear until the day before and the stories we heard from others were unimaginable. To say the least, this was a trip full of the unexpected. I knew that very well before I ever signed up for it, and before going, I even prayed God would keep it unpredictable. But when each new day arose, I struggled to properly get my heart prepared.

As you may know, I am a heavy-duty planner. I thrive in routine and consistency. But as I was on the first flight, I heard this song called, “When you walk into the room” by Bryan and Katie Torwalt. The lyrics go a little like this:

When You walk into the room
Everything changes
Darkness starts to tremble
At the light that You bring
And when You walk into the room
Every heart starts burning
And nothing matters more

When You walk into the room
Sickness starts to vanish
Every hopeless situation ceases to exist
And when You walk into the room
The dead begin to rise
‘Cause there is resurrection life in all You do

Moral of the message, when God enters a situation, the unexpected in bound to happen. But the good kind of unexpected. The kind that brings light and life in ways we could’ve never fathomed. But what I have come to realize on this trip is that we must hunger for the heart and perspective of the Father if we wish to see the same goodness He sees in the “unplanned”. We must live intentionally interruptible. Not only by our neighbors as I discussed in part 1 of this series, but also by God and the unpaved, yet beautiful, roads He wants to take us on.

There were many accounts in this week that left me in baffled positions. I didn’t know what to say, do, or how to turn something into a good and glorifying thing. But on the first flight to my destination, I challenged myself to pray through. Praying through is something Mark Batterson often promotes in his book “Circle Maker”. It is when one prays with a humility in their humanity and a strong confidence in their God. It is when you choose to praise God for His faithfulness in the past as well as the faithfulness He promises to hold in the future regardless of how long the waiting takes. So in each and every moment of anxiety, confusion, heartache, frustration, and impatience, I prayed through.

I refused to allow my circumstances cloud the miracles and wonders God was unraveling in the unexpected. This called for proper lamenting. To lament is to be completely honest in your feelings but never dismissing the authority of God. As I said before, I love good consistency, and thank heavens, God is just that. In His unchanging character, we are able to find rest and peace that even though the world may sprout out a million crazy scenarios, when we tune into the guidance of the Lord, He will help us see how He turns it for our good and His glory. But again, I emphasize the honesty of your feelings. Without this, there can be no change in the position or perspective of your heart because in an attempt to “have it all together”, you build walls between God and the most vulnerable parts of your heart. Vulnerability is what allows growth to occur. And with growth, comes peaceful availability as you begin to become more comfortable with your life laying fully in the hands of the Father.

But PLEASE understand I am not saying this is easy. I told you earlier that this week was a big spiritually refining moment in my life. And believe me when I say, refining is no easy or fun task. Like a sword being welded, the fire is always hot and the molding is always extremely uncomfortable. But the end result is nothing short of beautiful. This is the process I experienced, not once, twice, or even just three times, but probably around once every day on this trip. It was humbling, but also freeing.

To know that we do NOT have to have it all in our own control and to know that even in the unexpected, our God remains consistent in His character, there is a peace unlike any other that begins to cultivate in your heart. Making each new refinement, not always less painful, but most definitely more hopeful.

So my dear friend, as you challenge yourself to pray through, lament, and respond in a faithful confidence (again, in the Lord’s power, not your own), I assure you it will be a greater blessing than a hardship. We must not underestimate the power of responding to the voice of God with a genuinely listening heart and soul. Your mind can run a million miles an hour in times of anxiety, frustration, confusion, etc. Do not let that be what drives your actions.

We are called followers of Jesus for a reason. Followers obey. But to do so correctly, they must listen and trust. May hunger for the Father flood your heart and may it mold you in a way that establishes a life eager for the unexpected. I pray you come to a point where you can confidently predict God to be unpredictable in your every day life. So Christian, again I ask you, how confidently do you listen to God when He speaks? Are you willing to make the changes in your heart that turn your life into one that thrives in the interruptions of the Father?

Intentionally Interruptible – Part 1

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When looking into the lifestyle of Jesus, one of the most amazing characteristics of His is the way He is so compassionately open to those who “disrupt” His plans. Whether it’s by someone cutting a hole in the ceiling and dropping their friend at His feet to get healed (Luke 5:17-22), or two blind men shouting for just a second of Jesus’ time as He walks by (Matthew 20:29-34), or two women requesting Him to travel a days journey to heal their brother (John 11:1-44), in each circumstance, Jesus responds in love, intention, and compassion.

