I’m not sure if this is normal, but for the past couple months of DTS I’ve felt like I was drowning in a sea of revelation. Each week was like a new wave of gut-punching, head-spinning truth, and by the time week 8 rolled around, I was ready for a break. The topic was relationships, and I was feeling optimistic that this would be the week I’d catch my breath. After all, I call my parents every Saturday, I was homeschooled so I don’t have any friends, and my boyfriend, who’s 6’4”, has a Scottish accent, and looks like Liam Hemsworth, doesn’t technically exist in the realm of reality—in other words, I’m surprised they didn’t ask me to teach.
So Monday came around and I sat in my blue, plastic chair, smugly reveling in my relational ignorance. It was complete bliss for about 20 minutes, but then, things got personal.
God is, at His very core, a relational being. Before the world was made, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit existed in perfect relationship—three separate beings made one by magnificent, unadulterated love. From the overflow of love that bound the trinity together, man was created. After God created the world in Genesis 1:31, the bible says, “and God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good,” but in Genesis 2:18, God says, “it is not good that the man should be alone.” God created us for relationship—relationship with the Godhead and relationship with each other.
God created us so He could share His love with us, and we are commanded to show that same love in our human relationships. 1 John 4:7-11 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
So, relationships are about love. Now, where have I heard that one before? Oh yeah, in every song, book, and movie I’ve ever heard, read, or watched. If you’ve had any exposure to popular culture, you probably figured out that the world is a little obsessed with love and relationships. Love is what makes our world go round, but how does the world love? To answer this question, I’ve done a literary study of the popular book series “Twilight.” In a nutshell, the world’s definition of relationships is all about fulfilling your own emotional needs. So, your boyfriend’s a pale, sparkly vampire who abandons you without explanation and attempts to control your life for what he claims to be your own protection? That’s a little concerning, but more importantly, does he complete you?
Thankfully, Jesus isn’t Edward Cullen, and His love looks a lot different than the world’s selfish, needy version of love. How did Christ show His love for us? “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:4-5).” Chist’s love looks like sacrifice. Jesus gave up everything—His position as God’s Son, His right to be accepted by His people, even His right to a natural death—so that we could have a relationship with the Father He loved more than His own life. In a world that’s obsessed with using others to fill our emptiness, Jesus is the only one who gives.
Now here’s the part where I started squirming. John 13:34: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” We are commanded to love each other like Christ loved us. If Christ’s love looks like the cross, what are our relationships supposed to look like? Jesus standard of love is laying down your life. It doesn’t mean playing nice, it doesn’t mean patting people on the back, it doesn’t mean getting along with people—it means dying every single day. Love isn’t a feeling that comes and goes, love is a choice we make to lay aside ourselves, to take our bad moods and snippy words, our needs and personal preferences, and nail them to the cross.
As Christians, we need to stop talking and singing and writing about love and start doing love. Love is our commandment—the mark that shows the world we’ve been with Christ. It’s the active expression of the grace we’ve received—a sweet perfume that still smells a little like Golgotha. Without it, our prayers and songs and mission trips are useless. Turns out, love really is what makes the world go round. God is love and He so loved the world He gave His only Son so that we might know that love. And that’s the love my friends, not the self-seeking feelings of our lovestruck world, that will truly complete you.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Fear of the Lord
What do you think when you hear the phrase, “fear of the Lord?” If you’re anything like me, and for your sake I hope you’re not, fear of the Lord conjures up images of a hellfire spitting, thunderbolt hurling God who uses intimidation to command respect. In my mind, I couldn’t justify the jealous God of the Old Testament and the all-loving God of the New Testament. I read the exploits of Joshua and the campaigns of David with a bad taste in my mouth, hastily skimming over what I believed to be an overzealous response to sinfulness. Sure, idolatry is bad, but is genocide really the best way to deal with a few golden cows?
It was these hang-ups that caused me to go into week 7 of DTS with a kind of nervous anticipation. If there’s one thing DTS has taught me, it’s that God is nothing like I thought He was. His love is infinite and completely independent of my own actions. It’s a Sunday school topic, but one I’ve had an exceptionally difficult time grasping. The truth is, the world just doesn’t offer love like God’s and none of us, no matter how wonderful our relationships, have experienced love like that apart from Him. God’s love is made manifest in us, His willful, backsliding people, whom He loved so much He gave everything, even the violent death of His beloved son, to restore our relationship with Him. The basis of God’s love is relationship—He calls us into intimacy with Him through the work of the cross. God’s love is infinite and all-encompassing, but we can distance ourselves from God through our choices. When we choose to sin, we’re choosing to turn our backs on God.
