Dear Self | Say Yes

Dear Self,

I used to wonder if I would be strong enough to die for my faith.  Would I turn aside when fear clutched me?  Or would my eyes stare straight ahead despite my trembling fingers?  The questions wrestled inside me until I found an answer:  I think - I hope - I would be brave enough.

But in some ways, dying for Christ doesn't seem as hard as living for Him.  The decision to stand up amidst persecution would take one "yes".  Living for Jesus takes a hundred "yes"es every day.

That's why this letter is for you, dear self.  I'm tired of serving you and turning away from the "yes"es Jesus calls me to proclaim.  I'm tired of you having the throne of my heart.  It's not yours to take.

Let's go back a little ways.

When we decide to let Jesus reign over our lives, do we really know what we're getting into?  I didn't.  At six years old, I only understood that I needed to be saved from hell - and that was through Jesus.

But I didn't know that it went beyond that first "yes".  Being a Christian is so much more.  It's not just saying a prayer once and living in our own strength.

I've read this verse a million times, but it became real to me for the first time this week.

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

- 2 Chronicles 7:14

Humble ourselves?  Turn from our ways?  Is that what's God calling us to do?  Jesus gave us the answer in Mark.

Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

- Mark 8:34-36

Every day, I fight against this truth.  My self bitterly resists any attempts to sacrifice my own pride and live for Someone else.  It whispers in my ear, "This doesn't matter - live for yourself!"

But am I willing to deny myself and follow Jesus?

When the options are reading a novel or spending time in prayer, do I deny myself?  When I can give a sarcastic remark or offer honest love, do I deny myself?  When I just want "me time", to run away from the world, to delete an email, to slack on my priorities, to complain about life, do I deny myself?

Do I follow 1 Corinthians 9:27 to discipline my body and bring it into submission so that I am not disqualified by preaching without putting the truth into action in my own life?

As Christians, we are called to live continually offering our "yes"es.  Yes, we will deny our comforts to bring love to others.  Yes, we will do hard things to bring Jesus glory.  Yes, we will share the Gospel with whoever God brings our way.  Yes, we will smile despite our circumstances and accept whatever may come because we know that we're not alone.

Is that the life I'm living?  Or is self still sitting on the throne of my heart?

A secular site I read today admitted that our world's focus is on "me me me."  It wrote that people are self-centered and self-serving, doing only what's best for them.  This problem is obvious to almost every person in society - but what's the solution?

Our world is consumed by self, but we are not called to be of this world (1 John 2:15).  We're called to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.  Even if we're tired or unworthy or feel like a failure.

Jesus has a perfect, beautiful plan for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11).  Yet we cannot achieve the wonderful ending of a story without accepting the plot twists and catastrophes that come.  That's the answer:  Are we willing to let go of ourselves and turn from our ways to embrace the life He has for us?

Dear self, my life doesn't belong to you.  It never did.  It belongs to Jesus, and I'm going to live a life of "yes".  He's in charge.  You have permission to step down and flee.

I want every moment of my life to count for Him.  I want to surrender all of myself.  My life must be set-apart, as a bride waiting eagerly to hear her lover's call.

Every decision - what I eat, what I wear, what I read, what I type, what I do - should be chosen to lift Christ up.  That's my life calling.

Even if I never have the chance to die for Christ, I still want to live for Him with every breath I take.  I want to know Him, I want to hear His voice, I want to know Him more (In the Secret).

Right now, that might look like pausing in my busy day to sing a song of worship.  Or it might be encouraging a sibling when I really just want to be alone.

Jesus is enough.

Recently, I read a book that encouraged me in this area.  Your Dream. God's Plan.: Are You Longing for Something More? reminded me of the beauty that comes when we sacrifice our dreams for something so much bigger.  One quote summarizes the message.

When God interrupts our lives with His dream, it can be hard for us to want to step forward to embrace that calling because we see the sacrifice instead of the reward.

- Tiffany Smiling

We must let God interrupt our lives.  Yes, this involves sacrifice, but if we don't let go, we'll miss out on the greater calling and reward that He has for those who love Him.

