Two weeks ago, I was held at gunpoint by two men.
Six days later, Pastor Rick asked at the start of his sermon on Revelation 13, “Do you believe there is such a thing as evil in the world today?” Through tears, I thought, Yes. I stared it in the face. The sermon ultimately culminated with our great hope that God is in control. Eternal Victory is the Lord’s.
Everyday, we are becoming something. We are either becoming more like the world or more like Jesus. As Christians, we can often ask ourselves, “How do I become like Christ?” Personally, if this question is asked, I immediately come up with a to-do list: read my Bible, pray, go to church, serve, bear good fruit, etc. I could come up with a million ways to become more like Christ and if I could figure out a way to perform some miracles here and there, then I would really be set!
Sometimes self care can get a bad reputation, especially in the Christian world. “Aren’t we supposed to serve others?” “Shouldn’t I think of others before myself?” These are common questions I get asked when helping women move towards prioritizing themselves so they no longer feel overwhelmed wanting to escape and numb their lives.
Right now we are being inundated with advertising trying to sell us the secret to everything from weight loss, relationships, meditation, time management, and happiness itself. Marketers know that people often feel stuck in old habits and are looking for help in the new year. But what if we have it backwards. What if we need to look backwards and inwards before we look forward and reach outwards for help?
When I look back over the story of my life, it is a rather curious tale of what God has used and how. As a teenager, I longed to do and be something extraordinary for God. I felt I was the least likely candidate to do so, but I was tired of feeling average. I saw absolutely no discernable talents in myself and was fed up with being intimidated by my lack of Bible knowledge and overwhelming feelings of inferiority.
I still remember sitting in the upper section of what was then called the Ford Center. It was June 2003. The concert was packed, people were smoking weed around me, and I had a great time. A few weeks later, I went back to the Ford Center for a Billy Graham Crusade and just happened to sit in the same section as the concert a few weeks back. I was in a very public arena, yet I could feel the tangible presence of God. I could not tell you any of the points to his sermon, however I vividly remember the stark difference of the two events because of the light that Billy Graham was sharing.
