You've got a gift.

"We accept human testimony. God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony that he has given about his son. Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony of God in them." - 1 John 5:9-10

I absolutely love going to Christian conferences, worships services, any event where the passion for God radiates through the crowd of people who love God just as much as I do. These events can often be the such uplifting experiences, filling me with the Spirit. Its so easy to lose yourself in worship that the cares of the world do not even matter anymore. You can forget every problem you had up to this point because none of it matters. All that matters is you and God. Once the event is over, you go home and its back to the ordinary life. No famous speakers, no amazing worship bands, just work, school, the boring stuff. Its so easy to be filled with the spirit at these events, and feel empty once you go home. However, the fullness should not stop once you leave, you should carry it on and help fill others. There are those who are chosen to be leaders. The shepherds of their flocks, not serving out of greed; but instead because they have the desire to. (1 Peter 5)Although not everyone is called to be leaders, every Christian has the opportunity to be the hands,the feet, the body of Christ who spreads the gospel. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul tells us about the different spiritual gifts. Many people feel as if they dont have a gift, and its easy to see someone else's gift, but sometimes its hard to just trust God and let him show you your spiritual gift. Because you are a believer, because you know Christ is the son of God, he died for you, and has forgiven you of your sin, you have his testimony. You have everything you need to spread the word of God and attract more people to him. Its easy to think that someone else is more spiritual, or better at prayer,that you cant pray good enough, or your cant sing praise as good, or this or that. The truth is, it doesn't matter about anyone else. You have the capability to speak and to pray for others. Whether you realize it or not, God can use you, even in a situation you could never imagine. A simple phone call to tell someone that God loves them could be the difference between a life of happiness or a life of depression. We should always be willing to be used by God. After all we are the body. So, if you do go to a conference and hear an amazing speaker or listen to a band sing of praises, just remember that God can use you just like he used those people. You would be surprised in the different ways God could use you to bless someone else.
"We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we know the real God. We are in the one who is real, his Son Jesus Christ. This Jesus Christ is the real God, and eternal life." - 1 John 5:20

A Good One

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, its about learning to dance in the rain."

I found a bumper sticker on Facebook that said this. It really made me start thinking. It is so easy to "be a christian" when everything is going good, but the moment life gets hard or something goes wrong, we panic. Faith isn't about trusting in God when everything is going good, its about trusting in God all the time, even when bad things happen. Its easy to talk about how blessed you are when life seems perfect, but the moment things go wrong we automatically think we are being punished. Trials in life aren't punishments, they are simply tests of faith. These tests can take you down to your lowest point, but as long as you keep your faith in God, he will bless you. We need to embrace every 'storm' that we encounter because each one holds something that we can learn or grow from. I was stressed out looking for an apartment just last weekend, and now I have the most amazing roommate in an apartment I was never expecting. Once I decided to let God take control of the situation, the opportunity found me. I love having different trials and tests because the worse the situation seems, the more I realize that I cant handle things on my own and have to depend on God.
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. -James 1:2-4
I found this scripture just flipping through my mom's notes in her Bible last weekend, and its kinda stuck with me all week. Endurance is the ability to withstand hardship. So with each challenging situation we face, we become better equipped at handling obstacles we encounter. So think of each one as another step of growing in your walk with God. The worse the situation, the better the opportunity for you to grow and develop the endurance to face anything else you encounter. And although whatever you're going through might suck now, once it is over, it will be a chance for ministry. When someone else goes through a similar situation, you will now be able to help guide and support them. Dont be afraid to ask God to help you through a situation.
Dance. <3