For the first time in a long time, I have free time. This past week, I found myself sitting in the Starbucks I frequently spend an average of 5 hours doing homework, but this time, I ran out of homework after just an hour and a half. So there I sat. Reconsidering my purchase of a venti as I was only a quarter finished, pretending to look up emails as I thought about what I could possibly spend the next two and a half hours doing there. Then it hit me. I missed the chance of being interrupted.

For the past few weeks, people have been asking to catch-up or get to know me over coffee, a meal, or even just a call. And every time, I answered with the same, “I would love to but I will have to get back to you after I finish all of the work I need to get done.” To say the least, disruption was not my cup of tea. I had things to do and I refused to let time with people take away from my responsibilities. But isn’t it just dandy that the most important command of God includes loving people. And loving people can only be done when time is spent with people.

I had to drop this mindset that my to-do list was too jammed to squeeze in a few divine disruptions.

In the second half of Mark 5, as Jesus stepped off a boat and into a large crowd of people, He was met by a man falling at His feet. Jairus, a leader from the synagogue, let out a plea with the last bit of hope he had. His daughter was ill and near death. So in hopeful desperation, he begged Jesus to come to his home and heal his child. And without hesitation, in the very next verse, “Jesus went with him.”

Jesus was faced with the opportunity to be a blessing to another person. And in a perfect display of a kingdom mindset, He made room for that “disruption” to be seen for what God intended. A divine appointment. Far too often, we think we need a moment to be specifically set up in order to result in a miracle. But my dear friend, that could not be more wrong. God is capable of turning every concern into a beautiful example of His glory. And luckily, we humans have a LOT of concerns.

Yet this was not the end of Mark 5. As Jesus went on His way to heal Jairus’ daughter, a woman suffering from a bleeding disease for the past twelve years, saw Jesus crossing her path and extended out her hand for not His time, but the power that came with His presence alone. After the woman was immediately healed, Jesus could have continued walking as though nothing happened. After all, she did nothing more but touch His cloak. But instead, He sought her out and insisted on recognizing her and her suffering even if it was simply for a moment.

Mind you, it was not as though Jesus was on a stroll. He was in the process of helping Jairus. So Christian, how open are you to the Jairus’ and bleeding women that cross your path? Both scenario’s carried a hurt far deeper than that which was revealed in their first encounter, but Jesus chose to make room without hesitation. As you step into each day, do you wait for people to uncover their severe brokenness or do you respond in immediate and intentional compassion?

I believe we live in a world far too broken to delay our help for when it crumbles. I would argue that Jesus lived a life of no interruption. As He allowed every moment to be used to glorify His Father, these encounters were nothing less than a divine appointment. However, as we see, they only resulted in a blessing when Jesus matched His perspective with the heart of the Father.

In other words, until we let go of our own schedules and endless lists of to-do’s we will continue to miss the divine disruptions that cross our paths day after day. To love God’s people is to spend time in deep fellowship with them. This is not to give up on your responsibilities, as Jesus continued His journey of saving Jairus’ daughter after encountering the sick woman. Rather, acknowledge the flexibility of the perfectly timed day God makes new every morning.

As someone who relies desperately on to-do lists and calendars marked three months in advance, living intentionally interruptible is no easy task. But as I once heard and often say, much like many other spiritual disciplines…it may not be comfortable, but it is biblical and necessary.

To make room is to make time. And to make time is to give up the one thing humanity often tries to make the most of as it is impossible to gain any more. But like every other aspect of this world, when chosen to be placed in the hands of God instead of oneself, the blessing received becomes far greater than one could have ever imagined.

Dear friend, may you allow your days to be open to “disruptions” and allow your heart to be so sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s voice that you do not let another uncovered blessing pass in the name of “busy”.

Praying Like You Believe It

Christian lifestyle, encouragement, lifestyle, prayer, Worship

“Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’. He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell You, if You have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’, and it will move.”

Matthew 17:19-20

A while back, I wrote a blog about the story preceding this very moment. I highly encourage you to read it before reading this.