Now about that hellfire. The bible defines the fear of the Lord as hatred of sin. God hates sin because it affects you and me, destroying the very relationship He fought so hard to restore. You can’t experience intimacy with a righteous God without a ruthless, committed hatred of sin. Psalm 25:14 says, “the friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He makes known to them His covenant.” We should fear God because it’s the only right response to who He is. It’s living truth and reality—you can’t have a casual relationship with a holy God.
Practically, the fear of the Lord looks like obedience. As we develop the fear of the Lord in our lives, we learn to hate sin. It’s easy to get comfortable with sin, to allow it to fester beneath the veneer of our Christian lives, but the reality of sin is death. Don’t get me wrong, there’s no such thing as a little sin—sin grows like cancer, destroying our relationship with God, others, and ourselves. God hates sin, not because He’s a legalist who enjoys saying no, but because sin kills us. God sacrificed everything to free us from sin—can you imagine how He must feel when we choose to embrace the very death He died to save us from?
Fear of the Lord doesn’t mean being afraid of God. Fear of the Lord is having a deep reverence and respect for God based on His character. God’s character is amazing, and that’s not the Sunday school talking. To know God is to know a love that surpasses every fear and failure, an infinitely faithful God who’s been gently, patiently calling us to know Him even when we had our fingers stuffed in our ears. Knee-deep in our own muck, God’s love finds us, calling us to lay aside the death that clings to us like cobwebs and take the nail-pierced hand of the one who created us to know Him.
In the reality of love like this, our only response is relationship. God offers us intimacy, but we can’t know a holy God when we’re living unholy lives. Sanctification isn’t about what obedience is going to cost us, how hard it’s going to be for us to align our lives with Christ’s, it’s remembering what it cost God to give us the ability to be holy. The only thing that can separate us from God is ourselves, our sinful choices which dull our love for Him until it ceases to exist. So I ask you, what’s dulling your love for God? What’s your closed door, the area of your life that you haven’t given God permission to enter? It could be something small, innocent perhaps, just a little habit that’s slowly, steadily killing you. Don’t let anything dull your love.
The fear of the Lord is the hatred of sin. As God’s people, we must cultivate a ruthless, active hatred of sin. We need to learn to love God enough to obey Him. In it’s essence, the fear of the Lord is the call to trade death for life, destruction for wholeness, and separation for intimacy. So I ask you, do you love God enough to fear Him?
It was these hang-ups that caused me to go into week 7 of DTS with a kind of nervous anticipation. If there’s one thing DTS has taught me, it’s that God is nothing like I thought He was. His love is infinite and completely independent of my own actions. It’s a Sunday school topic, but one I’ve had an exceptionally difficult time grasping. The truth is, the world just doesn’t offer love like God’s and none of us, no matter how wonderful our relationships, have experienced love like that apart from Him. God’s love is made manifest in us, His willful, backsliding people, whom He loved so much He gave everything, even the violent death of His beloved son, to restore our relationship with Him. The basis of God’s love is relationship—He calls us into intimacy with Him through the work of the cross. God’s love is infinite and all-encompassing, but we can distance ourselves from God through our choices. When we choose to sin, we’re choosing to turn our backs on God.
Now about that hellfire. The bible defines the fear of the Lord as hatred of sin. God hates sin because it affects you and me, destroying the very relationship He fought so hard to restore. You can’t experience intimacy with a righteous God without a ruthless, committed hatred of sin. Psalm 25:14 says, “the friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He makes known to them His covenant.” We should fear God because it’s the only right response to who He is. It’s living truth and reality—you can’t have a casual relationship with a holy God.
Practically, the fear of the Lord looks like obedience. As we develop the fear of the Lord in our lives, we learn to hate sin. It’s easy to get comfortable with sin, to allow it to fester beneath the veneer of our Christian lives, but the reality of sin is death. Don’t get me wrong, there’s no such thing as a little sin—sin grows like cancer, destroying our relationship with God, others, and ourselves. God hates sin, not because He’s a legalist who enjoys saying no, but because sin kills us. God sacrificed everything to free us from sin—can you imagine how He must feel when we choose to embrace the very death He died to save us from?
Fear of the Lord doesn’t mean being afraid of God. Fear of the Lord is having a deep reverence and respect for God based on His character. God’s character is amazing, and that’s not the Sunday school talking. To know God is to know a love that surpasses every fear and failure, an infinitely faithful God who’s been gently, patiently calling us to know Him even when we had our fingers stuffed in our ears. Knee-deep in our own muck, God’s love finds us, calling us to lay aside the death that clings to us like cobwebs and take the nail-pierced hand of the one who created us to know Him.
