Looking Back...

Well, summer for me is almost up. A week from Wednesday (the 12th) I move back into my dorm up at Carson-Newman. A friend and I were talking today, and whenever we talk, it's like God's love is just bubbling over. I love this girl. She always asks me direct, meaningful questions, which take me aback yet for which I am so grateful. One question she always seems to ask is, "What has God taught you?" - in this case, over the summer. 

Hmm. 

One thing that I can say is that looking back to last summer, I do feel completely different. I've engaged in challenging conversations, met new friends, been a part of 2 churches with newly laid foundation (both of which are amazing - check out The Ridge Community Church and Arrowhead Church), read interesting books and really tried to delve deeper into the Word, taken tough and inspiring classes, and through all of this, grown closer to my Jesus. Through these things, God has shown me ... stuff. This past year, I've learned that one of the most important (if not the most important) means of sharing Christ's love is by being His hands. That doesn't mean whipping out our favorite verses in the first few minutes of a fresh conversation with a new friend. It does mean sacrifice of time, spirit, energy, and money. By sacrificing these to God through donation to others, people begin to see - through the Spirit's power in us - that maybe there is something (someONE) worth living for. Not to say that God needs me, but the fact that He chooses to use me leaves me no other option but to recklessly serve. I haven't always done that, but God deserves nothing less, so I'll keep striving. 

Second, I've learned that every day, every second, I must attempt to wrap my mind around the fact that God is enough for me. It's easy to fill my spiritual life with the overflow from my financial "happiness" and scholastic success. STUFF doesn't matter. Just in the past couple of weeks, I've really been thinking about the things my culture idolizes: fashion (cloth to cover your naked self), trendy TV (people pretending to be someone else for the sake of our own), high-end cars (machines that transport us from A to B), etc. That may sound random, but it's like it's all just hit me - all of that is so perishable and so fleeting. And I've been so caught up in it. Don't hear what I'm not saying - we don't need to be removed from culture. But this obsession is just suffocating. So, back to my point, obsession with all this stuff creates a taller and bigger wall between ourselves and God. I've felt this happening before. It's like every day is a struggle to be "Christian." However, removing ourselves from this obsession while remaining culturally relevant to people around us brings us closer to God's heart.

The question that's been on my heart all summer is one that I first read in Crazy Love by Francis Chan. It's a John Piper quote thats left me feeling really torn. I've thought about this, and it is a tough, tough question. I encourage you to ponder this question and see where you fall. Then, no matter where that is, let's all pray that God draws us closer and that in response, we live with total abandon to Jesus' call and commission.

"The critical question for our generation- and every generation- in this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters- could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?" - John Piper