My Job as a Maid

All things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. - Colossians 1:16-17

If you were a maid or a servant in the house of a rich person, you wouldn't come in to work making demands and requests of the rich person or start telling them everything you need. You would respect their authority over you and the fact that it's their house and you abide by their rules and your job is to help make everything go well and be good for them. That is how things should be with God. Why do we step foot in God's house and suddenly start telling him what we need and want, and only listen to him when it benefits us or feels good to us? That's so backwards. We must respect and honor God's authority and spend our whole lives making sure He is glorified. It's not always going to feel good because our flesh tells us that in order for us to feel good, we must be benefitting somehow from our actions. Well, the way that we "benefit" is by dying to our own ideas and thoughts and creating a new normal by taking God's ideas and thoughts as our own and doing everything we can to achieve them. That is when we should feel satisfied and that is what we should ask God to help us achieve. Not our own fleshly wants and desires because that is not our job. We live in God's house and must abide by his rules. 

Dear Teenage Me

These last few years have brought intense and wonderful growth and learning for me. I have mended wounds and settled in ways that I never expected, especially as I look back on where I was ten years ago at 15. Although I know that it's the struggles that make someone who they are, there's a part of me that wishes I could go back in time with some pointers for my lost and insecure teenage self. If I could, here is what I would say:

Keep studying that language. You'll seriously regret stopping it later. 

Get serious about an after school activity or sport. 

See that person sitting by themselves? Go reach out to them. 

Forgive people even if they don't deserve it. It's really freeing. 

The people who speak down to you? They aren't meant to stay in your life. 

It doesn't matter what you say or wear, if he's meant for you, he will think you're beautiful. Don't try and make him like you. If he's meant for you, he'll make the effort. 

Stop taking for granted how amazing your family is. You couldn't be more blessed with them. 

God has the most amazing life ahead for you, although be ready for it to be his plan, not your plan. 

You won't find your husband in college, but you'll equip yourself for your future and create amazing memories along the way. 

Any problem or struggle that you go through isn't a punishment from God or even a sign to take control of it yourself. It's a test of faith and trust and you must immediately give it to God. 

Be the bigger person. You don't have to confront a situation first or be the one to stand their ground and not apologize. 

Be invested in what other people have to say and take time to just listen. 

Really understand and live out your worth. God, who created the universe, thinks you're phenomenal. 

When people are mean or negative to you, it's probably not all because of you. It's most likely something they're struggling with deep down inside. 

Make your relationship with God, not friends or guys, your number one priority. Pray and read your Bible every day, even if it feels awkward or forced.

Start working out and eating healthy now. And stand up straight. Your posture is horrible. 

Life gets better. Just wait. 

Visible Power of an Invisible God

Colossians 1:15-16 Invisible God

"Messiah is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him."

It’s funny how God works sometimes. I was just looking up verses about God’s power in order to gain a greater love and adoration for Him. I was ignoring the Alphabetical Names of God plan that I usually follow and instead trying to take matters into my own hands by looking up verses about God’s power. One of the verses I came upon was Colossians 1:16. I paused momentarily to think how good of a verse it was and how it stuck out the most of any so far, but then continued on trying to make the note with all of the verses looking organized rather than sinking into each verse’s meaning. Suddenly, I felt the pull to stop and go to the Alphabetical Name of God verse of the day. Come to find out, what is the verse of the day? “Invisible God - Colossians 1:15-16". Okay God, point taken.

I think the fact that God is invisible makes Him extremely intimidating, but also even more amazing and awe-inspiring. God can be anywhere at any time and can control the earth more than someone inside of it. His hand is bigger than the earth itself and therefore He has power to do whatever he sees to be best for us and his kingdom. He is above and outside of our world so that he can see all of the inner workings of each situation. He can foresee the future to know what needs to be done to make it for the best outcome, even though we often times think it looks a mess when we're in it. He knows exactly where we will be tomorrow, next month, five years from now and can control not just us and the people around us, but every inner movement of life and the world. 

I am reminded constantly of God's power. I just look at the world around me and my situations and I can see it. I went through all of the bad times with social situations in middle school and high school because only God knew that I would come out on the other side confident and with the most beautiful friends and family who stuck by me through it all. I never dated anyone seriously because only God knew that he would save my heart for the one. I student taught in college in some random farmland school that only God knew I would end up getting an amazing job at. I chose to spoke positively about people and events because only God knew that those positive words would turn themselves into positive thoughts. I know that God loves me and has the greatest life plan for me, even if it's not what I expected myself.

So why don’t I blindly follow and trust him? Why do I try to take everything into my own hands and power? I HAVE NO POWER. God IS power! I need to trust that God has not just a plan, but he already has everything set into place. I just need to obey him. Not only does God know everything and create everything, but everything is created FOR HIM. Not for me. Our worship is to glorify God, not to make us feel good. Our actions are to be a testimony for him, not to build up our own pride. Our words are to obey him, not to make us better. Our lives are to follow him and further his kingdom, not follow our own dreams and further ourselves.