“I believe, but help my unbelief!” – Giving Your Doubt To God
Click here to read about the beautiful story of the father who had Faith and Fear yet experienced a miracle unimaginable.

So here we are. Maybe thirty or so minutes after the miraculous healing of this boy who had one of the most remarkable father’s recorded in scripture. The people are probably still in awe of Jesus’ power over the healing of this demon-possessed child. But as Jesus makes His way to a more secluded place, the disciples come to Him in amazement, but also confusion. After following this man for so long, they were kind of embarrassed that they attempted to heal this boy before and failed, just like every other person the father begged to help for years. So in private, they asked Jesus, “why?”…”why couldn’t we drive it out?”

Knowing the typical sweet responses of Jesus, this may throw you for a loop. In the book of Mark, He says, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” Yet in the book of Matthew, He goes on further to say, “Because you have so little faith.” Ouch. They were probably already embarrassed of their failure to heal the boy themselves, but to then be called out that forwardly by Jesus…I would honestly begin doubting my call as one of His disciples at that point.

But thankfully, He did not leave it at that. He went onto say, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’, and it will move.” I know what you’re probably thinking. Didn’t Jesus just say the disciples had little faith, resulting in their lack of success, but then follow that by saying even if your faith is 1-3mm (the size of a mustard seed), they could move one of the largest things in the world? Yes. Yes He did.

But what we have to understand there is the difference in the two faith’s used within these sentences. The first, being that of the disciples, refers to that which is set on the idea of “how much” faith you can have and most likely was set in themselves. You can see this by analyzing the question they asked. They didn’t say, “How did You do that?”, instead they asked, “Why couldn’t we?” Though believing in the power of Christ, they allowed their reputation and own capabilities to cloud what their faith should have actually meant.

Much like those claiming the promise of Philippians 4:13 over a math exam they briskly skimmed the notes for with an expectancy of great success. They have faith in their ability to succeed because they think the amount of faith in God equipping them is what matters when in reality, their faith needs to be set in how powerful and willing God is to make something happen for our good and His glory.

Until we cut ourselves out of the equation, simply identifying as a vessel, we will always “have so little faith” because it is ourselves who bring the limitations on the miracles God desires to do.

So now we come to the second faith used. The faith as small as a mustard seed, yet more powerful than any mountain. This is the faith that is set in the endless, unpredictable, and good hand of God. Not dependent on our feelings, circumstance, or imagination, but fully on who He is and how faithful He promises to be.

When we pray with our faith set in a great God, it is a great thing that is produced.

How beautiful is that. Comparing my capabilities with God’s, I would rather my life be under His will every and any day. The disciples walked, talked, and ate with Jesus for three years, yet even they were susceptible to such a misunderstanding of what faith looks like. My dear friend, as our relationship with Jesus is based on our own fluctuating dedication to His word and praying, how much more susceptible are we?

It is a blessing that our opportunity to experience miracles is not based on our imperfect faith, but on God’s boundless power. But we must not take that lightly. So I write to encourage you of one thing that I promise will change your life…

Pray like you believe it.

What is the “it” exactly? Well, it is that God can and will step into your situation as much as you let Him. What we need is, in the words of Mark Batterson, a “holy desperation.” This is to pray persistently, confidently (not in yourself, but in God), and like everything depends on it, because in reality, it does. A life without the divine intervention of God is honestly no life at all.

In Jeremiah 3:19, God reveals His deep love and desire to care of us as He expresses the brokenness of His heart to the Israelites who betrayed Him for false idols. In a longing for restoration between Him and His people He cries out, “How gladly I would treat you like my children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation. I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me.”

Heart. Crushed. I dare you to take on the pursuit of seeing God as He designed us to; a Father. After reading about the remarkable, loving father of this demon-possessed boy, I cannot help but get chills as I imagine how much MORE my Heavenly Father loves me. If that imperfect man refused to leave his own child, why would my Father who loves perfectly, leave me?

So dear friend. As you step into the rest of your life, take on the challenge of praying like you believe it. Praying with a faith set on a God, His power, and good will. But do not grow weary in the delay. The man in the earlier story waited years and years for his son to be healed. And sometimes, like Paul with his thorn of the flesh, our healing does not come on this side of heaven. If our faith is fixated on the fact that in the end, He will work things for our good and His glory, the yes to your request does not determine success, rather, hanging up when God says to hang on is the only way we can fail.