In the reality of love like this, our only response is relationship. God offers us intimacy, but we can’t know a holy God when we’re living unholy lives. Sanctification isn’t about what obedience is going to cost us, how hard it’s going to be for us to align our lives with Christ’s, it’s remembering what it cost God to give us the ability to be holy. The only thing that can separate us from God is ourselves, our sinful choices which dull our love for Him until it ceases to exist. So I ask you, what’s dulling your love for God? What’s your closed door, the area of your life that you haven’t given God permission to enter? It could be something small, innocent perhaps, just a little habit that’s slowly, steadily killing you. Don’t let anything dull your love.
The fear of the Lord is the hatred of sin. As God’s people, we must cultivate a ruthless, active hatred of sin. We need to learn to love God enough to obey Him. In it’s essence, the fear of the Lord is the call to trade death for life, destruction for wholeness, and separation for intimacy. So I ask you, do you love God enough to fear Him?
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Advocacy: Standing in the Gap
"I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that
guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall
so I wouldn't have to destroy the land, but I found no one."
~Ezekial 22:30
For week 6, the topic was advocacy. The Priceless DTS was privileged to have an expert on advocacy as our guest lecturer—Amber Hawkes, the CEO of International Justice Mission. IJM is an international Christian organization of lawyers, social workers, psychologists, and other professionals committed to achieving justice for the poor. In countries with broken justice systems, where corruption is rampant and the poor have no voice, IJM uses its influence and experience to achieve fair verdicts for victims of injustice. Every day, IJM is freeing slaves in brick factories in India, rescuing child prostitutes in Thailand, and providing healing for rape victims through aftercare programs in Guatemala.
Part of what makes the work of the International Justice Mission so effective is the organization’s dedication to biblical justice. God is described as a God of justice, one who pleads the cause of the orphan and the widow and commands His people to do the same. In the Old Testament, God gave many laws that provided protection for the vulnerable members of Israelite society—the widow, the orphan, the slave, the poor, and the stranger. As God’s people, Christians are called to reflect God’s character on the earth by seeking justice for the oppressed. In this way, doing justice is an act of worship. Isaiah 58:6-7 says, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?” When we lay aside our own selfish ambitions and do for others, we bring great pleasure to God and cause His kingdom to come on the earth.
In the spirit of Christ, Christians are called to be advocates, to “stand in the gap” on behalf of others. To do this, we look to Jesus, who modeled advocacy to us by bridging the gap through His death on the cross and interceding for us before the Father. As advocates, Christians are commanded to plead the cause of of those who can’t speak for themselves, supporting and defending the interests of the weak. There’s a huge gap in our world between the poor and justice, a gap that can only be breached by the dogged dedication of God’s people. In a world where brothels are run by police officers and the innocent rot in prison for years without charge or trial, Christians must be committed to fulfilling their biblical role as advocates for justice.
As I learned more about advocacy, I got to thinking about all the opportunities I’ve had to be an advocate while on DTS. Here are a few examples of what the Priceless DTS has been doing to seek justice over the last few months:
In the fight against injustice, our first response must always be one of prayer. Each week, our DTS prays for a different topic of injustice, crying out to God for justice to be done in these areas of darkness. Every Monday night, the Priceless DTS has an anti-trafficking workshop, where we learn about topics like prostitution, sexual abuse, pornography, and female genital mutilation and then have a time of intercession into these topics. Through these lectures, I’ve learned so much about often taboo topics that are causing so much pain in our world. As I walk the streets of Perth, I pray for every brothel and sex shop I pass, and I’ve been overjoyed to see several unwholesome businesses shut down throughout my 3 months here. In many ways, prayer is our most basic and most powerful weapon against injustice. Through the Holy Spirit, our prayers overcome the power of Satan and bring about real change on the earth.
Working alongside the Priceless Ministry of YWAM Perth, I’ve had the opportunity to visit a Thai massage parlor. I was so nervous as I walked up with a gift of cookies and knocked on the door. We were greeted by a friendly older Thai lady. We gave her the cookies and offered to pray for her. She was very grateful to see us, and got very excited when I told her I was going to Thailand in a few weeks. Although we couldn’t pray with her or her girls because they were busy with customers, she enthusiastically invited us to come back the next day. Through this positive first experience, I hope to have the opportunity to visit more brothels before I go on outreach.
As I’ve worked with the Priceless Ministry more, I’ve come to value their simple, no nonsense approach to advocacy—speaking value into the lives of prostitutes by visiting them, listening to their struggles, praying with them, and performing simple acts of kindness like delivering a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Advocacy doesn’t have to be fancy—it just has to be done.
