Messy Worship

I was part of a time of community worship tonight, and I'd like to share a little about what God laid on my heart as I felt his presence there.

First off, some context. I'm currently living in a community full of Jesus fanatics where I'm learning so much (some people call it college). It's such a blessing to be here, and I was reminded why as I worshiped with these people only a few hours ago.

Also in introduction, I want to make clear that I love and am greatly appreciative of everyone who helped organize that worship event. I'm about to say some brutally honest things, but I think that's necessary to make my point.

So, in the vein of being honest (I say this without any condemnation), I think the logistics of the worship time were pretty messy. I've led worship and listened to countless other worship bands in my lifetime, so (sadly to say) I unconsciously came with a comparing heart. That's not to say I wasn't excited about worship; I enjoyed the music and experience thoroughly, right from the start. However, I did notice the little things: the band didn't seem totally prepared, the sound and media systems weren't working right, and it was a bit awkward starting off. As the night went on, however, the Holy Spirit grabbed hold of me (as it did those around me), and those things didn't matter anymore. Sure, I still didn't really know what songs the band was playing and there were still technical issues. Yet a time of genuine worship ensued in spite of all that. Scratch that. I actually think a time of genuine worship ensued because of all that. (You can think I'm crazy as long as you keep reading.)

As I stood there, worshiping and praying, God put this word in my mind: messy. I used that word earlier to describe the event, but as God spoke to me, something else came to mind. I'm messy. My life, my circumstances, my doubts, fears, and failures - I'm a mess. Then I thought about it more. The people around me; they're messy too. Those guys leading worship; they're messy too. Humanity is messy. We don't have it all together, and the logistics of our life are a wreck. Yet, here's the thing - there's beauty in that.

The fact that humanity is messy means God has something to work with. I don't know if you know, but God's in the business of taking messy things and making them beautiful again. That's what happened at worship tonight, and that's what he's doing in each one of us. He's taking the mess and transforming it.

To bring it all back, I think part of what made the worship feel so genuine was its messiness, its humanity. When we say God wants to meet us where we are, I think that's what we mean. It's not to condone sin. It's not to celebrate messiness in itself - it's to point us to the Savior who can erase all the sin and messiness. And God loves this. He wants our messy worship - the times where we want to seek and praise Him but don't know how. The times when we feel ashamed and unworthy. The times when we're empty and confused and lonely and hurting. The times we choose to surrender without knowing how.

So let's get into the habit of coming to God right where we are; bringing the worry, regret, shame, technical difficulties, etc. See, we don't come to our Savior broken so that God can glorify the mess; we come to Him so that the mess can be used to glorify God.

Our Story.

Do you think the story of your life matters? I do.

This summer, I have had the blessing to be part of an amazing community at Sky Lodge Christian Camp. Some call it a job, but the impact it's had on my life proves that it's so much more than that.

The theme of the summer staff program this year is "Our Story". When I first heard that, I was thrilled and terrified at the same time. Why? I was thrilled because I love stories. Not just the kind born in the minds of humans like J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, but also the stories that we all live. Each person contains a legacy of memories and experiences that have helped shape them; stories that strengthen and scar them. Most importantly, we all share in God's story and his plans for each of our lives. That's a beautiful thing when you actually contemplate it.

Then, however, God began to speak to me about my own story. That's when an uneasiness set in - the feeling that I would have to face my own scars and fears. I knew that if "Our Story" was the premise of the summer, that I, too, would be subject to share my life and be honest about it. That has proven to be true, but it's actually quite a wonderful experience. The summer is far from over, but already I've had the privilege of seeing raw humanity, both in myself and others.

What I'd like to make a point about, though, is why I felt uneasy in the first place and why I think we all feel that. I'm not apprehensive about sharing my story - that's something I now look forward to. The problem is, my story doesn't have a clean, happy ending. It's full of mistakes, it's incomplete, and it's just messy. Being a fan of stories and writing, I so wanted to have a conclusion. I wanted there to be an ending that could encourage others. I wanted closure, and I don't think I'm alone in this.

