Having Time vs. Making Time

I sat in church this past Sunday with a lot on my mind; so, of course, the sermon was on being busy and feeling like you have a lot to do. .....I think God has a great sense of humor sometimes.

There was a part of the sermon that really got me thinking. Funnily enough, it wasn't even the main message of the sermon, but was rather a thought that I just couldn't let go of once it was brought up. The message was talking about our relationships with God and how we all usually "have time" for our relationship with God. But, there's usually a big difference between having time and making time. What's the difference? Let's step on toes to find out.

Let's start with prayer. I'll start with my own personal confession with my prayer time: I oftentimes use whenever I have just laid down to go to sleep as the time that I pray. I'll thank God for blessing me with another day, I'll pray about the relationships and people that I normally pray about on a regular basis, and then I'll cover my prayer request for the day. I normally make it all the way through....unless I fall asleep, of course.

Now, this doesn't seem that bad!....until I start to check my reasoning. Why do I pray just as I lay down? Because it is convenient for ME!...I'm not doing anything else while I'm laying there, so why not talk to God? .....this is a prime example of how laziness can creep into our relationship and allow us to not take it seriously. Giving God, the Creator of the Universe and the Giver of my salvation, my "leftover" time of day whenever I have nothing better to do is kind of sad to think about.

Now, let's scale it back to put it into simpler terms. To broaden the point here, we can even step further back and just talk about all relationships in general. So, instead of specifically talking about prayer, let's talk about talking. Have you ever just talked to a person at a time that was convenient for you rather than make time in your schedule to talk to them? Sure you have!....we all have! We live in a fast-paced, demanding world: multi-tasking and fitting things into our schedules maximizes the number of things we can get done!

....both of these mentioned examples are exactly how we have time for God and the people in our lives, but we oftentimes do not go out of our way to make time for them.

Now, here's the main problems that I see with us having time rather than making time for the relationships and things most important in our lives:
1) Oftentimes, increasing the quantity of things we do can overall decrease the quality of the things we do. We may think that we are doing great because we are getting so many things done at one time. In one car ride, so much can be accomplished: We're taking large strides in the career we want. We appear to be making good efforts in the relationships that we are in. We are staying healthy. We are making efforts in our relationships with Christ. We are getting where we need to be. Now, all of these things are good things that should be managed and taken care of! But how well are you really managing and taking care of them all?
2) Pleasures can become obligations. Remember when you genuinely loved every second of talking to the person you were in a relationship with? You couldn't get enough! You cared about what they had to say, you asked questions about what was important to them, and you wanted nothing more than to make that person feel special. However, eventually with time, this can sadly fade. Different things in the world start to happen, and sometimes you'll find yourself just "having time" for that person because they are there and that's what you're "supposed" to do. Our relationships with Christ can oftentimes be like this as well. Once someone becomes a new believer, there is nothing more exciting in the world! You want to talk with Jesus, study His world, and worship Him continuously! But, as the pressures of the world pile on, this feeling begins to fade. Sometimes we'll even shamefully start to read the Bible or pray because "that's what a Christian is supposed to do everyday."
3) Busyness can tempt us to break a commandment from God. 1 Corinthians 16:14 says: "Your every action must be done with love." Love is a word that is thrown around quite a lot in our society....so much so that people are oftentimes unaware of its true meaning (which can be fully seen and explained in 1 Corinthians 13). The next time you have time rather than make time for Christ, someone you're in a relationship with, another believer, or even a stranger: ask yourself, "Are you truly showing love to them?" ...and not just the "I have to go to work now....But I love you!" kind of love. But are you truly loving that person in the way that God tells us what love is?         

It's so easy to not take Scripture seriously sometimes. But, for us not to take God's Word and live it out in our lives is foolish. We have the greatest lifeline we'll ever need in this life at the tips of our fingers: and that's something worth taking seriously.

So, I challenge you as you go throughout the upcoming days, to make time: Make time to talk to Jesus sometime during the day when things seem like they're starting to get crazy. Make time to do or say something for the one you love even though it might not be convenient or comfortable for you. Make time to fellowship and build-up other believers. Make time to make friends and share the Gospel with a stranger.

Ultimately, show God's love by making time to love. Let the ones you love know that you love them. And make time to let this world know that there's a God who loves them more than they'll ever even begin to know.

  

He Knows.