A more dramatic example of advocacy is the time our DTS participated in a brothel watch. To collect information for the government, the Priceless Ministry watched a specific brothel for 18 hours, observing the comings and goings of the customers and recording any suspicious activity. Our DTS was broken into 9 2-hour shifts from 4 Friday evening until 10 the following morning. My shift was from 8-10 Friday evening, and I enjoyed munching popcorn in the dark car while recording things like: “8:42—caucasian male, mid 30’s, black jacket and jeans, license plate number 2DCX-487.” We recorded the exchange or several suspicious looking packages and through the pick-up and drop-off of the girls, ascertained that the brothel is probably run as an escort service. The watch was called off at around 2 AM Saturday morning because the people in the brothel were becoming suspicious, coming onto the porch to watch our car parked across the street. Nevertheless, we did discover some useful information that will hopefully be used by the government to shut down that brothel and strengthen laws against owning and running similar businesses.
When I’m confronted with injustice, especially injustice against women, my first reaction is always anger. I hate being confronted with the reality of how women are treated in this world—as objects to be used for sex, burdens who’s only purpose is to birth sons, or second-class citizens without a right to education, health care, or even proper nutrition. But anger isn’t the answer to injustice—love is. Throughout my time on DTS, God has been dramatically growing my heart for women, teaching me that every woman, no matter her background, is indescribably valuable to God. Ultimately, the love of God is the only thing powerful enough to overcome the darkness of this world, powerful enough to restore dignity to the prostitute, peace to the trafficking victim, and hope to the man ensnared by pornography. I’ve been so privileged to be a part of bringing justice to women who’s lives have been destroyed by prostitution and human trafficking, and I’m eager to continue that work in Nepal, India, and Thailand. If there’s one thing I’ve learned through my time on DTS, it’s that advocacy isn’t just something for the missionary. Every Christian is called to perpetuate the image of God on the earth, and God is justice. As Christ stood in the gap for us, so we must stand in the gap for others. Who will you stand for?
~Ezekial 22:30
For week 6, the topic was advocacy. The Priceless DTS was privileged to have an expert on advocacy as our guest lecturer—Amber Hawkes, the CEO of International Justice Mission. IJM is an international Christian organization of lawyers, social workers, psychologists, and other professionals committed to achieving justice for the poor. In countries with broken justice systems, where corruption is rampant and the poor have no voice, IJM uses its influence and experience to achieve fair verdicts for victims of injustice. Every day, IJM is freeing slaves in brick factories in India, rescuing child prostitutes in Thailand, and providing healing for rape victims through aftercare programs in Guatemala.
Part of what makes the work of the International Justice Mission so effective is the organization’s dedication to biblical justice. God is described as a God of justice, one who pleads the cause of the orphan and the widow and commands His people to do the same. In the Old Testament, God gave many laws that provided protection for the vulnerable members of Israelite society—the widow, the orphan, the slave, the poor, and the stranger. As God’s people, Christians are called to reflect God’s character on the earth by seeking justice for the oppressed. In this way, doing justice is an act of worship. Isaiah 58:6-7 says, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?” When we lay aside our own selfish ambitions and do for others, we bring great pleasure to God and cause His kingdom to come on the earth.
In the spirit of Christ, Christians are called to be advocates, to “stand in the gap” on behalf of others. To do this, we look to Jesus, who modeled advocacy to us by bridging the gap through His death on the cross and interceding for us before the Father. As advocates, Christians are commanded to plead the cause of of those who can’t speak for themselves, supporting and defending the interests of the weak. There’s a huge gap in our world between the poor and justice, a gap that can only be breached by the dogged dedication of God’s people. In a world where brothels are run by police officers and the innocent rot in prison for years without charge or trial, Christians must be committed to fulfilling their biblical role as advocates for justice.
As I learned more about advocacy, I got to thinking about all the opportunities I’ve had to be an advocate while on DTS. Here are a few examples of what the Priceless DTS has been doing to seek justice over the last few months:
In the fight against injustice, our first response must always be one of prayer. Each week, our DTS prays for a different topic of injustice, crying out to God for justice to be done in these areas of darkness. Every Monday night, the Priceless DTS has an anti-trafficking workshop, where we learn about topics like prostitution, sexual abuse, pornography, and female genital mutilation and then have a time of intercession into these topics. Through these lectures, I’ve learned so much about often taboo topics that are causing so much pain in our world. As I walk the streets of Perth, I pray for every brothel and sex shop I pass, and I’ve been overjoyed to see several unwholesome businesses shut down throughout my 3 months here. In many ways, prayer is our most basic and most powerful weapon against injustice. Through the Holy Spirit, our prayers overcome the power of Satan and bring about real change on the earth.
Working alongside the Priceless Ministry of YWAM Perth, I’ve had the opportunity to visit a Thai massage parlor. I was so nervous as I walked up with a gift of cookies and knocked on the door. We were greeted by a friendly older Thai lady. We gave her the cookies and offered to pray for her. She was very grateful to see us, and got very excited when I told her I was going to Thailand in a few weeks. Although we couldn’t pray with her or her girls because they were busy with customers, she enthusiastically invited us to come back the next day. Through this positive first experience, I hope to have the opportunity to visit more brothels before I go on outreach.