It's a seemingly naive sentiment; obviously our story isn't over, so there isn't an ending. But we don't want to tell an incomplete story because it exposes us. It leaves us right where we're at - messy, confused, struggling. It prevents us from painting ourselves to be something we're not. And even if we know deep down that that's a good thing, it still scares us. In addition, as a Christian I want my story to be a testimony of God's grace, but it seems hard to do that if I admit that I'm still a work in progress. We somehow have this perception that to be a Christian means to be clean and polished and all together. That's the disconnect.

So how do we shift our focus? How we do be honest while still glorifying God? First off, we need to realize that our story doesn't consist of only pain. No person is devoid of blessings and joys. You may be hurting as your family falls apart, but you still have that one person that you can talk to. You may have faced rejection all your life, but there were still those times you felt loved more than anything. You may not know how you're going to pay for school this year, but you know that God always provides. When we open up, it will be messy, but that doesn't mean there aren't joyful moments and victories in your story as well.

The second thing we need to understand is that we're not alone. The subconscious fear in most of us, I think, is that we'll be judged or rejected or ridiculed if we share our story. We think that we'll be singled out because we're so messed up. But let me remind you how absurd that is. Yes, there might be those people that condemn, but then it's them doing something wrong, not you. You see, you're not the odd one out if you're messed up. We all struggle and we all have joy and pain in our stories. We put up facades, so we fear that everyone else is in much better shape than we are, while that is rarely the case. So really, it'd be if you were perfect that you'd be the odd one out.

Chances are, you've either heard all this before or it seemed fairly obvious. Yet, I think we all need a reminder: You are not alone. You are not too far gone. Your story is worth sharing.

It takes a special humility to be honest. It's a humility that prevents us from towering over others but also keeps us from beating ourselves up. It's a terrifying thing, but imagine if we all lived like that. I would like to point out that honesty is not the same as a lack of discretion or privacy. Obviously not everything should be shared with everyone at any time. The excuse of "honesty" is also not a legitimate license for gossip or seeking attention.

True honesty, though - Spirit-led, God-honoring honesty - is something we are in need of, especially in the Christian community. We need to know that we're not alone. We need to learn to grow closer to God together in a new way. And that starts with me and you.

I'm learning what it means to honest. What's your story?

Doubt Saturday

First off, in terms of remembering important events or principles, Easter is the most important holiday of the year. What would our faith be without the events that we remember during this season?

Yesterday was Good Friday. Good Friday is an important day. It marks the day when the price of our sins was paid. In full. To put it simply - we messed up, and someone had to pay for it. Christ did that. For every single one of us, in all of history. Doesn't that sound like something we should think about every now and again?

So Good Friday and Easter Sunday are very important days, and we should use this time to reflect on what Christ has done for us. But today, I read a blog post about a very insightful topic: Doubt Saturday. In other words, the time between Good Friday and Easter Sunday - which would be today. I think this is a simple, but important concept. This is what the blog said:

The day between, the day of doubt, the day of frustration and questions and anguish, is just as important as the days surrounding it. You can’t have Easter Sunday without Good Friday, they say, but Easter Sunday wouldn’t nearly have its impact without faith-building Doubt Saturday. When God’s promises seem anything but achievable, and yet you still hold on to Him, seeing them come true in the end — even if it’s totally different than what you expected — is an incomparable joy.

I encourage you to read the whole thing here.

So what's being said here? Christ died, and then he rose again, but it didn't all happen at once. He waited. He didn't come out of the tomb the very next morning. There was a day of silence.

Let's put ourselves in the disciples' shoes for a moment here. Everything Jesus had said had begun to come true, but I don't think they quite understood yet. Nevertheless, they knew that their Savior was dead. Imagine how heartbroken, disappointed, confused, and utterly helpless they must have felt.

This was a dark day in history. It was starting to look like evil had won. Faith seemed pointless at this point. Did Peter still hold out hope when it seemed like all was lost? Did John expect Jesus to come back? We don't know the answers to those questions, but even if the answers are yes, they must have doubted, or at least had some confusion. This day, then, provides the  ultimate test of faith. Will we stand firm even when it looks like our Savior has been defeated?

To me, this is what Doubt Saturday represents. There were questions. There was doubt. There was pain. Yet, this was all part of the glorious plan. When Jesus showed up on Easter, imagine the joy of his followers. Their faith was proven. The doubt was worth it, because it built their faith. It allowed them to understand the weight of what had happened. The same is true for us, as well. 