I went to Winter Jam yesterday in Charlotte, North Carolina. For anyone who has never experience something like Winter Jam, I suggest looking up future dates and locations because it is definitely an event where God is constantly at work as a body of believers gathers together.

 Now, I can normally be a big crier if something hits me the right way at the right time and the true beauty of Christ is revealed to me: and I am unashamed to say that I cried on three separate occasions during this concert. It was during three separate songs: 

1) Oceans (Performed By: Newsong)

2) He Knows (Jeremy Camp)

3) Overcome (Jeremy Camp) 

As a senior in my last semester of undergraduate studies, I have experienced many feelings of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty whenever it comes to the future lately. 

1) As a follower of Christ, I still find myself uncertain if I am fully capable and brave enough of going down whatever path that God lays out for me in the future. With having this feeling, that's where I found the beauty in the lyrics:

Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders,

Let me walk upon the waters,

Wherever You would call me. 

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander,

And my faith will be made stronger,

In the presence of my Savior.

2) I feel like those feelings of fear and anxiety can be the worst feelings sometimes because no matter how hard you try to explain it to others sometimes, it can be frustrating because nobody can ever fully understand what exactly it is you are personally going through. With having this feeling, that's where I found the beauty in the lyrics: 

He knows, He knows. 

Every hurt and every sting, 

He has walked the suffering. 

He knows, he knows.

Let your burdens come undone,

Lift your eyes up to the One who knows.

3) Sometimes I start to have doubt and wondering about whether or not it is even possible for me to be able to handle news, situations, and circumstances that I may face in the future. With having this feeling, that's where I found the beauty in the lyrics:

Savior, worthy of honor and glory, 

Worthy of all of our praise, You overcame.

Jesus, awesome in power forever,

Awesome and great is Your name, You overcame.

We will overcome, 

by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony,

everyone overcome.

For anyone reading this that is currently experiencing any sort of fear or doubt, make these lyrics your prayer. Pray to have the courage and faith mentioned in Oceans, the understanding of God's love in He Knows, and the confidence and peace of knowing that Jesus overcame all in Overcome. God is so much greater than anything this world can throw at us....and I definitely know that can sometimes be easy to forget.

"I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world."

-John 16:33

So What's the Good News?

I've learned that one of the hardest things in life is to accept bad news.

Whether you've just received bad news, are anticipating having to accept bad news in the near future, or are living in a world of nothing but rainbows and unicorns right now, the fact of the matter is that bad news in this life is inevitable.

Sometimes it's a grade. If you're in school right now, you've probably experienced some sort of bad grade from one time or another. What's especially hard is whenever it's a paper or exam that you spent a whole lot of time writing or studying for, only to be disappointed anyways. As you look at the grade in which you wish were higher, you must accept this bad news.

Sometimes it's a loss. When it comes to sports, this can seem extremely detrimental at the time. If you were to go ask Bill Buckner about Game 6 in the 1986 World Series, he could probably tell you something about the bad news of a loss. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18caPNisP2U ....for all you non-Red Sox fans! haha). As Buckner saw that ball trickle to right field after failing to field a routine ground ball, he had to accept this bad news.

Sometimes it's a lack of acceptance. Every single one of us has an ideal job we want. Or a dream school to get into. Or a dream career path. However, everyone getting accepted by exactly what we want just isn't possible. Sometimes you get rejected by the school you want to attend. Sometimes you don't get the job. So, what must you do if this happens? Accept this bad news.

Sometimes it's sickness or death. It doesn't take a genius to tell you that life on earth doesn't go on forever. Sometimes, the life of a loved one is cut shorter than you'd like. Sometimes doctors deliver news that you'd rather not hear. This is some of the worst news to accept.

So, you might be getting a little down from reading this now. So if bad news is inevitable, are we just supposed to sit around in fear of its arrival? This is where the Good News begins!

Scripture tells us in Psalm 112:7: "He will not fear bad news; his heart is confident, trusting in the Lord."

Is bad news to be expected? Yes! But, as Christians, we can see that we have nothing to fear! God is in control of everything that has ever happened, is happening, or will ever happen in the future! He knows what we need more than we ever will. He always knows what's best for us, and He has a perfect plan for everything to fall into place exactly how it's supposed to according to His will. As long as we have that trust in Him, our hearts can be confident in knowing that He will allow us to weather storms and overcome any news that appears to be "bad" in this life.