As I’ve worked with the Priceless Ministry more, I’ve come to value their simple, no nonsense approach to advocacy—speaking value into the lives of prostitutes by visiting them, listening to their struggles, praying with them, and performing simple acts of kindness like delivering a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Advocacy doesn’t have to be fancy—it just has to be done.
A more dramatic example of advocacy is the time our DTS participated in a brothel watch. To collect information for the government, the Priceless Ministry watched a specific brothel for 18 hours, observing the comings and goings of the customers and recording any suspicious activity. Our DTS was broken into 9 2-hour shifts from 4 Friday evening until 10 the following morning. My shift was from 8-10 Friday evening, and I enjoyed munching popcorn in the dark car while recording things like: “8:42—caucasian male, mid 30’s, black jacket and jeans, license plate number 2DCX-487.” We recorded the exchange or several suspicious looking packages and through the pick-up and drop-off of the girls, ascertained that the brothel is probably run as an escort service. The watch was called off at around 2 AM Saturday morning because the people in the brothel were becoming suspicious, coming onto the porch to watch our car parked across the street. Nevertheless, we did discover some useful information that will hopefully be used by the government to shut down that brothel and strengthen laws against owning and running similar businesses.
When I’m confronted with injustice, especially injustice against women, my first reaction is always anger. I hate being confronted with the reality of how women are treated in this world—as objects to be used for sex, burdens who’s only purpose is to birth sons, or second-class citizens without a right to education, health care, or even proper nutrition. But anger isn’t the answer to injustice—love is. Throughout my time on DTS, God has been dramatically growing my heart for women, teaching me that every woman, no matter her background, is indescribably valuable to God. Ultimately, the love of God is the only thing powerful enough to overcome the darkness of this world, powerful enough to restore dignity to the prostitute, peace to the trafficking victim, and hope to the man ensnared by pornography. I’ve been so privileged to be a part of bringing justice to women who’s lives have been destroyed by prostitution and human trafficking, and I’m eager to continue that work in Nepal, India, and Thailand. If there’s one thing I’ve learned through my time on DTS, it’s that advocacy isn’t just something for the missionary. Every Christian is called to perpetuate the image of God on the earth, and God is justice. As Christ stood in the gap for us, so we must stand in the gap for others. Who will you stand for?
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Identity: Who Am I?
In week 5 of lecture phase, 3 of the DTS's went camping on the beach in Busselton. The lecture topic of week 5 is the father-heart of God, taught by the brilliantly parental Pete Brownhill. On the second day of lectures, after a long day playing games on the beach, I was sitting in the back of a crowded room, trying my best to keep my eyes open. I didn’t know what to expect. Sure, I called God "father," but I had absolutely no concept of God's father-heart. Coming into DTS, I thought I knew a lot about God, but the truth is, I’ve been getting God all wrong for years. Growing up, my image of God was like a father who’d just gotten home from work, exhausted and holding me, His dirty, squirming child, at arms length so as not to muss His best suit. Jesus was the member of the trinity I related with, the one who might think I was okay, but I saw God the father as distant and uninterested, lurking somewhere on the fringes of my life.
That night, Pete spoke on identity, and as I sat in the back of the room, alternating between slight dozing and violent fits of coughing, he said something interesting: “God’s definition of perfect is you.” That phrase, quite honestly, sounds like a Hallmark card, but it’s got everything to do with God’s father-heart.
I’m a woman, and as such, I struggle with the concept of perfection. I’m a six foot tall blond who’s never been called anything but beautiful, but I’m still convinced deep down in my gut that I’m ugly, that my butt is too big and my eyes are too small, that I need a thigh gap and straight bottom teeth, that my worth is determined by how I look. I’ve always struggled to make myself better, convinced that if I was just a little bit prettier, people would like me, I wouldn’t feel overlooked, and maybe someday, a guy would decide I was worth loving. I’d heard the “God made you perfect” line before, but that didn’t keep me from feeling guilty when I ate a piece of cake.
Identity is a concept I've always held loosely. Yeah, maybe I'm a bit of a hot mess today, but waiting somewhere in the golden future is this deluxe-model Bryanna who's worked through all her issues and floats about 3 inches off the ground. Who needs identity when you've got idealism?
God's truth, however, says something quite different. That whole "made in the image of God" thing? Um, well...God's image is kind of perfect. Are you short? Have brown hair and detached earlobes? Have an affinity for spicy food and sarcasm? Guess what, God did that for a reason. The truth is, God has a walking-talking plan for your life, a specific piece of this divine puzzle that only you can fit, and part of that has to do with who your mom is.
