Boast In the Lord
Today, I sat in church almost in a daze. I was thinking
about later plans, text messages, yesterday’s events, shopping, job interviews,
and I started to feel bad for thinking about all of those things and not
placing all my focus on the service. I begin to quiet myself and still my mind
when I heard the pastor begin his sermon by stating something along the lines of,"
things I need to leave behind". That was his opening statement and those words
oddly resonated with me. First of all, I needed to leave all of my busy
thoughts outside so I could pay attention, but I began to think deeper about the
statement he said.
My mind drifted (again lol) to the day I was waiting for the bus in 5th grade and I had just finished a great morning devotional about what it means to truly live for God. As I waited for the bus, I remember hearing God tug on my heart strings asking me to really live out the word I was reading and walk into the destiny he had planned for my life. The trees were blowing and I noticed a calm all around me. I felt God and I couldn’t forget those precious moments he would share with me. I was the girl who felt obligated to share Christ with at least one kid a day often switching my bus seat in order to encounter a new soul to save. I was passionate and I understood the most important thing in life is our interactions with other humans and how we can give then a glimpse of Christ through our loving happenstances. I wasn’t a Christian simply because my sweetly saved parents led me to Christ (thanks mom and dad). They were FABULOUS examples, but I had also experienced him at an early age for myself in such a way I was changed forever.
I was often treated unfairly by kids who could not understand why I desired to be different. I had to find strength in Christ’s word and his promises, and not in my own level of acceptance. In high school, being the Christian girl made me popular but I was not genuinely accepting of myself until I was completely satisfied in who God said I was without care of opinions. He lifted me up and did not keep me in a low place for long. I learned so much during the periods in my life when no one wanted to be my friend. The times I was made fun of and ostracized.
My mind drifted (again lol) to the day I was waiting for the bus in 5th grade and I had just finished a great morning devotional about what it means to truly live for God. As I waited for the bus, I remember hearing God tug on my heart strings asking me to really live out the word I was reading and walk into the destiny he had planned for my life. The trees were blowing and I noticed a calm all around me. I felt God and I couldn’t forget those precious moments he would share with me. I was the girl who felt obligated to share Christ with at least one kid a day often switching my bus seat in order to encounter a new soul to save. I was passionate and I understood the most important thing in life is our interactions with other humans and how we can give then a glimpse of Christ through our loving happenstances. I wasn’t a Christian simply because my sweetly saved parents led me to Christ (thanks mom and dad). They were FABULOUS examples, but I had also experienced him at an early age for myself in such a way I was changed forever.
I was often treated unfairly by kids who could not understand why I desired to be different. I had to find strength in Christ’s word and his promises, and not in my own level of acceptance. In high school, being the Christian girl made me popular but I was not genuinely accepting of myself until I was completely satisfied in who God said I was without care of opinions. He lifted me up and did not keep me in a low place for long. I learned so much during the periods in my life when no one wanted to be my friend. The times I was made fun of and ostracized.
Anyway... when pastor talked about things we leave behind
after we become saved, I took it further and wondered what had I left behind. Did
I leave behind my childlike faith after I became an adult? Am I taking strides
in the direction I told God I would as a kid? Or, what childhood dreams and aspirations
had I forgotten about after getting intertwined into a life of planning a solid
future that requires stifling dreams in order to make a solid living? I began
to reminisce on the things I said I wanted out of life way back in the 5th
grade. As I talked to God during service, about making sure my childhood dreams
came true and about him helping me with my relationship with him, he told me to hush
and just BOAST IN HIM. 2nd Corinthians
10:17 says, “Boast in the Lord.” This means that I should trust as I seek him...things
that I need improvement on in my spiritual walk will be improved as I boast in
him and not in myself (my flaws or even my accomplishments).
As I choose to focus on his word (READ IT AND MEDITATE ON IT DAILY), it will chisel away areas that need to be fixed. I need to rest in his word knowing that it will cleanse and renew me. Secondly, boast in the lord that “he will grant [your] heart’s desire and hold back NOTHING [you] request (psalms 21:2). No he is not a magic genie granting every wish, but he is concerned about your wants and needs! As you grow in him, you'll adapt his heart and HIS desires will become yours as well. Things he has already willed for you to have or things he wants you to do will already be in the works.
Therefore, he grants his own (your) heart's desires. This means my dreams are in his hands and he knows exactly what we need, when we need it, and he will supply. BOAST IN THE LORD! Tell God how good he is! I am getting joy right now in writing this, thinking about his goodness and graciousness even when we fail to see it! THANKS GOD. Today, take a moment to boast in God and stop thinking about you. Where you lack, he suffices. Where you fail, he wins. Where you are wrong, he is always right. So boast in the perfect God inside of YOU the believer and LIVE AN ABUNDANT LIFE (John 10:10)! SEE YOURSELF AS HE SEES YOU! YOU’RE A REFLECTION OF HIM!
As I choose to focus on his word (READ IT AND MEDITATE ON IT DAILY), it will chisel away areas that need to be fixed. I need to rest in his word knowing that it will cleanse and renew me. Secondly, boast in the lord that “he will grant [your] heart’s desire and hold back NOTHING [you] request (psalms 21:2). No he is not a magic genie granting every wish, but he is concerned about your wants and needs! As you grow in him, you'll adapt his heart and HIS desires will become yours as well. Things he has already willed for you to have or things he wants you to do will already be in the works.
Therefore, he grants his own (your) heart's desires. This means my dreams are in his hands and he knows exactly what we need, when we need it, and he will supply. BOAST IN THE LORD! Tell God how good he is! I am getting joy right now in writing this, thinking about his goodness and graciousness even when we fail to see it! THANKS GOD. Today, take a moment to boast in God and stop thinking about you. Where you lack, he suffices. Where you fail, he wins. Where you are wrong, he is always right. So boast in the perfect God inside of YOU the believer and LIVE AN ABUNDANT LIFE (John 10:10)! SEE YOURSELF AS HE SEES YOU! YOU’RE A REFLECTION OF HIM!
Gabby XO