Additionally, whenever you find yourself facing some bad news, I suggest opening up Scripture...because it shows us that God has some amazing news for us!

"Worrying Christian":The Oxymoron

It was a typical Sunday this morning when I woke up in Chapel Hill. Well, as typical as it could be for me lately. I got up to fix my coffee and cereal and get ready for church; however, suddenly plans changed where I was no longer able to go. To be honest, this was just another thing for me to worry about at the time. But, as soon as I thought I had reached my breaking point, God showed up, right on time, to show me He's got this....and that He's had it all along. 

I will keep it blunt for you: I have been wrapped up in sin lately. Most people will immediately start wracking their brains trying to think of sins one could struggle with: drunkenness, sexual immorality, lying, maybe stealing? While many struggle with some of these things and I might to, that is not what I am referring to; I am talking about what I believe to be the most widely accepted sin in all of Christianity: worrying.

In Matthew 6, verse 25: Jesus states: "Don't worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothing? " He goes on again in verse 34 and says: "Therefore, don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble on its own."

I sometimes make excuses for my worrying. I'll say things to myself like "It just shows how much I care!" or "It's just because I want things to work out!" or (as much as I'm ashamed to admit) "I know God's in control...but I just can't help but to still worry about it!" Well, we can ramble on and on about all the excuses we want, but if there's anything that Scripture shows us here, it's that God commands us to not worry. Within a matter of ten verse, God commanded us to not worry twice. To go against what God has clearly commanded in Scripture, is to sin. No matter how much we don't like to admit it or make excuses for myself, it really is as simple as that. 

Now, as I said earlier, I didn't get to go to my normal church this morning. But, first, let me back up for you a little bit.

 Lately, I have been stressed while at school. School and stress are pretty synonymous to me: so I worry about it. I have important exams I have to take: so I worry about them. I am a senior in college, so I am trying to figure out where I am going and what direction I am going to be headed when I graduate in May: so I worry about it. I'm a young woman (that's scary to say!), and I want the best for my health and body image: so I worry about it. At school, I'm away from family and relationships that are extremely important to me: so I worry about them. So, basically, I have been drowning in a sea of worry lately! 

So, back to this morning: I am overwhelmed and anxious about all of these things going on, so I was so excited to go to a place of worship this morning to really put all that aside....and the opportunity to go was suddenly gone: so I worried about it. I was initially upset about this and I didn't know what to do, so I decided to fix me a cup of coffee and listen to my old youth pastor preach from a podcast I had downloaded from his church a couple years ago. I scrolled down to one of the first sermons, and a sermon title caught my eye: "FEARLESS: Stop Worrying and Start Living." Of course, this caught my interest, and I clicked on it....only to find that God knew exactly what was going on. 

The sermon preached out of Matthew 6, and referenced the verses that I had mentioned above. I had to pause the sermon multiple times so that I could take notes from everything he was saying, because it all appeared to be things God was wanting me to hear directly! But, out of everything that was said, one statement really hit home for me:

"Worry is a slap in the face of the sovereignty of God."

Truer words could not have been spoken. I was so worried about everything going on around me, but to do so was to go against God's Word and tell Him that my situation was too big for Him to handle. Who am I to do that? Who am I to tell the God of our great universe that I'm worried that He's not going to take care of me when Scripture clearly promises me that He will? 

Needless to say, I'm so thankful God allowed me to hear the words He wanted me to hear this morning, even though it wasn't according to my initial "plan". I'm thankful He's given me a peace this morning about being diligent in the problems that I can do something about, and letting go of the problems that I can't do anything about. I'm thankful God can bless me with contentment in life, even when I sometimes desire more. But, mostly, I am SO thankful that I serve a God that is so much bigger than any test I could ever take, any family, friendship, or relationship problem I could ever face, any self-doubt that may come my way, or anything that doesn't fall into my "ideal plan"! 

My prayer today is that for me, and anyone reading this, to cast our worries, struggles, and anxieties to the Lord. Keep faith in our God, as well as faith in His timing, because at the end of the day, the spreading of the Gospel and our relationship with Him is all that really matters. 

  

Get Excited!

So let me tell you about an awesome person that God allowed me to not only meet this summer...but blessed me with as an amazing friend as well! Sara (I KNOW!...what an AWESOME name!) is somebody that I instantly was able to connect with. We had really similar senses of humor, we liked a lot of the same movies, we both had a joy of being at camp, and- most importantly- we both had a love for Christ!