Sometimes we go through a Doubt Saturday. I know I've had my share of dark days. The reason I bring up this idea, though, is to shine a ray of hope. The frustrations, confusion, and doubt drag us down, but Easter is coming. Jesus conquered death on that first Easter Sunday, and he'll continue to conquer the death in us when we hold onto faith - and when he does, we'll truly be able to marvel at it. We'll truly have joy, peace, and hope.

Don't lose faith. Tomorrow will come, and it'll be clearer than ever that Christ truly is risen.

Hello, My Name Is...

"Hello, my name is Child of the One True King", sings Matthew West.

(Click here to view a lyric video for the song)

I don't have a lot to tell you tonight. You think it's complicated, but it's really not. So please, throw away all preconceived notions and hear what I have to say.

What Matthew West says here -that's what it's about. Your identity has nothing to do with what you've done. It has nothing to do with your circumstances, your failures, or how far away you feel.

In fact, it's not really about you at all. That's extremely terrifying, to know that you're not truly in control. However, it's also very freeing, because that means you can always have hope. You see, if God is out there, all-knowing and all-loving, you don't have to rely on your own strength anymore. Doesn't that sound wonderful?

You've bought into the idea that your life is somehow measured by the height of your success or the depths of your despair. That's a twisting of the truth that Satan loves to attack you with. Don't give him the time of day anymore. It's not worth it.

Yes, I know you've experienced grace, and I know you've thrown that back into God's face. I know you've struggled, you've hidden, you've ran. God knows it too. Of course it hurts him, be sure of that. You're even right in thinking that it should separate you from him. Here's what you're forgetting: THAT'S THE POINT OF GRACE. 

That's the whole point. You've fallen, and that has to be atoned for. And it was!!! You're downplaying what Christ did by focusing on what you have been. It's not about that anymore. This journey God is calling you to is so much bigger than that.

Another line in Matthew West's song says this:
"I am no longer defined
By all the wreckage behind"

Your name is not Regret. Your life is not Shame. Your master is not Fear. You were created for so much more, and you know it. You are a Child of the One True King. Let that sink in. Let that be your identity. Here's the beautiful truth: because of grace, that is your identity. You're free. Live like it.

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.

- (Romans 8:37-38a,  NLT)

---

Don't mind me, I'm just writing to myself. I've got a feeling that someone else can benefit from this too, though. Let's learn to believe more and more each day that we are loved.

"Christian" or Christ-Like?

I've been thinking a lot lately about how we label things "secular" and "Christian". I haven't quite reached a conclusion on the matter yet, but I'm pretty sure this is a pointless exercise.

Sure, it makes organizing things more convenient. We know that "Christian" radio is safe for the family and "secular" radio is most often not. We'd much rather bear "Christian" messages on our t-shirts than "secular" ones. We might even venture to say that hanging out with "Christian" people is much better than hanging out with "secular" people.

Well, I'm sorry if this makes you a little uncomfortable, but that's not what Christianity is about. Not the way I understand it, at least. Please don't take me as any sort of authority - this is simply the musings of some kid that you have no real reason to listen to. But why do we need labels?! I know that the issue of labels has been addressed time and time again these days. Seriously, though, are we that concerned with being "safe" and comfortable?

Brant Hansen, a radio personality on Air1, wrote about this very idea. It's partially what inspired my thoughts. Here's a bit of what he had to say:

I don't believe in a line between sacred and secular.

A tree isn't "secular."  A car isn't "secular."  And, while most agree my accordion will not be in heaven, it isn't "secular", either.

There are Christians in the music business, and not just in the "Christian Music Business."  Some of the best "Christian Musicians" will never win Dove Awards.  They play bass trombone for the Boston Symphony (Douglas Yeo) or principal trumpet for the NY Philharmonic (Phil Smith) or sing mezzo soprano for the Metropolitan Opera, like Wendy White.  They're not "secular."  They're gifted by God as artists, participating in His creativity, Soli Deo Gloria.

And your job?  Your computer isn't secular.  If you mop a floor at work, you're not mopping a secular floor.  If you're mowing grass, you're not mowing secular grass.

It's God's grass, man.

And Jesus didn't change water into secular wine.