And insecurity? Ultimately, insecurity is pride because it says that our idea of perfection is better than God's. Insecurity is calling God a liar. So every time you compare yourself to another person, every time you bash your appearance, every time you tear someone down, you're committing the same sin that got Satan kicked out of heaven. Let me say that again in case you didn't get it: insecurity is sin! I'm pretty sure I missed that sermon, or maybe I was too busy fixing my hair in the church bathroom. Before YWAM, I thought insecurity was a normal part of the human experience---you're insecure, I'm insecure, now let's bond over oreos and fat-talk. But insecurity isn't a harmless by-product of humanness---insecurity breeds fear and inferiority, stripping us of our dignity until we've swallowed so many lies about who the world says we are we don't know who our Creator says we are.
When it comes to identity, God makes no mistakes. We can try, but it's impossible to change who we've been made to be without forfeiting God's plan for our lives. Don't underestimate the implications of this truth. Insecurity is sin and the nature of sin is to steal, kill, and destroy. Often, our view of ourselves is so twisted by insecurity, it's impossible for us to see ourselves the way God sees us, but in the battle against inferior pride, our greatest weapon is God's truth. If you don't know who you are, ask God. Consider everything about yourself, from your personality to your nationality, asking God to speak His truth into each aspect of your personal identity. Start with why. Why do I have curly hair? Why am I the oldest of 5? Ask Him and He'll answer you, often with answers you never expected. Once you know the truth, you must teach yourself to ruthlessly agree with that truth. When the old lies surface, and they will, remind yourself who you are in Christ. At first, it'll be empty words, but as you seek God for your identity, you will learn to align your self-image with His image. It truly is a battle, but we will never be able to live out God's purpose for our lives if we don't unshakably, undeniably know who we are.
That night, Pete spoke on identity, and as I sat in the back of the room, alternating between slight dozing and violent fits of coughing, he said something interesting: “God’s definition of perfect is you.” That phrase, quite honestly, sounds like a Hallmark card, but it’s got everything to do with God’s father-heart.
I’m a woman, and as such, I struggle with the concept of perfection. I’m a six foot tall blond who’s never been called anything but beautiful, but I’m still convinced deep down in my gut that I’m ugly, that my butt is too big and my eyes are too small, that I need a thigh gap and straight bottom teeth, that my worth is determined by how I look. I’ve always struggled to make myself better, convinced that if I was just a little bit prettier, people would like me, I wouldn’t feel overlooked, and maybe someday, a guy would decide I was worth loving. I’d heard the “God made you perfect” line before, but that didn’t keep me from feeling guilty when I ate a piece of cake.
Identity is a concept I've always held loosely. Yeah, maybe I'm a bit of a hot mess today, but waiting somewhere in the golden future is this deluxe-model Bryanna who's worked through all her issues and floats about 3 inches off the ground. Who needs identity when you've got idealism?
God's truth, however, says something quite different. That whole "made in the image of God" thing? Um, well...God's image is kind of perfect. Are you short? Have brown hair and detached earlobes? Have an affinity for spicy food and sarcasm? Guess what, God did that for a reason. The truth is, God has a walking-talking plan for your life, a specific piece of this divine puzzle that only you can fit, and part of that has to do with who your mom is.
And insecurity? Ultimately, insecurity is pride because it says that our idea of perfection is better than God's. Insecurity is calling God a liar. So every time you compare yourself to another person, every time you bash your appearance, every time you tear someone down, you're committing the same sin that got Satan kicked out of heaven. Let me say that again in case you didn't get it: insecurity is sin! I'm pretty sure I missed that sermon, or maybe I was too busy fixing my hair in the church bathroom. Before YWAM, I thought insecurity was a normal part of the human experience---you're insecure, I'm insecure, now let's bond over oreos and fat-talk. But insecurity isn't a harmless by-product of humanness---insecurity breeds fear and inferiority, stripping us of our dignity until we've swallowed so many lies about who the world says we are we don't know who our Creator says we are.
When it comes to identity, God makes no mistakes. We can try, but it's impossible to change who we've been made to be without forfeiting God's plan for our lives. Don't underestimate the implications of this truth. Insecurity is sin and the nature of sin is to steal, kill, and destroy. Often, our view of ourselves is so twisted by insecurity, it's impossible for us to see ourselves the way God sees us, but in the battle against inferior pride, our greatest weapon is God's truth. If you don't know who you are, ask God. Consider everything about yourself, from your personality to your nationality, asking God to speak His truth into each aspect of your personal identity. Start with why. Why do I have curly hair? Why am I the oldest of 5? Ask Him and He'll answer you, often with answers you never expected. Once you know the truth, you must teach yourself to ruthlessly agree with that truth. When the old lies surface, and they will, remind yourself who you are in Christ. At first, it'll be empty words, but as you seek God for your identity, you will learn to align your self-image with His image. It truly is a battle, but we will never be able to live out God's purpose for our lives if we don't unshakably, undeniably know who we are.