Now, as much as I love Sara, there is one thing that I absolutely admire about her: her excitement! It's not something that she goes out and flaunts for all to see- but, as her friend, it has been something that I have seen as prevalent and has been a great witness to myself.

I've seen this excitement on multiple occasions....but one in particular stands out.:

It was one of the last Staff devotions for the summer this past summer at camp, and the theme of it was simple: prayer. We each would go from station to station, and each station had something different set up and told you a specific thing to pray about. One station had a small can with a candle on the inside of it. The purpose of the station was to pray about any sin or anything that was holding you back, ask for forgiveness from it, write it on a piece of paper, and then throw it into the fire (signifying that you were getting rid of it).

That night, after the devotion was over, Sara and I went and sat outside the staff cabin to have one of our many "talks" from the summer. Sara shared with me what it was that she had been struggling with, and how excited she was about throwing it in the fire! I'll never forget how excited she was to be set free from that: it was something that I couldn't help but get excited about, just by hearing her talk about it!

Such an awesome story couldn't help but to make me wonder: What if non-believers felt this way about Christians? What if they could just tell in the way that we talked, the stories that we told, and the actions that we had, that we were SO excited about our relationships with Christ, that they couldn't help but to get excited about it, too!  

Psalm 100:3 says: "Know that the Lord is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture."

Our Lord is God! Maybe it's time that we realize how exciting that is and share that excitement with others! Let others get excited with you. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you up so much, that you can't help but to allow it to overflow.

Allow that to be your prayer today.

Walk the Talk

In the DC Talk song "What If I Stumble?" the opening line says this:
"The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable."

Ouch. If you're like me, hearing such a brutal truth is pretty hard to hear. Not only is it hard to hear....it's heart-breaking to hear as well. It's amazing to think that the very people who have a belief in Jesus Christ being the Son of God could potentially be one of the biggest stumbling blocks for non-believers.

Such a line is very real because it is not afraid to step on any toes. It is just telling it like it is. And, if you don't think such a statement is true, think about any of the following scenarios!:

-A college student who claims to be a Christian, yet has no problem going to places they know they should not be and doing things they should not be doing on Friday or Saturday nights.
-An individual who claims to be a Christian, yet wishes to draw a thick line between Saturday night and Sunday morning.
-An unmarried couple that claim to be Christians, yet they have no problem participating in acts of sexual immorality.
-A parent who claims to be a Christian, yet pushes their son or daughter to follow their will instead of the Father's.
-An individual who sings hymns on Sunday mornings, yet is willing to say ungodly words throughout the week.

....and, to be honest, this is just a few scenarios that are just the tip of the iceberg.

I cannot just point fingers and state that many other Christians I know have participated or not acknowledged Christ by their lifestyle: I am as guilty as anyone else. I have been at points in my life where I can honestly say that I was truly a hypocrite. I would tell people how much I loved Jesus, and go to church every Sunday morning and Wednesday night...yet I would allow the words and actions of my life throughout the week not show the love of Christ....but, rather, the love of worldly desires.

Colossians 3:5-10 says:
"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."

When we become a true believer, we have ALL been renewed in Christ. It's time that we start taking that more seriously. Whether you're a believer who is currently on a mountaintop, a believer that is caught up in a cycle of struggling sin, or a believer that knows in their heart they are claiming to believe one thing, yet living a lifestyle that appears to reveal another, we all need to realize that we are disciples for Christ. We are the one ones that have the hope that can save nations. We have the answer to all of life's problems.....and it's time we start living like it.

**Note: If you are not aware of what it means to be a believer and follower of Christ, I would be more than happy to share this great news with you! You can message me at: https://www.facebook.com/sara.marshall.75 or e-mail me at: saramarshall7@att.net.

Just Pray.

In the town of Statesville, the past week has been nothing short of absolutely tragic. My prayers go out to Dalton Edwards. And my prayers goes out to all of the victims and families of the Front Street Baptist bus incident. It's times like these that our number one resource and source of hope is prayer.

Psalm 50:15 says: "And call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

I will have a regular blog post posted over the next couple of days. But, for right now, I just ask for your prayers. I am a strong believer in the power of prayer. And I am also a strong believer of prayer with numbers.