You can now buy Christian-marketed pants.  Does that mean my current pants are secular?  Have the Christian pants truly repented?  And what can be done to reach my pants for Christ?

(Go check out the whole post here)


With his classic humor and fresh perspective, he brings up a very valid point. What do we even mean by "secular" or "Christian"?

I should make it clear that I'm not opposed to "Christian" things. I wear Kerusso t-shirts, I listen to Christian music 80% of the time, and most of my friendships come from church-related activities. I'm not condemning the intent of the "in the world, but not of it" attitude. I do, however, think that we (referring to the Church as a whole) are a little too concerned with the "Christian" label.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Did you catch that? In all things. God can use anything and everything - secular and sacred, religious and rebellious - for his glory. Let's focus on who Christ is, rather than on branding his label on everything we make. This will spill over into a truer faith, and a truer love for others. 

• What if we were more concerned about loving people in the name of Christ than about where they are on Sunday mornings? 

• What if we spent our energy using our gifts to further God's kingdom rather than to appeal to a specific religious audience? 

If I understand correctly, Christianity is simply about being Christ-like. That's the focus. Jesus hung out with the sinners. The people who listened to the first century Nicki Minaj. The people who definitely didn't own any Christian t-shirts. These are the people Jesus sought out. Their labels didn't matter, because that's not the  focus. The focus is the heart.

Let's let our hearts be changed. Let's not worry about being "Christian" enough, and start seeking to be Christ-like.

I Wish the Mayans Were Right. #YOLO

Yes, I did just drop two of the biggest social phenomenons this past year has seen. They are relevant, I promise; though YOLO is not typically relevant...but that's beside the point.

Based on the end of the Mayan calendar, people have speculated that the world will end on December 21, 2012. Besides the fact that no man will predict when Jesus does come back, researchers, scientists, and those that once entertained the accuracy of this idea have even debunked it. Needless to say, I am convinced that the world shall go on for the time being.

However, now that the date is upon us, it has sent people into YOLO-mode. YOLO stands for You Only Live Once. It can be (and has been) interpreted in many different ways. At first glance, it seems rather redundant. Its typical use, however, is as an excuse to do really stupid stuff. In some ways, that sentiment makes sense - you only have one life to live, so live it to the full. However, doing [stupid] life threatening acts does not equate to living fully in my mind. Here's an insightful and humorous take on the subject:



There you go. Now you understand what social phenomenons I'm talking about. If you already did, well...you've just been re-educated. You're welcome.

Anyways - in light of the supposed end of the world, there is a lot of YOLO happening. The pointless kind. People feel like being reckless, because it brings up this: we never know what day will be our last. Now, this is a valid point. In addition, being reckless can be a very good thing. In fact, I believe that to truly follow Christ, you must be reckless. Make the most of every moment. As cliche as it's becoming, I believe it's true. I'm just disappointed at how these sentiments have led so many to fulfill unmet selfish goals rather than live recklessly in Christ.

Imagine with me that the world was ending. That reading this was the last thing you ever did. Rather than asking the question "What one thing do you wish you had done?", I want to ask you "What one thing would Christ have had you do?" See, there are a lot of things Christ calls us to that we don't follow through on. We have our pride, our image to protect. Being reckless - disregarding rules - is fun, but being reckless - laying down our interests and serving wholeheartedly - is not the first thing on most people's minds.

I wish it was. If tomorrow was the end of the world, let's do something about it. Let's tell the unloved that they are loved. Let's make amends with the bitter. Let's bear our hearts with one another.

Maybe this is just a whole lot of "Christian" stuff thrown together, and it's too overused to mean anything. I truly hope that is not the case. My challenge for myself, and for you is this: let's live like the predictions were right - that today is our last chance. Let's not live recklessly today, but every day. #YOLO

Does God Have Eyes on the Back of His Head?

Yes. Yes he does. Please allow me to tell you how.

How God is Like Your Mom

Ever heard that phrase? “I have eyes in the back of my head.” I know my parents have used that one. If you aren’t familiar with it, having eyes in the back of your head basically means you have a keen perception of things. This can be taken close to literally or very hypothetically. A literal interpretation: You sneak a cookie from the cookie jar behind your mom’s back (Oldest one in the book. I have yet to experience having a jar that always has cookies in it, though. That wouldn’t last long in my house), and she catches you in the act. As if she really did have eyes in the back of her head. A more liberal translation: Your mom knows you didn’t clean your room after she asked you too, even though she didn’t actually check. But of course, she was right.

