two faces of legalism // an article

     I have an article for you to reeeead. :) It's about legalism and it's incredible. I grew up in legalism (actually, I was in the very same situation as the author if this article), so it really hit home for me. This past year I have grown so much in living like I'm free in Christ. Kristen (the author of the article) is such a wonderful writer and has such a beautiful heart.

Two Faces of Legalism

(written by Kristen Morris)

s

giving

     My blogger friend Davi posted something recently on her blog about our weaknesses bringing us closer to Jesus. You should go read her post (busy high school students mooching off of other bloggers for the win! ;)), but she got me thinking about it. Like it usually happens (me being a "church kid;" someone who grew up learning all of the right answers), I had already heard this truth. But I think God pulled another layer off of it this morning and delivered it to me anew. He reminded me of this passage: 

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

"So to keep me from being conceited..."

"a thorn..."

"grace is sufficient."

SUFFICIENT.

sufficient. enough. all I need. 

I'm weak right now. So very, very weak. 

But right now, right at this very moment, I'M LETTING GO.

I can't do it! I just can't! But God can. He's the one who is SUPPOSED to be doing it, after all.

I'm letting it all go. I don't care if I have a paper and a chemistry assignment due on friday. I don't care if I'm behind on reading. I don't care if I'm getting a low grade in math. His grace is sufficient. I'm not going to fix my problems by myself, because that's impossible. So why try? 

God = Success. 

Success, meaning... living the life that God wants you to live. Davi also said in her post that stress can sometimes mimic the effects of being poisoned. I'm not going to live like that anymore.

Giving all of my circumstances to God means:

I'm giving up stress.

I'm giving up the false security that comes from trying to control it all myself.

I'm giving up sleeplessness.

I'm giving up not eating because I'm too busy.

I'm giving up cramming.

I'm giving up bad grades.

I'm giving up poorly managed relationships.

I'm giving up serving myself.

I'm ready for freedom. 

Do you have something you need to give to God? If so, I encourage you to do so right now. This very moment. It's scary, losing control of something. I know! I know. But freedom is on the other side of that fear. 

Sarah

 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1

"you'll never learn"

     Ray Bradbury was a genius. He said so many wonderful things. Sometimes I'll spend hours reading his quotes - and maybe I won't agree with every single thing he says, but still, he is so profound. One of his quotes hits me hard every time I read it. It's like he knew my worst flaw and shot this quote at me like a dart.

“If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you'll never learn.” 

- Ray Bradbury   

 

     I know I've shared this before, but I always feel like I need to be perfect and make sure everyone knows that I really am smart. I really am mature. I really am blah blah blah. I want to learn to not be afraid to show my ignorance. It may hurt to be hit when I do it, but I will learn. 

      And I'll change. Because, as Downton Abbey's dear Mr. Carson once said, "What would be the point of living if we didn't let life change us?"

     So, this week I'm challenging you (just as I'm challenging myself) to admit you're wrong sometimes. To show your ignorance sometimes. To live in the freedom of humility. I, for one, have seven classes to attend this week, so I know I'll get plenty of chances. ;)

 - Sarah 

being the whole person God wants me to be, on the internet and otherwise

Hi, lovely readers.

     As you know, I am a devoted Christian and follower and lover of Jesus. You also know that I face struggles and trials at times, and also have really good days. You'd probably say you know me pretty well from just reading my blog.

     Two and a half years ago, I started Rejoice Always. I was younger and newer to this whole blogging thing, and so my dad put restrictions on me. I told him I wanted to blog my spiritual life, and he said "Okay, as long as that's all you blog about." Just so I didn't write my social security number or, you know, random stuff on here. Just to be safe.

     And this blog has been so, SO good for me. I have been able to share things with you that encourage you, whilst using it as an outlet for my writing and to open my heart. Jesus is the single most important thing to me in life, and as such, it's fitting that if I were to talk about only one thing on a blog, he would be it.

     But I have a whole, complete, rounded, full life, just like you all. I have interests, hobbies, insecurities, fears, loves, experiences, good cries, and secrets, just like you all. And as the most important thing in my life, Jesus illuminates all of them.

     So, sometime in the future, I will be leaving this little blog. I am so very sad to see it go, but I need another, bigger outlet (so no, I am not stopping blogging altogether). I hope you, my wonderful readers and friends, will follow me there. It won't be an "everything-in-my-life-but-Jesus-because-I-haven't-talked-about-that-in-two-and-a-half-years" blog. By no means will it be that. I will talk about Jesus just as much as I do here at Rejoice Always, because he is my life. Things won't really be changing, as far as blogging goes.

     But there will be more. Because I believe my life is unique and beautiful, just like everyone's lives are. I believe that God has given me a wonderful purpose in this world; a purpose only I, Sarah, can fulfill. I love writing, so I think blogging is the way to share that purpose with the world. I need to get out there because people might need to hear what I need to say. 

