To the One Running from God

I can’t get you off my mind.

I’ve tried for weeks to push this message out of my heart and file it under things to write on in the future.  I’ve put off writing these words for many reasons.  Fear of rejection.  Fear of the unknown.  Fear you won’t hear my heart and won’t understand where I’m coming from.  I wanted to leave this alone.  Truly I did.

But it doesn’t always work that way.  There are some words, some messages that won’t leave me alone and friend, this is one of them.  I can’t promise that these words won’t stir up something inside of you, I actually hope they do.  Maybe these words aren’t meant for you at all.  Maybe they are meant for someone you hold close to your heart.  A family member.  A beloved friend.  A co-worker.  

Friend, please hear me when I say, these words of mine come from love. Such a deep love for you.  There is no judgement.  No malice.  No ill intentions.  I need you to know that so when you move down the page of my heart on this screen, you know that my words come from me wanting you to know you are cherished.  Loved.  Worthy.  Magnificent.  So with that, I need to tell you something hard but something ever so important.

Stop running from God. 

I’m sure it feels like life is just a giant question mark sometimes.  You struggle to know who you are, where you’re going or what the next season holds for you.  Maybe you find yourself looking in the mirror at yourself and wondering when you changed.  

I know it’s an uphill battle.  Sometimes the pain is just too great and there are too many questions unanswered.  Perhaps you’ve asked some of these questions before:

If God is such a good God, then why did He let this happen?

If God really loves me, why didn’t He save me from this?

If God is real, then why is there so much suffering in the world?

If God…

If God…

If God…

Those are difficult, valid questions.  Questions I won’t pretend to know the answer to.  But I do know that God uses our trials and struggles to draw us closer to Him.  I know that if He brings us to it, He will more than bring us through it.  In this way, we learn our desperate need for Him, for a Savior.

Maybe it’s not questions that plague your mind.  Maybe it’s simply that sin feels better than repentance and change.  Satan is so good at making us a slave to our sins and the things of this world draw us in like moths to a flame.  They fulfill us, for a short time.  They feel good.  They give us what we want, what we desire.  Whatever it is- drinking, sex, partying, gossip, lying, greed.  But none of it compares to Jesus. 

 

Friend, I've been there. I've turned my heart away from Him before.  It was easier to go through the motions of life and pretend my sin didn’t exist.  To look for value and acceptance from others instead of letting Him blow my heart wide open with His truth.  It was easier to pretend that He was some distant God in the sky more than a personal Savior.  It was easier to push the pain down than to allow Him to do the work He needed to and heal me.

God is a fierce pursuer of our hearts and He doesn’t stop pursuing His children.  “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” Deuteronomy 4:24 (NIV).  I’m so glad He never stops pursuing us.  Aren’t you?

I need you to know this.  You are never too far gone for God to reach you.  To see you.  To work in your life.  To love you.  Never.  God’s love is never-ending, never ceasing.  You see it doesn't matter what you've done or where you've been. It matters that you return and that His arms are wide open ready to receive you.

What if, just for a brief moment, you stopped and sat still with Him.  You let your shoulders relax and your breath slow.  You focused your mind simply on Him, on His peace.  There is no agenda there, from you or from Him.  There is simply stillness.  I think in those still, quiet moments God would whisper to your heart, come home child.

I love you.

I miss you.

I cherish you.

Nothing you do will stop me from loving you.

Do you believe that?  Do you know how much He loves you?  How much you matter to Him?

You matter.  Your life matters.  And if it sounds like I’m being overly dramatic and too serious, I’m okay with that.  That’s how serious I take this.  Because I want you to know just that badly how much God wants you to stop running from Him.

It’s okay that you messed up.  It’s okay that you don’t have it all together.  Welcome to the club!  We’re all broken and in need of a Savior.  You think you’re too messed up for Him to use?  Look at the people in the Bible-Noah, Moses, David, Rahab, Mary Magdalene, and Paul just to name a few.  They messed up, but God used them in mighty ways.  Ways that brought Him glory; that fulfilled His promises and purposes.

If you need healing, who better to heal you than Jesus?

You need acceptance?  Who better to accept you than The One who was rejected by man.

You need love?  You’ll never find anyone who will love you more.  I guarantee it.

You want to know there’s something beyond the life you’re living?  That God has a plan for you?  You bet.  1,000% He does. (Jeremiah 29:11)

But you have to stop running friend.  You have to let go of the things that have held you captive and release them to God.  There is nothing too dirty, too painful or too burdensome that God can't handle or that you cannot be forgiven and redeemed from. 

What if today, you stopped running, stopped pursuing other things and gave yourself back to Him? 

You are never too far gone for God.  You can always come home.  Will you come?

Lord Jesus,

I don’t know why we run from you.  I don’t know why we think our ways are better than yours. Forgive us for turning away when what our hearts need most is You.  You give us this beautiful parable in Luke 15.  A story of the prodigal son returning home.  He thinks he will be met by his father with haste and anger, yet he is welcomed with open arms, a celebration of return.  You give us this beautiful example of your love for us in this story.  Thank you for your unending patience and grace with us.  Thank you for open arms and unending love.  You are the only thing that can truly fulfill us.  Draw us closer to you and help us to run fast to you.  Fast to your everlasting arms. 

In Your Name, Amen. 