But dear friend, will you deny self and turn to Jesus?  Was your decision to become a Christian the only "yes" you offered, or will you continue to pour out your "yes"es?  If you want to know Him, are you willing to humble yourself and turn away from your ways?  What does that look like in your life today?

I hope to hear from you in the comments.  Let's encourage one another to throw aside every hindrance to seek Him.

As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

- 2 Samuel 22:31

Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.

- Psalm 37:5 

~♥~

photo credits: Josiah Chad

Dear You | Discussion

Dear You,

At first, this blogging series of letters was going to be one post.  Then three posts.  And now I don't see an end in sight.  I think sometimes God laughs at our plans, because He has something in store that's so much bigger.

But although I can get busy writing these posts, I don't want to miss out on what's more important - you, dear reader.  I don't want to just write.  I want to write something that's going to pull you and me closer to Jesus.  That's hard to do if I don't know who or where you are or what's going on in life.

So let's chat!

How can I be praying for you?  How is life?  What has God been teaching you?  What writing, reading, art, or other projects are you working on?

How can I serve you better through these posts?  Is there a letter you would be blessed by reading?

You girls are amazing and beautiful and treasured.  Even if I don't know you personally, I am so thankful for your friendship.  And I know that there is a God who is crazy in love with you.

I hope to have a vlog post soon to update you on some exciting writer-ly things coming up in my life.  But for now, I want to hear what's going on in your world.

I'll leave with my favorite Bible verse (and I'm curious - what's yours?).

The Lord your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.

- Zephaniah 3:17

~♥~ 

Dear Romantic | Rewrite Love

Dear Romantic,

To tell the truth, Valentine's Day never meant a lot to me.  I grew up dreaming of a Prince Charming who would sweet me off my feet.  I longed for the bosom friend who knew my deepest secrets and Loved me just the same.  But it was a distant dream, something I could only hope for.

I thought feeling alone was natural.  No friend can be with you every moment of the day.  So you hold things in.  The special moments linger inside you with no one to share them with.

And Valentine's Day was just another box to cross off the calendar with a shrug of the shoulders.

Last year, all that changed.  While reading a book, God opened my eyes to who He truly was.  And I realized my error - I was seeking an earthly hero when I already had a heavenly Prince.

My thinking changed.  I began to read Song of Solomon as Love letters between me and Jesus.  The promises in Isaiah became more real.

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name;

You are Mine.

...I will be with you...

Since you were precious in My sight,

You have been honored;

And I have loved you.

- Isaiah 43:1-2, 4

For your Maker is your husband,

The Lord of hosts is His name;

And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;

He is called the God of the whole earth.

- Isaiah 54:5 

I was a princess, treasured and Loved by my Prince.  As His Love began to touch every area of my life, I recorded the beauty of His Love through a story that meant much more than a story in my life.

What's the point of me telling all this to you?  I want you to realize the eminent beauty of His Love.  I want you to not accept less than the wonderful plan He has for you.  I want you to see yourself as a princess who is Loved by a Prince, despite your flaws and weaknesses.

A friend shared Isaiah 58 with me recently.  One verse stood out specifically to me.

‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen?

Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?'

- Isaiah 58:3

So often as Christians, I believe we see our faith as a list of works we need to complete.  We fast, pray, read our Bibles, and go to Church because it's something we're supposed to do.  If we don't, we'll feel guilty.

But God has so much more for those who Love Him.

He's a loving Father who wants us to be willing to sacrifice anything because we Love Him that much.  But that's not the point of being a Christian.

Isaiah 58 continues on to say what God's really seeking after.  He wants us to truly Love others - to loose the bonds of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that we break every yoke.  (verse 6)

And then the glory of the Lord will surround us.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.'

- Isaiah 58:9 

He's waiting for us to call out to Him.  He's the Friend we've been longing for.  He's our Protector, Lover, and Savior.  He knows all our secrets and doubts and fear and Loves us just the same.

Being a Christian isn't about living as a slave.  It's about loving Someone so much that nothing else matters.  And through all the trials we face, He'll be by our side giving us victory, hope, and a future.