Either way, it indicates seeing or perceiving things. If you hadn’t noticed, I am correlating parenting with this phrase a lot. That’s the context that makes the most sense to me. There’s something else I ought to bring up: when I was young, I was inclined to believe that people could have eyes in the back of their head. Why? Because I couldn’t understand how they knew or understood the things they did. Now that I’m older, some of those things that were so foreign and incomprehensible make perfect sense to me. I now know that my mom knew I sniped a cookie because I was really loud. (Okay, so that didn’t really happen. Like I said, cookies never last long enough to be put in a jar. It’s just an example.) It makes perfect sense that my mom knew I never cleaned my room; both by my facial expressions and my history of not cleaning my room. (This one actually has happened. Don’t judge me too harshly.) It’s our capacity to understand that makes the difference.

Do you ever feel like God has eyes in the back of his head? Well, he does; in the literal and hypothetical sense. He sees what we are doing. All. The. Time. Always. He also knows everything we do and why we do it. Infinitely. Once again, it’s our capacity to understand that changes things. Compared to God’s infinite knowledge, we only have the understanding of a young child.

Don’t Swear in Church! (Apparently that’s the Only Place He Sees Us)

Have you ever heard anything to that effect? “Don’t swear in church!” “It’s church, of course I’ll help you.” “You were gossiping at church!?” “We don’t need to fight at church.” A lot of us do it. Church is God’s house, so we should be good, right? We shouldn’t sin in the eyes in God!

I’m not throwing any stones here; most of the times when someone says something like this, I don’t think they understand what they are implying. They mean it with the best intentions. I’ve said things to that effect too. Take a minute to understand the implications though. We shouldn’t sin in the eyes of God. So we shouldn’t do bad things at church. That’s really all it means? It is, unless, of course, God’s eyes can see past the walls of a building; but that’s just silly. It goes against everything we as free Christian Americans are taught to believe!

Okay, sorry for all the sarcasm. To really understand the problem with phrases like “Don’t swear in church”, we must digress into another issue. What is “church”? Somehow, American Christians as a whole have the idea that church has a distinct set of standards. This is partially true. The tabernacle and the temple in the Old Testament were very sacred and the priests had to be cleansed before they could enter. The buildings we set apart for use as God’s house and for his worship should be treated with honor and respect. Yet, Paul says in 1 Corinthians:

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself (6:19 NLT)

We are temples of the Holy Spirit. That’s not to say that the buildings dedicated to being God’s house are to be treated as less sacred; it’s to say that our bodies should be treated as more sacred. The Church (capital “C”, meaning the universal body of Christ) is God’s people. It’s not about the buildings, it’s about the people. With this in mind, what standards should we as Christians have at church that we do not have at home? Here’s the answer: none. 

We should indeed be exhorting our fellow believers to live holy lives in the sight of God. Here’s the catch: the sight of God stretches far beyond any building we have dedicated to him. Almost as if he has eyes in the back of his head.

You Can’t Put Omniscience in a Box

Check out Psalm 33:

13 The Lord looks down from heaven
     and sees the whole human race.
14 From his throne he observes
     all who live on the earth.
15 He made their hearts,
     so he understands everything they do. (vs. 13-15 NLT)

Is it just me, or do these verses make you realize how big God is? It’s so very humbling. Seriously, it makes me feel like an ant. Then again, it also makes me feel so loved, that God would choose to understand everything I do.

This passage is an example of God’s omniscience. To be omniscient means to know everything there is to know; to possess infinite knowledge. To tie all this together, think of it this way. To us, it seems like God has eyes on the back of his head because our understanding is so minuscule compared to his. As such, we forget that God sees and knows us everything, not just when we are thinking about him or in his house. Even when we are not aware of it, God is looking on us; not only is he looking on us, but he observes and understands us.

Pure, infinite omniscience mixed with pure, infinite love. How could we ask for anything better?

God sees you. Always. God knows you. Infinitely. There is nowhere you can go to escape his sight. There is nothing you can do that escapes his knowledge. You can’t put omniscience in a box. So let’s stop putting limitations on how big God is just because we don’t understand it. Instead, let’s start living in response, as if God were always watching us. Because, folks, he is. 

