Sometimes
I feel like my life has become one massive To-Do list. I check things
off with my purple Sharpie, feeling like I've accomplished a lot if
my tasks were completed. By the time Friday rolls around, if I feel
like the week has been productive, it's time for some Ice Cream and a
movie to celebrate! I crawl into bed and my mind begins to think
about all that must be done tomorrow. I close the book on another
day, and hope that when my the story of my life is completed, my saga
will be something worth reading.
I desire that my life have
great meaning. I desire to have massive impact. I want to live a life
worthy of my calling. I want to do something with the life I'm living
and not waste a single breath I've been given. My bucket list has all
sorts of worth-while, and somewhat impressive causes like Adopt
an orphan,
raise money for a well in Africa, record a C.D. that will inspire
thousands, go to Hollywood as witness to young
people,
plan a conference for girls and their Mom's, write a bestselling
book...
And
the list goes on. Pretty lofty stuff, huh? But if you glance at that
list a second time, you may notice that something was missing.
Something so vital and purposeful, that if I don't dare to do this
one thing, every other effort will be a lost cause.
What did
I forget on that list? Something that a guy named Enoch had at the
top of his priorities. Genesis 5:24 introduces a character who only
has one line written about him.
“Enoch walked with God, then
he was no more, because God took him away.”
What a story!
This tale tells nothing of his impressive job, life of fame, or the
way he reached out to the poor. Only one thing mattered about Enoch's
story. Only one thing was worth writing down. Enoch
walked with God.
We
all know a lot about God. We know what He likes and what He dislikes.
We know how He sent His son to die for us, the way that He rose
again, and how He wants us to spend our lives. We know His favorite
songs, His favorite verses, and some of us who are super savvy and
spiritual even know His favorite color.
We're kind of like a
hyped up fan-club. We can spit out facts and defend our knowledge
faster then unsuspecting haters can respond! We all love to rock out
to His favorite tunes, and talk about how much we love Him on
Twitter. We proudly sport the T-shirts, the bumper stickers, and love
getting together with any of His fans. We have so much in common! We
all love to talk about God!
One Direction and Justin Beiber
fans feel the same way. They know everything about their object of
affection and would come against anyone who dare attack him verbally.
But as much as these ladies love their boy bands, the sad reality is
that none of them actually know their favorite guys. If they showed
up at Justin's house, pushed past security, and said, “Oh my gosh!
I love you! Let's hang out!” He would probably twist up his eye
brows and say, “Who are you? I don't even know you.”
It's
a sobering truth, but Jesus said this very thing is going to happen
to many people when they arrive in heaven. Jesus fans will show up,
talking about how much they love his name, and all that they did
under the Christian Fan Club Hub, and Jesus will only be able to
shrug and say, “Yeah, but I never knew you. We never hung out
together."
I think we can all agree that, when a girl is
in a fan-club, there is only one place that she dreams of being. She
dreams of being the girl-friend, the best friend, the assistant
manager, the coffee girl, or heck even the toilet cleaner on the tour
bus! Fan-girls just want to be WITH their dream dude. They want to
know him, be around him, smell and watch him, listen to him talk and
learn what his personality is like. The most desired place to be, far
beyond a mere glimpse of him at a concert, or an autograph at the
Meet & Greet tent, is to be the girlfriend. To be his lover. To
be the one who knows his deepest secrets and greatest fears. She
desires to truly know him, to love him, and to be known and loved in
return.
King David felt this way about God. He wasn't content
with being an average fan. He wanted to know God intimately,
personally, and somehow move from fan, to friend, to absolute best
friend. He wrote;
“Better is one day in your courts then a
thousand elsewhere, I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my
God then dwell in the tents of the wicked.”
(Psalm 84:10)
David was passionate about one thing. He had one main goal
underlined and highlighted at the top of his To-Do list. His heart
was unraveled by a love so deep, that only one thing could satisfy.
He discovered that even the love of women and his many wives could
not fill that ache, that desperate thirst in his soul. He experienced
things that many of us dream about, world-renown fame, success,
riches, love and popularity. It was fun and David enjoyed it, but
once he experienced the manifest presence of God, he was never the
same. He became addicted. His heart beat for one thing alone. Worship
was so much more then his lifestyle...it was his daily bread. If you
have done any reading in the book of Psalms you are familiar with
David's desperation. He used so many analogies to express how deeply
He desired to be with God, continually, day and night. His only aim
in life was to be God's best friend. To know and be known by someone
who loved him so deeply and unconditionally.
“Okay, that's
nice.” You might say, “But how are you supposed to be God's best
and closest friend, isn't that like...impossible? He's God.”
