RESYNC

The past few weeks have been crazy and indescribable.  I have been doing a lot of resync-ing to the way  God has created me to be.  I'm plugging into the only source of perfection and blessings have been pouring out!

REAFFIRM - Reading

I'm going through a book called Identity by Eric Geiger (great book - highly recommend it).  It's one of those books I've tried reading in the past but have never really been ready to face.  I'm finally ready and it feels great.  It talks about our identity in Christ and our worth comes from no one but Him.  While we can try to conform to what this world offers us, we will never be happy enough because what the world offers is only temporary (Proverbs 3:5).

RESET - Listening

I've also been doing a lot of listening.  I have encountered several great messages in the past few days.  God has used Tullian Tchividjian in more ways than I can count.  His sermons are rocking my world.  Many times, people make the Christian life so much more complicated than it needs to be.  Christ did not desire for us to follow a list of rules and checklists.  He wants us to just live! He wants us to marinate in Him so that we do not need to do anything more.  Who He is in us, will pour out who He is through us.  It's a concept that I think is so often overlooked in the church.  We are constantly being reminded to do this, do that, and do some more.  The more things we do, the more reward we will receive.  But, God never desired for anything to be guilt driven.  He wants us to be so filled in Him that we serve out of faith and gratitude.  This is a new concept to me, but it makes so much sense.  When we do things out of thankfulness, our attitude is so much more positive (at least it's true in my life!).  The underlying thought is that God cares about what motivates us.  If we do things strictly because, "the Bible says so", we are being obedient, but we will never receive the fullness that God intended for us.  Jesus has already done everything we will ever need.  The story is about Him, not about what we can do for Him.  We need to just live Him!

"Because Jesus has won for me, I'm free to lose;
Because Jesus is strong for me, I'm free to be weak;
Because Jesus is someone, I'm free to be no one!
Only the Gospel can give me the freedom to stop pretending!" -- Tullian Tchividjian

That phrase carries so much weight.  Through Jesus, I am everything I will ever need to be.  I do not need to impress Him, (or anyone for that matter!).  Jesus gives me all my worth - I just need to learn to accept it!

REVIVE - Worship

Because I have been spending more and more one-on-one time with Christ, my worship has been so much more fulfilling.  I am able to express more freely all that God is doing in my life.  I am able to fully respond to Christ working through me.  I am able to rest in the truth that through Jesus all things are possible and that my selfish desires are insignificant because God's desires for my life are so much greater.  Therefore, I am able to genuinely ask for God to transform my life to use it all for His glory!

"Because of You in me,
I'll become Your hands and feet;
We'll show a love that's blind and free,
But it will cost us everything" --Shayne Long

REACT - Act

It's amazing how much easier it is to love when you are filled with the love of Christ.  Sure, earthly desires sometimes intervine, but the miniscule things seem to matter less and less.  It's simple: If we focus on God, He will fill us with His love.  When we remain focused on Him, that love will pour out to all people.  From there, we are able to share the love of Christ with everyone we come in contact with.  Ultimately, this leads people to God.  But, if we just focus on Christ, all of these other things will fall into place.  So, there is no need to make it a complicated to-do list or conditional statements.  Live Christ and our actions will be of Him (Col 1:26-29).

RELEASE - Pray

Prayer has always been something I have struggled with.  Often times, I find myself praying prayers that are monotonous just because I want to feel like I'm talking to God.  Things seem to be changing.  My desire to know God more has ignited this fire in my heart to communicate with Him.  Even if it's the little things, I am genuinely communicating with my Father, not just checking it off a "list".

REFINE  - Confess

The more rooted I am in Christ, the more I strive to live for Him.  My sin is great, but His grace is even greater (Romans 5:20).  So, although I still mess up, I am trying to confess it and ask for God's strength to overcome it.

I have by no means "arrived".  But, the beauty is - I don't have to do anything.  God has already done everything.  I just have to continue to be who God created me to be.  I am His child.  There is nothing I can do to be any better.  I don't have to climb up to God for Him to notice or forgive me.  He sent Jesus to die on a cross so that my imperfections may be made perfect through His perfections.  It is FINISHED!