We'll have hard times.  We'll have to sacrifice ourself.  But we'll be delivered.

Dear Romantic, Jesus gave us the most beautiful Love story.  He will never leave us or forget us or fail to hear our prayers.  He gave up what was most precious to Him to save us - that's real romance.

I challenge you to give your Valentine's Day to Him.  Live it for Him.  Say "yes" to His prodding.  And remember that His salvation will be forever.  (Isaiah 51:6)

How are you going to give yourself to your Prince?  What are practical steps you can take to rewrite Love and be set-apart for Jesus?  Let's live this out together.

I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.

- Song of Solomon 6:3

'For the mountains shall depart
And the hills be removed,
But My kindness shall not depart from you,
Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,'
Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

- Isaiah 54:10

~♥~

photo credits: Pexels

Dear Blogger | Give Your Blog to God

Dear Blogger,

Each of us embarked on our blogging adventures for a reason.  I don't know what yours was.  Were you wanting to change the world and give hope to the hopeless?  Did you want to make new friends while sharing your heart in words?  Or was this a simple idea that began to grow into something beyond your imagination?

If you're like me, you can look back on your early days of blogging and shake your head.  Young me knew so little.  I could have never imagined where I would be 2 1/2 years later.  God used this blog to change me so much.

I learned, I changed, I grew.  But I also sighed, grew discouraged, and wanted to give up.

I'm getting off track here.  This letter is for you, dear blogger.  So, if you have a place on the internet you see as home, here's what's on my heart.  I want to share two things - a challenge and encouragement.

The Challenge

This has always been my biggest struggle with blogging:

me.

Yes, me.  I started off my blog for Jesus.  It was to spread His story of love to the world.  More specifically, God called me to start this blog from a single verse.

I will...talk of Your deeds.

- Psalm 77:12

That was it.  Just talk of His deeds.  How simple right?  Wrong.  It's been a battle at times - a battle between myself and Him.

Myself doesn't blog to lift others up.  It blogs to get more comments.  It blogs to see the follower stat rise.  To promote myself, to please myself.

I still fight this mentality.  It's hard to blog because of Love.  It's hard to keep from turning people into followers.

But when we do that, we miss so much.

Dear Blogger, we can't blog to promote ourselves.  And we absolutely can't see beautiful people made in God's image as mere numbers to boast about.  Our reason for blogging must be so much more.  When we became Christians, we gave up "self" to live for Christ.  He should be the focus of our daily lives.  And do you remember what He says about others?  (see John 13:34 and Philippians 2:3-4)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God;

- 1 John 4:7

My goal in blogging is to show Love to you and to God.  The number of followers, comments, and stats doesn't really matter in light of eternity.

I challenge you to give your blog to Jesus.  Let Him use it.  Let the words you type be typed through prayer and out of the outflow of your relationship with Him.

The Encouragement

There's another side of the follower dilemma.  When we look at our stats and are unsatisfied, we can often feel like we aren't making a difference.

I can't give you answers.  I can't say if you are or are not making a difference.  And guess what, I can't say that about my own blog either.  But I've realized something.

More than 14% of the page-views on my blog have been from a single Asian country in which I don't know a single person.  While this might seem unnerving to some, it gave me an interesting idea.

What if people read our words who we'll never know about?  What if in that Asian country, in which being a Christian is unpopular, there was a fellow believer who was encouraged by something I said?  What if God's using my blog in ways I'll never realize?

I don't know who reads the words I write.  I don't know if they go in one ear and out the other or if they're really making a difference.  But it doesn't matter.  Because if I'm writing for God, isn't that enough?

My friend, you don't know how God's using you.  So press on.  Write for His glory, and give your blog into His loving hands.  Even if no one comments or if it seems like no one cares, let Him do the work He's best at - changing the world.

Live to hear Him say these words,

Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.

- Matthew 25:21

Keep writing!  Keep living for our Savior!  Don't let anything distract you from what matters most.

Who knows how God will use your life if it's completely dedicated to His will?

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

- Luke 16:10

 

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

- 1 Corinthians 2:2 

~♥~

photo credits: Pexels