What's With the 317, Anyway? (God Is Jealous)

In Which I Give A Formal Introduction

I rather enjoy writing. Actually, that's probably insulting to those who are actually good at it. Allow me to rephrase myself - I rather enjoy getting my thoughts written down. I am simply one of many people trying to live life while keeping an intentional focus on Christ. So I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on it. Mind you, I'm young. I don't really know that much, I haven't had that many experiences, and I have little to no authority on a lot of topics. However, I'm not claiming that I do. Maybe where I'm at in life will speak to those in similar situations. I hope so. I also hope the thoughts God gives me will transcend what I expect and somehow, through my occasionally dysfunctional and unorganized thoughts, you will hear him speaking to your heart.

So to start off, I've written my first piece to explain why I chose to call this "Living a 317 Life". I hope you are edified by it!

In Which I Provide A Basis For My Main Point

Ever heard the phrase  “God is a jealous god”? That always made me uncomfortable as a kid. Why would we describe God as jealous when we are taught that jealousy is bad? Well, the idea came from God himself, in Exodus 20:4-5. As of late, I've come to understand what it means to me. In short, it's this: All In.

God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. These are a big deal. They are moral standards that stand the test of many ages. One of these commandments reveals the concept of God's jealousy:

You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. (vs. 4-5 NLT)

There it is. God is a jealous God. But wait - there's more. For I...am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. It's a description of what his jealousy looks like. It doesn't look like envy. It's not getting angry when someone else receives favor. It looks more like a husband who doesn't want anyone to mess with his wife, in the purest, most selfless way possible.

If we proclaim to love God, and give him our life (or part of it - more about this later), we shouldn't be messing around with other gods. How would you feel if your boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse/best friend was entertaining a relationship with someone else but constantly insisting that you are the only one they feel that way about? What if that's how God feels every Sunday morning when we tell him how much we love him, but don't stifle our affection for other gods?

Now, to clear up some possible confusion on my use of the term "other gods" - anything we worship or bow down to becomes a god to us. As God says in his commandment, we must not make an idol of any kind. This can be a relationship, an ability, a physical thing, a reputation. Anything we make as a god for ourselves gets in the way of our affection for God. This brings about his righteous jealousy. I don't believe he is jealous of our gods; he is simply jealous for us. He loves us so much that he doesn't want us to give our affection away so easily.

What I want you to take away from this is that God is indeed a jealous God; but not in the way we think of jealousy. His love is jealous, and it's a beautiful thing, and is simply a reminder of how great our God is.

In Which I Explain a Life Lived in Response

So there's that. Now to bring this back around to the phrase I stated earlier: All In. God's call for us to make no idols, and to bow down to no other gods is one that should bring about a response in us. This response can either be obedience or rebellion. Don't let the stigma surrounding those words confuse you, however - obedience is the much more liberating and adventurous option.

What does obedience to this commandment look like? I believe the answer can be found in Colossians 3:17, something of a life-verse for me:

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. (3:17 NLT)

That sums it up for me. We are representatives of Christ. This kind of living demonstrates a response. A response to something God has already done. A response to his grace, to his call, and to his relentless, jealous love. 

Now, there is a very important factor to this verse. Read it again. "Whatever you do or say." Whatever. Basically, your whole life. This points back to God's jealousy. God isn't asking for part of us. Grace shouldn't just prompt us to go to church on Sundays. Relentless love shouldn't just keep us from being impatient with our friends or co-workers. Joy doesn't mean putting on a fake smile in front of our pastor. God calls us to go all in. 

God wants all of you. God wants all of me. God wants all of us. He didn't intend for us to allow grace into part of our lives. He intended for us to become consumed by it, to be engulfed by it, to be drowning in it. That's what an appropriate response looks like. Well, as appropriate a response as we can offer. We can never truly respond in an adequate way to God's infinite love and mercy. All the more reason to offer ourselves completely. 

Colossians 3:17 reminds me who I live for. It reminds me that I am living in response to something amazing. It prompts me to hold nothing back. It's scary. It's hard. I haven't figured it all out. But it's worth it. It's so worth it.

God is jealous. So go all in.