For Such a Time as This...

As I watched, in one swift blow a young woman's godly dreams and hopes were crushed to pieces. My heart wept and I knelt before the Father, lifting her up that she would not stumble and lose heart because of this. My heart was crushed with hers, wondering how this woman would weave her way thru the maze that seemed set up especially to trap her and pull her into a sea of bitterness and, in disheartened sorrow, leave the journey of life she walks with Jesus. And from my own journey, I know that God is working His work in her and can make beauty to come from the ashes if she allows Him to do that. He has the great mysterious ability to turn evil situations into things for His glory.

And I weep. At the youth and old alike who leave the 'faith' they once embraced, totally disheartened and stunned at things done in the name of God that are not of him at all.

If you are one such youth, or now an adult who was that youth (I was!), I have a message for you.

1. Make God your everything. Look at HIM, not at the people who hurt you/created havoc/made Jesus look bad. Love Him with your all.

2. Be humble. Lay your life down for your friends. Don't feel like you need to singlehandedly change the many areas that are wrong in  your culture/church/family/community. Just quietly, humbly, honestly be the change you wish to see in the world and God will use that in ways you never thought possible, for His glory.

3. Don't let yourself focus on the wrongs. Focus on Jesus. Pattern your life after Him. He is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. He is the Answer to everything.
4. Don't make people your god. God will have no other gods before Him. Make your whole life about knowing Him and making Him known and you will find your way fulfilling, satisfying, peaceful, and always guided by the Hands that made you.
5. Lay aside all bitterness and anger. Speak no evil against anyone, even against those who wronged you or hurt you in the name of God. In order to do this, I have found for myself that I need to lay down all the hurts and all the anger at the foot of the Cross and actually 'pray for those who despitefully use (me)'. God has done incredible things in filling my heart with compassion for those very people who wronged me and hurt me.
6. Let the mistakes of others be used of God to teach you things He wants you to know. We do not need to make all the mistakes in order to learn. We can learn from others, whether to avoid certain things or whether to copy them as they follow Christ.
7. Fill your life with God. I stream music most mornings to get my mind started out thinking of my Father, Friend, Savior, Redeemer, Faithful Guide and Healer. I encourage you to keep "the secret place" a priority and love to sit at Jesus' feet. That is the secret to weathering whatever storms come your way. I am convinced that is how Jesus could face the crowds every day...the needy ones, the sullen ones, the spiteful ones, the broken ones, the sinful ones. He spent much time alone with God.
8. Do things regularly that 'restore your soul'. Different people enjoy different things and I'm not talking about expensive hobbies or time consuming things that detract from God's call on our lives to preach the Gospel and teach others. I'm talking about things like taking a walk in the country in the early evening, or sitting by the lake on a quiet afternoon, or playing games with your family, or reading a good book, or gardening, or painting, or cleaning :). A little 'down time' or 'me time' is a good soul refresher if it is spent profitably and can keep you being a joyful and cheerful person in the thick of life.
9. Make relationships the most important thing in life. We really are here simply to love God and love others so it seems to me that no matter how much we've been hurt in relationships, we need to 'get back on the horse' and be a humble servant in whatever relationships He brings our way. Jesus came to serve and not to be served. Can we as His servants be any greater than He was?
10. Remember that God has given you all that you need for life and godliness. The Book of books has much instruction; find godly older disciplers if you can, and meet with believers as much as you can to worship together.


There is hope. Because there is God. Make Him your everything and you will have everything you need to make it Home.

Love and blessings,
Marcia

PS

Oh, an one more thing. I just want to encourage you not to 'run'. Just give your cares to Jesus. Hurt is real. But so is the HEALER of healers. And ask God what He wants you to be and do in the circumstances you feel you want to run from. It could well be that He is preparing you to make a difference in the community in which you find yourself. I believe that Jesus still changes lives today. Let's let Him change our lives and be the change we wish to see in the world. Let's let Him through us make a difference in the lives of those He has us with. In His name. For His glory.

Reach Out to Jesus