I Am Warfare: Worship and Intercession
Ah, noble intentions. You know how it goes--you start out with a brilliant plan to write a convicting, insightful blog post on a new DTS topic each week, and then suddenly it's week 9 and you haven't written anything since week 3. Not to name names, but well, let's just say I'm chock-full of noble intentions...
Anyways, where to begin? We'll start with week 4, which was worship and intercession week here at YWAM Perth. All 4 DTS's crowded into an upstairs classroom for a week of teaching by the hilariously expressive Christine Weiner, and I'll just say it was a lot of fun. Christine has a real talent for interactive teaching, especially when it comes to prayer. It's one thing to tell an audience of sleepy teenagers to be active and engaged in intercession, it's quite another to tell your audience to be active and engaged as you chuck tennis balls at them.
If you're like me, you might view prayer as kind of boring and ultimately unnecessary. It's easy to fall into a pattern of expecting God's will to come about automatically. If God is sovereign, His will will be done no matter what we pray, so why bother? Unfortunately, this fatalistic thinking undermines our spiritual authority and renders our broad, halfhearted prayers largely ineffective. To combat apathy in your own prayer life, here's Christine Weiner's 5 keys to effective prayer. Your welcome.
5 Keys to Effective Prayer:
1. God is who He says He is: Either God is completely true or He’s a liar. John 14:6 says God is the way, the truth, and the life. He is described as having no deceit in Him--He is completely trustworthy. We believe in God's power and we pray to tell God what we’re believing Him for. Do your prayers reflect your faith in God's ability to provide for you, or do you pray general, vague prayers for fear of being disappointed? If you're in doubt of how to pray, read the Psalms. Psalm 4:3 says, "the Lord hears when I call to Him." Psalm 5:3, "O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch." Come into prayer with faith that God hears you and have expectation that He will act. Don't be worried about asking to much of Him, of hurting His feelings with your pain. You have permission to pray specific, aggressive prayers. God is the truth, therefore, He can handle the truth. There's a lot that's wrong with our world, and God hates it. God hates injustice so much more than you do and He doesn’t ignore the cries of those who suffer. It comes down to a choice: if we choose to mistrust God, our prayers are ineffective and our relationship with Him rots. If we choose to believe God, we gain power in our prayers. The reason prayer becomes passive is because we don’t believe prayer makes a difference.
2. God does what He says He will do: If God is who He says He is, we can know that if He tells you to do something, He will give you everything you need to accomplish that task. God has promised to never leave or forsake us and He always keeps His promises. When you're feeling overwhelmed, you can cling to the promises of God. It's not presumptuous to remind God of His promises---Moses and God Himself often reminded Israel of His promises. Sometimes we need a reminder of God's faithfulness in our lives. Reminding ourselves of the capacity of God builds our faith, and it's impossible to pray without faith. Faith runs to get what hope sees. Faith runs to get the breakthrough. There’s a sense of urgency with faith---it doesn’t wait, it runs to get what God sees. Faith will by nature activate and produce on the earth what God sees.
3. I am who God says I am: As we pray, we must have the mind of Christ. We can believe God is who He says He is and have faith that He’ll do what He says He’ll do, but we can still have doubts about who we are. We get obsessed with "finding ourselves," but it's so simple---you are who God says you are. Who does God say you are? God has called you to be an intercessor on behalf of others. You have been given all the authority of heaven through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. You have power in prayer. Hold firmly to who God says you are.
4. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength: God works with people. Jesus could have fed the 5,000 himself, but instead He told His disciples to feed them. God blesses obedience. Take the little bits and pieces of your life and offer it to God, and He will anoint you.
5. God’s word is alive and active in me: Words have incredible power. The entire universe came about by a simple pronouncement from God. Jesus Himself is described as the Word. When you speak out God’s word, it brings life. You can dispel fear by reading out scriptures that speak on the love of God, the power of God, the mightiness of God. God’s word is described as living and active-- it demands our response. We must respond to the truth of God's word by actively seeking His voice in our specific circumstances. It is in God's nature to communicate, but we have to be listening for His word. In the parable of the Good Shepherd, the sheep respond to the Shepherd because they recognize His voice. The more time we spend listening to God and obeying Him, the more we will learn to know our Shepherd’s voice. Sometimes we make hearing God’s voice too complicated, like it has to sound a certain way, but God speaks to us with the simplicity of a child. When God spoke in the past, He spoke in a way that people understood. God is determined to speak to you and He will speak to you. God speaks your heart language.
