Bold As A Lion

Last week, a friend and I did an interview for the newspaper. The girl we interviewed is a senior, and we asked her what the worst thing about Bluegrass United (the school I go to) was. She said, "I don't know, BU's just so great!" Then after thinking for a while, she said, "I think the worst part about BU is that we all just assume that everyone knows Jesus, so we don't talk about it that much. Even though BU is a Christian group, we don't talk about God nearly as much as we should." I was blown away by that. But I knew exactly what she was talking about. I've experienced it too. I've wanted to ask people about their stories, about how Christ has redeemed them, but for some reason, it is really, really hard. Now why is that? We're in a Christian community, so why is it so hard to talk about Christ? It shouldn't be.

Christian communities around the world struggle with this. But the bottom line is that we can't just assume everyone knows who Jesus is and why he came to earth. We can't assume that everyone has a relationship with him. We can't assume everyone has even grown up in a Christian home. There are lost and broken people out there who need the Lord. They're at BU. They're at churches and Christian schools everywhere. 

You may be sitting there thinking, oh that's all very well that I want to reach people and share the love of Christ. But how in the world do I go about reaching those people? Or if you're one of those people you may be thinking, how can I find people who are willing to invest in me, answer my questions, and know me and love me at the same time?

One word: boldness. There is no other way to reach out than to be bold about it. We have to be brave. We have to go outside our comfort zone. We were not made to live inside our comfort zones. That is not where world changing happens. It happens OUTSIDE. In the danger zone. Where people risk being hurt, being rejected. And that is another struggle. Especially for me. I hate being hurt. I hate being rejected.  So I am content to stay in my comfort zone. Until someone else speaks out boldly. And I realize that what they're saying is true and we need to do something about it. I need to do something about it.

So what are you going to do Ellie? What are you going to do? You are but one person, one drop in the bucket. You can't make a difference. Oh yes I can. Heck yes I can. I've got God on my side. And that voice that says I can't? That's the devil.

"The thief (devil) comes only to steal and kill and destroy."  He wants you to think that you can't do it. You can't make a difference. But let me tell you something. You can. I can. We are those people that, by God's grace, will be bold. We will reach out and give Jesus. We've got to stop assuming everyone knows who Jesus is. We've got to get out of our comfort zones and ask. Just ask. Ask about people's story, ask about their lives, ask how they're doing. We'll never know if we never ask.

And to the ones who so desperately want to be known and loved: Jesus does that. But I would love to hear your story too. I really do. There are other people too, who want to know you and love you and share Jesus with you. The sweet girl I interviewed is one of them. But of course, how can you find them if they aren't being bold? So, I challenge you all at BU and in other Christian communities: be bold. And then, by the grace of God, we'll get to live life together in light of the gospel. With Christ as our banner, we will go out unashamed, fully known, and fully loved. Let's do it. 

All In. Together.

Credit: Pocket Fuel

...the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
//Joshua 22:5

A few days ago, I was looking through the album I made on Facebook for my junior year. I had titled it: all in || junior year. It made me think: how have I been "all in" this school year?

I had been wrestling with whether I should keep going to youth meetings on Wednesday nights. The talks were great, the food was great, but the fellowship was lacking. And part of it was my fault. I haven't made much of an effort to be a part of that community. I'm different from them, and not in a bad way. I'm a homeschooler, a newspaper journalist, a blogger, a musician, a photographer. But it's hard to find a common ground. It seems like only a few people have even one thing in common with me.

I was talking to my mom about it the other day and she had some really good thoughts. She knew I had been discouraged and struggling to find my place in the group, but reminded me that we were made for community, and that sometimes community is not always what we expect it to be. But we shouldn't give up on things just because they are hard. God gives us community and puts different people together for a reason. And the reason is usually not so we can be comfortable. If it was, why would there be any reason for us to turn to Jesus?

I admit, I was unengaged during the first meeting of this semester. My argument was, "I'm not sure this is where I'm supposed to be, so I'm just going to sit here and wait until I get an answer from the Lord." Instead of being completely and fully present right where I was, I clammed up. Since that was my mindset, I missed opportunities to love others. What image of Christianity am I putting across when that's my attitude? I'm definitely not shining the love of Christ when I just sit back and do nothing.

I do think I'm supposed to continue going to the youth meetings, but that's not the point. The point is that it's my job as a follower of Christ to be all in, to dive headfirst into whatever he has put before me. Even if it's uncomfortable, even if I feel like an outsider, I am called to be a living, breathing example of Christ's love. A daunting task to say the least. But with God, all things are possible.

Lord, give us grace. Give us strength to be all in for you. Let us realize that you give community as a gift, and that we're called to be all in, together. Help us be real, help us love one another, and then share that love with others. We love you Lord. Amen.