     I know what you're probably thinking: "But, Sarah, you are already sharing things that people might need to hear!" I know. This change is not only for my readers, but also for me. I need an outlet for my creativity and my heart and my imagination and my overflowing love for Jesus. I need to be who I am - all of who I am, on the internet, at home, at church, with my friends, at the zoo, on airplanes - everywhere. I can't show you part of me (or even the most important thing to me) without all the rest of it. I don't want to show you an idealized version of my life. Or even if it isn't idealized, it doesn't show the whole picture. I want you, my readers, to see all of me. Because I have something to say.

     Like I said, I hope you will follow me to my new internet home. I will still keep this blog up so that I don't lose the work of the last two and half years, and Rejoice Always will always be very, very close to my heart. I have made so many memories here and met some lovely people. I don't know when this move will be happening exactly - it probably won't come to fruition for quite some time. There are still so many things to think about But I wanted to let you know. About what I think of freedom, and living life for real.

I hope this all makes sense. I don't want you to think I will be doing things a lot differently than I already do... it's hard to explain. Thanks for sticking with me. :) I love you all.

-Sarah
     

one little word

     Today in church, my pastor talked about the devil and temptation, and how we can resist that temptation. It was such an encouraging and inspiring message for me, especially as I'm entering the school year (speaking of the school year, prayer is appreciated; I start tomorrow) - I need to remember that I have all of the power I need from God inside of me to resist temptation.
     I am the biggest procrastinator you ever met. No exaggeration. It's difficult when I keep saying "I can read that later" or "I can do that in a minute" only to find myself cramming - again. I wonder what happened this time. I try so hard!!! Why isn't it working?
     I'm learning to be patient with myself. I'm not perfect, and I need to rely on God more. And I need to be patient with myself and my struggles. It's not easy getting past them, and it's impossible if I try to do it without God.
     A verse my pastor mentioned really, really encouraged me. I'm positive you've all heard it before - I've heard it before. But it took on new meaning today:

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

      Maybe it's because I've felt so bound lately - always wanting to be perfect; never wanting anyone to think poorly of me. It's exhausting. I want freedom. I want the devil to flee from me.
 
One little word shall fell him.
Jesus.

We sang "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" in church and it is now my anthem.

The spirit and the gifts are ours through him who with us sideth!

I want to draw near to God and resist the devil. I know I'll find freedom in Jesus. :)

-Sarah

P.S. Happy Labor Day :)

accepting imperfection

Well, I rounded the corner.

     To tell you the truth, I knew this trial would be different from last time. Last time, God gave me hard circumstances, and through that, I learned and grew and was sanctified. This time, I'm learning and growing in normal circumstances. It's starting inside this time. God has shown me something that I implied in this post - a longing to be perfect.

     I know what you're probably thinking: "Duh, Sarah, everyone wants to be perfect!" But I think most Christians have accepted that they sin, but they are forgiven by what Jesus did on the cross. And I do believe that, to be sure! But I struggle, still. And I don't think this struggle is just the "usual" self-sufficient feeling that Christians get.

     Like when I'm driving with my dad (I've got my learner's permit and I'm working on getting enough hours to get my license). I'm still learning to drive, so obviously I'm going to have to take direction from my dad, right?

     Even if he just reminds me to put my turn signal on, I'll get all defensive, like "yeah, I was going to do that."

     It's an extremely limiting, imprisoning way to live. And I'm having a hard time because I want to admit when I'm wrong, and be okay with taking direction. But I have insecurities and I've let the devil get his foot into those insecurities. So now I'm on a journey with God, and he's going to free me. Eventually. And I'll learn from it and be blessed by it.

     I'm so blessed already. When I embarked on that first trial last year, I had no idea what was happening to me. There I was, in the worst possible circumstances I could imagine, and I was desperate. I have learned so much in the past year. So much. And now I'm using what I've learned about trials this time around.

     It's still so, so hard. It wouldn't be a trial if it wasn't. I'm able to face this with a lot more optimism and hope, though.

     I'm going to leave you with some lyrics from "You Speak," another song from Audrey Assad's new album, "Fortunate Fall." This album is gold I tell you.

// You liberate me from my own noise and my own chaos /
From the chains of a lesser law You set me free //

- Sarah <3 

    

    

a nice thought

// Your love is wide open spaces where I can run //

(ought to be - audrey assad)

Jesus is loving Barabbas - a Judah Smith video

     My sister showed me this video last night and it brought me to tears. It's so beautiful and true, and it reminded me of the truth of the cross in a way I didn't know I needed. Please take eight minutes to be blessed by this. Judah Smith is a dynamic and gifted speaker, and the graphics of the video help to intensify the message. For this reason, I suggest you view it in Youtube so that the screen is bigger. :)

-Sarah :)

P.S. My spiritual life has been a whirlwind lately. So many new things that God is introducing to me! I'm not sure I will be able to share them all; I'm afraid of coming across as confusing and I don't want to lead anyone astray. But I hope that I will be able to put some of my thoughts in order enough to give you a couple of posts soon. I haven't blogged in exactly a month! :P

who we are in Christ - God doesn't create junk

     Christians need to have a certain amount of self-esteem. I'm not talking about constantly doing things to keep people thinking highly of them. That's more of what the world (read: unbelievers) would say self-esteem is. People are always saying "believe in yourself!" As if you were something so amazing, that you could rely on yourself to accomplish anything.