Good stuff, huh? This is just a snapshot of everything we covered that week, but I hope it will encourage you to take up your spiritual authority and stand in the gap for those who can't stand for themselves. God has called you to be an intercessor---to pray for God's will to be done on the earth and stand against the schemes of the enemy. It's a high calling, but also an incredible privilege. So go out and be warfare for those who can't fight for themselves and watch the world change!
Anyways, where to begin? We'll start with week 4, which was worship and intercession week here at YWAM Perth. All 4 DTS's crowded into an upstairs classroom for a week of teaching by the hilariously expressive Christine Weiner, and I'll just say it was a lot of fun. Christine has a real talent for interactive teaching, especially when it comes to prayer. It's one thing to tell an audience of sleepy teenagers to be active and engaged in intercession, it's quite another to tell your audience to be active and engaged as you chuck tennis balls at them.
If you're like me, you might view prayer as kind of boring and ultimately unnecessary. It's easy to fall into a pattern of expecting God's will to come about automatically. If God is sovereign, His will will be done no matter what we pray, so why bother? Unfortunately, this fatalistic thinking undermines our spiritual authority and renders our broad, halfhearted prayers largely ineffective. To combat apathy in your own prayer life, here's Christine Weiner's 5 keys to effective prayer. Your welcome.
5 Keys to Effective Prayer:
1. God is who He says He is: Either God is completely true or He’s a liar. John 14:6 says God is the way, the truth, and the life. He is described as having no deceit in Him--He is completely trustworthy. We believe in God's power and we pray to tell God what we’re believing Him for. Do your prayers reflect your faith in God's ability to provide for you, or do you pray general, vague prayers for fear of being disappointed? If you're in doubt of how to pray, read the Psalms. Psalm 4:3 says, "the Lord hears when I call to Him." Psalm 5:3, "O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch." Come into prayer with faith that God hears you and have expectation that He will act. Don't be worried about asking to much of Him, of hurting His feelings with your pain. You have permission to pray specific, aggressive prayers. God is the truth, therefore, He can handle the truth. There's a lot that's wrong with our world, and God hates it. God hates injustice so much more than you do and He doesn’t ignore the cries of those who suffer. It comes down to a choice: if we choose to mistrust God, our prayers are ineffective and our relationship with Him rots. If we choose to believe God, we gain power in our prayers. The reason prayer becomes passive is because we don’t believe prayer makes a difference.
2. God does what He says He will do: If God is who He says He is, we can know that if He tells you to do something, He will give you everything you need to accomplish that task. God has promised to never leave or forsake us and He always keeps His promises. When you're feeling overwhelmed, you can cling to the promises of God. It's not presumptuous to remind God of His promises---Moses and God Himself often reminded Israel of His promises. Sometimes we need a reminder of God's faithfulness in our lives. Reminding ourselves of the capacity of God builds our faith, and it's impossible to pray without faith. Faith runs to get what hope sees. Faith runs to get the breakthrough. There’s a sense of urgency with faith---it doesn’t wait, it runs to get what God sees. Faith will by nature activate and produce on the earth what God sees.
3. I am who God says I am: As we pray, we must have the mind of Christ. We can believe God is who He says He is and have faith that He’ll do what He says He’ll do, but we can still have doubts about who we are. We get obsessed with "finding ourselves," but it's so simple---you are who God says you are. Who does God say you are? God has called you to be an intercessor on behalf of others. You have been given all the authority of heaven through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. You have power in prayer. Hold firmly to who God says you are.
4. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength: God works with people. Jesus could have fed the 5,000 himself, but instead He told His disciples to feed them. God blesses obedience. Take the little bits and pieces of your life and offer it to God, and He will anoint you.
5. God’s word is alive and active in me: Words have incredible power. The entire universe came about by a simple pronouncement from God. Jesus Himself is described as the Word. When you speak out God’s word, it brings life. You can dispel fear by reading out scriptures that speak on the love of God, the power of God, the mightiness of God. God’s word is described as living and active-- it demands our response. We must respond to the truth of God's word by actively seeking His voice in our specific circumstances. It is in God's nature to communicate, but we have to be listening for His word. In the parable of the Good Shepherd, the sheep respond to the Shepherd because they recognize His voice. The more time we spend listening to God and obeying Him, the more we will learn to know our Shepherd’s voice. Sometimes we make hearing God’s voice too complicated, like it has to sound a certain way, but God speaks to us with the simplicity of a child. When God spoke in the past, He spoke in a way that people understood. God is determined to speak to you and He will speak to you. God speaks your heart language.
Good stuff, huh? This is just a snapshot of everything we covered that week, but I hope it will encourage you to take up your spiritual authority and stand in the gap for those who can't stand for themselves. God has called you to be an intercessor---to pray for God's will to be done on the earth and stand against the schemes of the enemy. It's a high calling, but also an incredible privilege. So go out and be warfare for those who can't fight for themselves and watch the world change!
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