Jesus died so that we could have a close, intimate
relationship with Him. Sin separated us from God but when Jesus died
on the cross, He set us free from sin and made us the righteousness
of God in Him. We were totally purified and once again restored to
have a fun friendship with the Lord! God originally created us to BE
with Him!
We are not human doings. We're human BE-ings. God
didn't make us so that he could have slaves. He made us so that He
could have FRIENDS. He loves people. He loves hanging out with His
girls. He wants to laugh, and talk, and show you who He really
is.
“The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and
He will show them His covenant.” Psalm 25:14
A smart
celebrity doesn't share a secret with their fans. They don't even
share it with their common acquaintances, or casual buddies. No, a
wise person only shares a secret with his best friends, the ones that
he trusts. Don't you want to know what God is thinking and feeling?
How does He think about this life? What does he desire for your life?
He won't be posting it on Twitter! He only shares those things with
His best friends.
Jesus said;
“I no longer call you
servants, because a servant does not to know his master's business.
Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from
the Father I have made known to you.”
So tell me girl, when
is the last time you hung out with your friend Jesus? When is the
last time you went to your bedroom, turned off your cell phone,
closed the door and said, “Hey Jesus, what's up? Reveal your heart
to me. Show me what's on your mind. What do You want to do today? Who
do you see when You look at me? How do you want me to partner with
you, being a co-heir with Christ, to get out and change the world?”
I think it's time scratch some things off our To-Do list
this week and scribble in something new. We need to carve time out of
our busy schedules to spend time in the Lord's presence. Friendships
without nurture and quality time don't thrive, and most of the time they don't even survive. Our
relationship with Jesus cost Him so much. It should be of utmost
importance in our lives. Because, in the end, it's the only thing
that truly matters.
Let's aim to be God's best friends,
instead of fangirls. Let's learn the secrets of His heart. I pray the
Lord speak to you and reveal Himself for who He truly is!
1)
Learn To Be Alone Without Being Lonely
“Be still and know that
I am God, I will be exalted in the heavens, I will be exalted in the
earth.”
Psalm 46:10
-Learning
to be still, steady your heart, calm your racing mind, and sit in a
quiet room is something many girls never learn to do in life. For
many of us, the idea of by ourselves with our computers and cell
phones turned off, brings out some of our greatest fears. Who wants
to be left alone with our wild thoughts? So many girls don't like
themselves and are afraid of what might happen when they're truly
alone. Tears may fall, or we might remember things we wish we never
did.
But we must remember that with God, we are never truly
alone! He is big enough to handle everything that's happening in our
hearts and minds. And here's the crazy part- he actually wants us to
be alone with Him. He likes us. He thinks we're amazing company. You
always have His companionship! Wouldn't you like to take some time
and enjoy it?
2)
Get To Know Yourself Better
Girl,
you're actually really pretty cool! Knowing,
and being comfortable with yourself is vital life-skill that is
required in order to thrive in any other human relationship. before
being successful in any other human relationship. It’s important to
learn to be a friend to yourself, before you can effectively be a
great friend to others! (“Love others as you love yourself…”)
If you don't like who you are, it's time you ask God how He sees you!
3) Change Your Mind = Change Your Life
Spending time with
God is amazing. Why? Because Your
mind will be renewed and transformed! You will think about yourself
and those around you in a positive healthy way. Changing your
thoughts, changes your life! Just like the Proverb says, “As a man
thinks in his heart, so is he…”
These
words are so true.
Also, You
will become more honest with yourself. Spending time with God is like
looking in a mirror. He is faithful to show you where you’re really
at and who you are called to be. You won’t deceive yourself by
thinking you’re any worse, or any better then you thought you were!
In His light, we see light. Psalm 36:9.
For more information about Renewing Your Mind, find out how God wants to give you a new kind of mental energy!
4)
The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom
You
will learn to have healthy, inspiring, beautiful relationships with
the girls and guys that you know! God can help you understand others
just as much as He can help you understand yourself. He can show you
how guys think, why girls struggle so much to get along, and how to
communicate better with those you love.
God
is the best relationship mentor, dating guide, and marriage councilor
ever.
Because He created the whole concepts of relationships in the first
place, He knows what makes them work…and what makes them crash and
burn. He is eager to show you how to be successful in your
relationships and to find, cultivate, and treasure friendships that
glorify Him!
4)
So Long Selfishness!
When you're hanging out with God, your
mind will spend less time thinking about yourself and more time
thinking about others! Who you hang out with is such a powerful
influence on who you will become. Spending time with Jesus will make
you a more thoughtful, caring, sweet, spectacular person!