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When You're Overwhelmed with the Brokenness

You don’t even have to turn on the news to know that our world is in a desperate state of brokenness.  Countries are divided.  People are endlessly suffering.  Nothing seems secure or even safe anymore.  Brokenness is everywhere.

I’ve had to stop reading the articles.  I’ve had to turn off the TV and get off social media.  I cannot hear about one more child being abused.  One more brothel being raided (though this is a good outcome) or one more issue dividing God’s people.  Shootings.  Wildfires.  Severe flooding.  My heart is just hurting for God’s people.  It’s not that I want to keep my head in the sand and pretend it isn’t happening.  I know it’s happening.  I cannot deny it. 

I am simply overwhelmed by all the brokenness.  

Do you ever feel this way? 

You want to help.  You want to reach out and comfort those that are hurting.  You want to take the pain away from your brothers and sisters.  But you don’t know where to start or even if you can help.  There are so many people who need help. Who need love and compassion.

What do you do when you’re just plain overwhelmed with all the brokenness?   

What do we do when the problems of the world seems so vast and unreachable?

We must simply begin.  We begin by acknowledging that as individuals, we cannot take on everyone’s burdens.  That is not our job that is Jesus’ job.  He already took care of that when He died on the cross.  I once heard Jill Savage say in an interview that she found great peace in knowing that even Jesus during his years of ministry went to bed every night knowing not everyone was healed.  There was always more healing to be done. 

We begin by recognizing that not everyone’s brokenness looks the same.  As believers who are supposed to be the Body of Christ, we have to stop deciding whose brokenness is worthy.  Friends, we are all broken in some way.  Brokenness doesn’t fit into a box and neither does Jesus.  As The Body we should acknowledge and encourage each other no matter the struggle. 

When I look at our world today, even when I look at The Church today, sometimes I get very sad.  I get overwhelmed with how much work there is still to be done before Jesus comes back.  I look at the state of things and I’m often discouraged.  There is no way we can do all this Kingdom work.  It’s too hard.  The suffering is too great. 

But then I am gently reminded about this whole bearing brokenness thing.  You see, it’s what the Body of Christ was designed to do.  Reaching out to our fellow brothers and sisters regardless of any differences, helping to bear the weight of their heartbreaks and struggles. And while it breaks my heart to see people’s pain and the devastation of certain situations, I know that’s how God has designed us-to hurt for one another.

If we weren’t created to love one another and to bear one another’s burdens, then what is the point of being The Body of Christ?

Ultimately we know that the brokenness and suffering of the world will go on and it will not cease until Jesus returns to take us home.  He is the answer to the brokenness.  He always has been. But there is something we can do in the meantime.  

Being part of The Body means we must put on our armor and go out and fight for our brothers and sisters.  Fight in prayer.  Fight through loving them fiercely.  Fight for The Kingdom of God to bring healing to those hurting.  (2 Corinthians 10:3)

And you my sweet friend, have the opportunity to be a part of that if you would like to. When you’re overwhelmed with the brokenness, do you know what you do?

You start small.  You do what you can for people.  (2 Corinthians 8:12)

Start with your family, your friends, your church or community.  Sometimes it’s as simple as spreading kindness.  Pay for someone’s order next time you go through the drive thru.  Compliment someone you normally wouldn’t.  Offer grace and compassion instead of judgement to the next person you see in line to get help or assistance.  You would probably be surprised at how welcomed that emotion would be.  You see friend,

Every action we take has the ability to point others to Jesus.

Use your calling.  If you feel called and overburdened with the issue of human trafficking, go volunteer for an agency on the front lines of the issue.  If it simply breaks your heart to think of someone going without food or shelter, start there.  Do a mission project for families that are homeless or in transition, or go volunteer at a shelter or agency that helps families. 

God will break our hearts for many things as The Body, but He will break our hearts for some very specific things that relate to our callings.  He will impress certain areas of brokenness on us that point directly to what He has called us to do for His Kingdom.

Maybe for you it’s helping families.  Maybe it’s working with animals.  Maybe it’s world hunger.  Disaster relief.  Women’s issues.  The list could go on.  Don’t ignore those heart tugs. 

Friends, we are called to do better.  We are called to help our brothers and sisters.  To use the gifts and strengths that God has given us to help heal the world’s brokenness until Jesus’ return. 

Sometimes I do get overwhelmed with the sadness of our world, our fellow people.  But I rejoice that there is a day coming when brokenness will no longer exist.  We will be whole. 

Until then, I find great encouragement from Paul’s words to the church in Corinth: 

“Finally, brothers and sisters, keep rejoicing and repair whatever is broken. Encourage each other, think as one, and live at peace; and God, the Author of love and peace, will remain with you.”

2 Corinthians 13:11 (The Voice)

 

Unleash Your kingdoms power
Reaching the near and far
No force of Hell can stop
Your beauty changing hearts
You made us for much more than this
Awake the kingdom seed in us
Fill us with the strength and love of Christ

We are Your church
We are the hope on earth

Build Your Kingdom Here, Rend Collective

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Give Me Your Burdens

Today I'm sharing my first video blog or "vlog!"

My kitchen table had become a source of aggravation and burden for me.  It was the last straw.  I became so overwhelmed with everything that I broke down.  Today, let's chat about those things that weigh the most on us...burdens.

So what burdens are you carrying?

How can you give them over to God?

What are you carrying in your "grocery bags" that you need to have help lifting?

Let's chat in the comments!

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