     But we can't do that. We can't rely on ourselves. Jeremiah 17:9 says: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"

     So, as Christians, where do we get self-esteem? We all need it. Otherwise, we'd have such a low opinion of ourselves to the point where we would start lying to ourselves about our worth. We do have worth. But it's not in ourselves. If the heart is deceitful, there's no way we could look in ourselves for truth about who we are. We are more critical of ourselves than anyone else is. We all have our insecurities, and NO ONE on earth is entirely immune to peer pressure.

     We get our worth from JESUS. Since Jesus bore the punishment for all of our sin and fear and insecurities and failings, we have HIS record. That doesn't mean we don't sin. It does mean, though, that we aren't going to be punished for our sin. God looks at us as beloved sons and daughters. I don't know about you, but I find it comforting to know that God thinks I'm beautiful. THAT'S how I should look at myself. The devil likes to whisper in our ears and tell us lies about how we aren't worth anything, how we can never be a success, et cetera. That's when I look at what God thinks of me. He loves me as a Father loves his child! And his opinion will never change. Oh, happy thought!

     I'm an introvert myself, so I count myself as one of the socially awkward club. You know, the kind that go to Chick-fil-a and have to muster up all the courage in their being to go up to the counter and order lemonade. (True story.) So, when I go out in public, I'm constantly comparing myself to people, whether it's my physical appearance, or the way I speak, or my sense of humor. It's easy for me to sit here on my bed and type a bunch of words about how comparing yourself to others doesn't get you anywhere, and how God made you unique and for a special purpose. It's harder once I go out there and try to apply it to my life. But God's always working. He really is. He's showing me this and, slowly but surely, bringing me out of the pit of low self-esteem.

     God has perfect timing. I started attending my new church around August of last year, and last September, youth group started. Our theme for this whole year in youth group has been: "Be yourself; who you are in Christ." It's amazing and wonderful that God would place me in this group, talking about this subject, right around the time I started struggling with self-esteem. Last week at youth group, we did a sort of recap of everything we've learned in the past few months. I wanted to share with you who we are and what we have in Christ.

1) We are inseparable from Christ.
"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39

2) We are sanctified (set apart and being made holy).
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," - Ephesians 2:4-6

3) We have the Holy Spirit in us. 
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." - Acts 1:8

4) We are free. 
"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." - Galatians 5:1

5) We have authority. 
". . .so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs  according to the hope of eternal life." - Titus 3:7

6) We are masterpieces. 
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:10

     Everyone in my youth group also received a card with the following printed on it:

I am a child of God.

I was created in His image for a unique 

purpose that He prepared for me before I 

 was known to this world. 

     I constantly need this reminder of who I really am, otherwise, I would always be beating myself up for my shortcomings and mistakes that I'm bound to make. When I read this card, I'm reminded that God is a forgiving and loving God, no matter how many times I mess up. 

     I'd like to leave you with this video made by the Skit Guys about being who God created you to be. Enjoy. :)

-Sarah :)

Children of God and the Mystery of God's Love

     Recently I have really enjoyed listening to a song by Third Day called "Children of God." Listen to it here; it's a great song.

     The main reason I love it is because it's a wonderful reminder of the truth about us, Christians: we ARE God's children! True, we are still going to sin (the presence of sin in our lives will exist until we arrive in heaven), but the guilty record of that sin is no longer ours. Jesus took it on himself when he died on the cross, so "there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) Enough with the silly question of "why would God love ME?! I'm a sinner, deserving of his wrath!" It's just a lie, really. We AREN'T deserving of his wrath, anymore!!! He has saved us from his wrath! That's the point. 

     The song I linked to above has a line in there about it: "He has proven his love."We don't need to wonder why God would love us. We don't need to know why; it's enough to just know he does.  The truth is, we don't know everything about God, and it's not up to us to unravel every mystery about him. We will NEVER fully understand God, even when we get to heaven. Another song about this comes to mind (I don't know who it's by but it's a really good song). The line that sticks out to me is: "But the one thing I don't question is You; You really love me, like You say You do." This is only one of the beautiful things about our Lord Jesus; we don't have to know everything and "do it ourselves." All we have to do is give our lives to God and act like the children we are; his children. What a freeing concept!

     Now, I'm not saying that we shouldn't strive to know God better and grow closer to him. Far from it. We SHOULD be growing in our knowledge of God, and fellowshipping with other believers to seek God love him more! It's just that there are some things about God that are mysteries, and maybe some of them will be uncovered when we get to heaven.

     So. As Christians, we are God's sons and daughters, and God loves us. We don't need to know everything about God, or why God loves us. He just does, and that's enough for our weak, mortal brains to think about. All we need to do is give our whole lives to him to take care of. He can do it so much better than we ever could. :) 

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7

One of your sisters in Christ's big family, 

-Sarah :)