5) Fear, Worries and Lies...Time To Say Goodbye
God
desires that we have lives filled with joy and peace. He doesn't want
us to be mistakable. There are several things that steal our joy and
make us feel like we're living in a nightmare. Fear, worries and lies
from the enemy rob us of life. When spending time with the King of
King's you’ll
learn not to worry so much. Learning to trust the One who is in
ultimate control, writes every day of your life even before One of
them came to be, and promises to work out everything in your life for
His glory and for your good…is so refreshing!
You’ll
also learn to see fear for what it is (a lie), conquer it, move
forward when you’re terrified, try new things, meet new people,
become strong and very courageous!
You'll
also begin to see what’s happening behind the scenes. You’ll
learn to fight against mental strongholds, evil spirits and “every
perception that sets itself up against the true knowledge of God.”
(AKA, destructive lies.) (2 Corinthians 4-5)
Your
mind will be set free from the lies of the enemy. He can speak no
truth, and he loves to implant roadside bombs on our dreams.
“When
he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the
father of lies.” John 8:44.
Knowing the truth will help you see
with clear eyes, love and appreciate yourself for who you really are!
6) Step Into Heaven
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Cor. 4:18
The Bible says that to be carnally minded (or focused on the flesh and this world we live in) is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
(Romans 8:6)
I don't know about you girl, but I want my mind to be fixed on things that bring life and peace! When we spend time with Jesus, thinking about heaven, and asking Him to evade our world, His presence literally brings heaven to earth.
Heaven is where the King of King rules and reigns. The Word says that there is joy and peace in His presence. I want to experience a little bit of heaven on earth!
7) Understand What You've Been Given
Imagine this. Someone gave you a multi-million dollar home to live in, but you choose to daily live in the garage of that home. You don't use the shower, the beds, or the kitchen. You camp out on the hard floors with no bed, because you didn't know that the whole house belonged to you. You've lived in the garage your whole life, therefore you thought it was the only area that belonged to you. Nobody told you that you could be swimming in the pool and using the hot tub!
This is often true with our Christian faith. We don't understand what God has given us through His Son Jesus, therefore we only access a small part of our inheritance. We forget, or are ignorant to the fact that we are co-heirs with Chris (Romans 8:17), and don't unlock all He has given us.
1 Corinthians 2:12 says;
"Now, we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God."
What has He given us? "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, will He not also along with Him graciously give us all things?"
(Romans 8:32)
It's time we find out what is ours as His children!
8) God? Is That You? Learn To Hear His Voice!
"I
have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when
he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.
He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and
he will tell you what is yet to come.” John 16:12-13
But does God really speak to us?
I for one have never heard God's voice thundering through my bedroom. Yet, I know He speaks to me by guiding my heart, and whispering to my spirit.
Jesus desires to be in communication with His children, He said so in John 16-12-13, "I'm not done talking with you! I have a lot more to say...so I'm going to send the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart. He'll tell you everything you need to know."
A lot of people get confused and frustrated because they feel like God doesn't speak to them, not realizing that His voice is coming from the inside, if the Spirit of Christ lives in you. The Bible makes it clear that no one knows what God is thinking expect for the Spirit of God. But if we have received His Spirit, we have the mind of Christ and hold the thoughts of His heart! (1 Cor 2:16.)
It takes time to learn how to discern when God is leading and guiding you, and how to pursue His paths of truth and righteousness...but He is a very faithful teacher!
9) Gain Quiet Strength
"This
is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "Only
in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness
and confidence is your strength.” Isaiah 30:15
The Bible talks a lot about how much peace and strength there is in sitting quietly before the Lord everyday. I dare you to make a new habit during your quiet time, and just be still for a few moments. Don't pray, don't read the Word, don't think about what needs to be done today...just close your eyes and spend a few blissful moments adoring the Lord and blessing Him in your heart. Think about how wonderful He is, and how amazing He has been in your life.
Let your heart adore Him, and gain strength in that quiet trust.
10) Love Him...Just Because You Can!
The 10th and most important reason to spend time with God is...just because you can.
What a privilege and honor it is to be in the presence of the King! Jesus paid such a high price so that ugly sign could separate us from Him no longer.
We should hang out with God, not because we want benefits or blessings. We need to love the Giver, not the gifts. Let's hang out with Jesus because we want to.
In the same way that we desire to be with our friends, let's cultivate that desire and hunger for being with God. He wants more then anything, just to be with you.
He sacrificed everything so that He could BE with you!
What will you give up to spend time with Him? A few extra hours of sleep? Computer time? Dates, parties or extra afterschool activities? We can't keep our relationship with the King on the back burner. If we are truly His disciples and His children, we will make the effort to sacrifice in order to be with the One we love!