Living Wholeheartedly for Christ

Let me tell you what, sweet friends, I am absolutely loving summer break. It has seriously been the best summer so far, and I have loved recharging my battery, digging into the Word, and being able to spend so many quiet moments with Jesus.

Towards the end of last school year, I was asked to speak at one of our final chapels. As I prayed and asked the Lord what He would have me share, I felt like I had a whisper into my soul about sharing a glimpse into what this life we are living is all about. And that is to give God glory through all things.

This concept has been burning in my mind since that day, and I feel like the Lord has revealed a few things to me that I would love to share.

One of my favorite passages in Scripture says this, "You are the light of the world. A town on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify you Father in Heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

So many things come to my mind when I read those verses:

• The simplicity of the Gospel is amazing: God loves you more than anything. He died for you, and He wants you to live for Him.
• The ultimate purpose of your life is to bring glory to God in everything that you do, in everything that you say, and in everything that you are. 
•  You were put on this planet for one reason: to constantly and consistently point people back to Jesus.

I want to share five practical steps to help you (and me) to use every aspect of our lives to bring glory to Jesus:

     1. Recognize who you are in Christ.

Your worth is not determined by how many friends you have on Facebook or followers on Instagram. Your worth is not determined by your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife. It's not determined by your friends or your parents. Your worth is solely determined by who you are in Jesus. And that is accepted. That is important. That is treasured. That is loved beyond measure.

     2. Spend time in the Word and in prayer.

Boy oh boy, has this one hit me hard lately... a wonderful, life-changing, earth-shattering type of hard. The more I talk to and love on Jesus and spend time reading His Word, the more I want and need Him. The more I want to saturate my life in His promises. 

To know who you are, you have to know Whose you are. The Word of God is the will of God for your life. There are over 7,000 promises in Scripture, and each of them have your name on it. We literally have His plan for our lives at our fingertips, but unfortunately, so many times we take it for granted and we don't spend the time necessary digging in to what He has for us. But the moment we choose to see what He has in store for us, we realize it is GOOD. It is SO good, friends. 

He will meet every need from His riches (Philippians 4:19), He will forgive all our sins (Ephesians 1:7), He will make everything work out for our good (Romans 8:28), He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), He will give power and strength to the weak and weary (Isaiah 40:29), and He will guide you and give you direction for your life (Psalm 32:8).

And those are just scratching the surface of the fabulous things He wants to give us. We just have to open our eyes and hearts, sling our arms open wide with abandon, and be expectant about what He wants to do in our lives.

Goodness, I don't know about you, but that PUMPS. ME. UP.

3. Put on your armor daily. 

We have a very real enemy who loves nothing more than to see us fail and to be ineffective for the Kingdom of God. Satan wants to destroy us and turn our worlds upside down. If you don't believe that, all you have to do is turn on the news for five minutes to see the state of disruption He is causing. 

But the cool part is, He ain't going to win, y'all. Know why? Because He's already been defeated. The moment Jesus shed His blood on the cross for us is the moment Satan LOST. 

As Christians, we aren't fighting FOR victory; we are fighting FROM victory. And honestly, it's time we start standing behind that promise. To do that, we have to put on our spiritual armor every. single. day. We have to be ready to fight off Satan and his demonic army. 

When you get a few minutes, read and meditate on Ephesians 6:11-18. This is where we have a full description of what it means to put on our armor. 

4. Choose wisely the people you surround yourself with. 

Proverbs 13:20 says, "Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm." I don't know about you, but I want to be wise and constantly receive wisdom. The Bible is clear in saying that who we hang around can either help us swim, or they will cause you to sink. 

Who you choose to surround yourselves with will determine the direction and quality of your life. If you have ever had a "friend" who was constantly negative and doing things you knew were not right, you probably realized how that person was affecting how you thought, how you spoke, and how you acted. Friends like that typically cause you to pretend to be someone you're not and tend to pressure you to compromise what you believe in. 

You've probably heard it said that you become the five people you hang around. If you were to take an honest look at your friendships, are your friends building you up in Jesus and helping to keep you accountable to the Word? Or are they tearing you down and causing you to fall away from the plan God has for your life?

A true friend makes you better. And to have a good friend, you have to first be a good friend. :)

5. Discover your purpose. 

We have to learn to serve God in the "now," right where we are. We don't need to wait until we find the right person or the perfect job or the best house or the exact place we want to be in life. Because God can (and will) use us right now at the moment in the exact place we are. He will re-navigate our lives to the right path no matter how far we think we've gone astray.

With Christ, we are a masterpiece, but without Him, we are a mess. Boy, can I attest to the whole being-a- mess-without-Him thing?! Can I get an amen? Hehe. But forreal, all too often we look around at everyone else's gifts and talents, and we forget our God-ordained purpose. 

When we identify ourselves in Christ, the mess is over, and the masterpiece begins. Dr. Seuss says it best, "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive more youer than you." :)

Be the you God has called you to be. Seek His face in every decision you make so that you can honor Him through the small times and the big times. Don't get caught up in the what the world says is right or in what you think is best for your life. The moment you start focusing on your own plans is the moment you stop relying on God's plans. He's got you; you just have to trust Him. 

Is life going to be easy just because you follow Jesus, friends? Nope, not all. There are going to be trials, tribulations, set backs, break ups, lost family or friends, broken relationships, etc.

But I will tell you this, what the world means for bad, God turns around for good. When God puts a purpose in you, absolutely nothing can stop you.

Remember this, God is for you. If you don't believe that , then you'll pray small timid prayers and live a timid life; but if you do believe it, then you'll pray big, bold prayers and live a bold life for Him. Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers. Point people to Him with your words and your life. Bring glory to His name in everything that you do.

There is nothing God loves more than keeping His promises, answering prayers, performing miracles, and fulfilling dreams. Let him do all of that for you today, sweet friends.

That is Who He is and that is what He does.

Love & Blessings, 

Claire

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