The blog

Wow…there is so much for me to write about.

I have this painfully annoying tendency to push off blogging for as long possible despite how much I want to write. It’s some severe case of cognitive dissonance I have. As a psychology major, you would think I should know the solution to this problem, but I digress.

It has been quite some time since my last post, and I have accumulated a long, varying list of thoughts to share. I could talk about coming home for Christmas break and how relaxing and healing it was to finally be in a queen-sized bed again, or my 2023 reflections and New Year’s resolutions, or the revelations of gratitude I’ve received in the recent weeks, or the Passion Conference I attended and how absolutely life changing it was. I spent the last day or two trying to find a common theme in all of these thoughts and summarize them into one comprehensible post. I find myself at a loss of words, other than the fact that the Holy Spirit is moving in ways I can’t even fully understand.

The Holy Spirit is doing something powerful, unprecedented, and worthy of all our attention. There has been, in my opinion, a notable shift in my generation’s worship and hunger for the Lord. Never in my life have I been so surrounded by people MY AGE who are desperate for Jesus.

I went to the Passion Conference for the first time with my boyfriend Jasper and our friend, Liam King. It was exciting to be in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and be lead into worship by THE Brandon Lake and Brook Ligertwood and hear from some of the most renown pastors of our time.

At one point during the conference, I grew physically and emotionally exhausted. I had a moment towards the end of the second night where I just thought to myself, “What am I doing here? Isn’t this just church? Worship and a message…more worship and another message…worship again…Why spend so much money on something I do every Sunday?”

And then it clicked.

This is more than worship, and it is more than hearing a good message.

I noticed right then and there these three things:

1. There are people around the world who walk for miles every week just to worship the Lord and be ministered to. What a blessing it is to do so at such a convenience. How could this ever become tiring? “…any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for Heaven.” – A.W. Tozer
2. I became concretely aware that nobody in the entire stadium came to get on some “youth camp Jesus-high,” nor did anyone come for the sake of getting their cup filled. No, they came out of reverence for Christ, and because they have an unwavering awe for God. There is no doubt in my mind that these 18-22 year-olds joined in perfect harmony with the voices in Heaven.
3. I am special and important to God, but my problems, however small or large they may be, are so incredibly unimportant. There is a reason that we are told to find joy in our tribulations and hope in our sufferings. Jesus came to accomplish something far greater than our comfort and happiness. Despite whatever hardship I or anyone else am facing, the angels are still crying out,

Holy, Holy, Holy
is the Lord God Almighty
who was, who is, and who is to come

I learned that the phrases "I deserve to be happy" and "I deserve for my life to be easy" and "I deserve Jesus' death on the cross" is a recipe to feel entitled and a lack contentment in your life. When you broaden your scope and see how you alone make up less than 0.0000000125% of the earth, and that the entire global population does not compare to what the Heavens hold, you realize that Christ died for something so much greater. Our freedom is in the Kingdom of Heaven and nowhere else. 

Realizing this is the only way to truly surrender to Christ, because until you realize that His glory being made manifest through your sufferings is far more important than your personal happiness, you will keep fighting for your will versus making space for His. 

God asks us to trust Him not because He wants to keep His good plan for our lives hidden, but because we are incapable of seeing His eternal plan in full. We cannot grasp that level of glory. We, on this earth, can only catch glimpses of it. 

Christ died on the cross to restore the earth back to its beautiful, perfect form and to reconcile the lost back to Him. When we hold this to be true, we will find joy in suffering and hope in tribulations, not because our lives on earth might one day be easier, but because one day Heaven and earth will join together, and we will witness and experience the glory that is is come. 

Nowhere in scripture does it say, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me towards happiness and comfort." 

No. It says, 

And it also says,

And

And the Word of God goes on and on and on and on. You were not made for suffering, but you were also not made for your own sake. Remember who you live for.

I want to make it clear that I am not suggesting we look for ways to suffer. God does not want any of His children hurting. Sin has corrupted our earth and allowed for such suffering, but we give Him praise because we know that the there is something greater beyond this life – something that could only be achieved through the death of His son.

Louie Giglio spoke at the conference and reminded us about our purpose. He inspired the title of this blog. Scripture says that the truth will set you free. I pray that you find the unexplainable freedom in no longer living, but rather Christ living within you.

May you see the glory of God in your sufferings. May you remember how precious you are to God – your soul costed the death of His only Son. May you find joy in your trials and hope in your tribulations. May you find freedom knowing how small you are in the grand scheme of it all. May you come to know that the Kingdom of God is so much greater than any of your problems. May you keep pressing on, knowing that you are being called Heavenward. May you never grow weary and tired of worshipping the Almighty.

You are worthy of it all
You are worthy of it all
For from you are all things
and to you are all things 
You deserve the Glory