I am a strong advocate for memorizing worship songs if verses often slip your mind because they are typically rooted in the same truth. “That’s the power” by Hillsong Worship says this:

“Oh, there’s a hope that calls out courage
And in the furnace unafraid
The kind of daring expectation
That every prayer I make
Is on an empty grave”

How beautiful. “EVERY prayer” that we speak is backed by the power of the empty grave. The power of the Resurrection. The power that even death now has to bow to. Jesus paid the price for our sin so that we can live with a hope in things above. So step into that confidence with great humility. Recognize who exactly you are speaking to when you pray. And live everyday in a “holy desperation“.

Get Away and Draw Near

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“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you...“

– James 4:8 (ESV)

The story of Jeremiah is quite a sad one when you dive deep into it. Jeremiah, a prophet of God, spent forty years desperately trying to save his fellow Israelites from the judgement coming. But they would not listen. He spoke with the authority of a messenger of God and even then, it was not enough to persuade the Israelites to give him any attention. Why were they so resistant? Well, the Israelites had an idolatry problem. Yes, the same Israelites who were lead through the wilderness seemingly forgot about the glorious God who freed them and traded Him in for countless other random deities. Appalling and heartbreaking, am I right?

Oh but wait. Giving one’s attention and heart to something besides God actually sounds oddly familiar. Maybe it’s your phone. Or your job. Or your friends and family. Whatever it is, I am sure you can pinpoint an area of your life that you have become slightly obsessive about. Though, the tricky thing about that is how easy and un-sinful it can look.

Hanging out with friends is not a sin, rather it is encouraged. It is how you spread God’s love. Being on your phone or social media is no crime either. It is a great way to stay connected with others and share your life with people too far to see often. And working has been a thing since Adam and Eve. God called them to tend the land since their creation. So what makes these activities dangerous, and really anything else capable of stealing your attention, is that they can so easily become an idol in the mask of a blessing. One of the greatest ways I have seen God’s goodness is in the stories of those around me. But that does not mean they ought to take the place of the one giving the blessing.

Much like the Israelites, we can get so captivated in the blessings God gave us that we make them our idols. In their case it was the beautiful land of prosperity that started it all. But instead of depending on some old prophet like Jeremiah to whip us back into shape, we have the privilege of the Bible at our finger tips.

Just yesterday I spent a few hours at a park in hopes to get away from the crowd and business of school and to honestly just soak in the presence of God. After getting sprinkled on by the rain, I was forced to move my settling under a tree. I never sit under trees because of my fear of spiders jumping on my head. So in order to make the best of it, I laid down and stared at the branches above. At first, I did this with the intent of being prepared to run the moment I catch a glimpse of one of those disgusting eight legged creatures. But as I leaned back and was listening to worship music, I realized how cool the tree looked from underneath.

The branches intertwined in a messy, yet beautiful and supportive way. They provided the perfect formation to hold one another up while producing a fantastic shelter from the rain around me. And then it hit me.

Not a branch, but a good word from the Lord.

Those branches went in a million different directions, but when the time came, they fulfilled the purpose of producing shade and shelter. It was a mess, made perfect by it’s creator. The tree, with respect to the authority of God, allowed it’s every move to be obedient and available for whatever use God had intended for it.

Very often I find myself in the same situation as this tree. Crazy, going a million different ways, uncertain of where each branch of life will end up. But there is a difference between us. The tree submits every part of itself to God’s direction, and I sadly, do not. Instead of seeing scripture as my modern day Jeremiah, promoting a lifestyle centered on worshipping God alone, I take the blessing God gives me, and like the Israelites, I turn away and watch as my life branches out in a terrible mess following the unstable pursuits of my fleshly heart instead the wise provision of God.

And I realized in that moment, the longer I live a life idolizing those things around me, when the time comes for God to use me like He used this tree for a perfect shelter, I will not be ready. My branches will be too far to block the rain or shield the sun.

So my dear friend. Will you get away from the world promoting idolatry like the Israelites, trading your glorious God for temporary things, and will you instead, draw near to God so He can reveal the beauty He wants to make with your life? Please do not wait for a Jeremiah to convict you. Get away and draw near.