The Story My Life Speaks

There was a speaker at a conference recently who deeply challenged me. Dressed in casual clothes and with an Aussie accent, Alan Hirsch spoke so plainly and bluntly about Jesus that I was mesmerized. He described Jesus as a radical, a risk-taker, a guy who religious people couldn’t figure out, a man who spent his time with hookers and sleazy tax collectors and stinky fishermen. I confess, even though I ‘know’ those qualities of Jesus, it still felt like a far cry from the calm, clean, self-controlled Jesus that I picture in my mind.

Alan also shared a quote that has continued to echo through my heart every moment of every day since then. He shared, “Real truth must change you. If it doesn’t change you, it’s not real truth to you – your life will speak that it’s a lie.” Now, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that… I mean, what ‘truths’ do I say I believe, but my life doesn’t match up to? If we profess Jesus with our mouth (his life, his redemption, his power over sin and death), but then our actions do not fully reflect that knowledge of Him, what testimony/message of Jesus is my life really shouting?

"Real Truth must change you. If it doesn't change you, it's not real truth to you - your life will speak that it's a lie." - Alan Hirsch

I think Paul understood this well, which is why he said in Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Paul knew that it’s not so much the songs that we sing or the words which come out of our mouth that reflect God and His Lordship to the world – it’s our actions and ‘life story’ that speak louder either for or against God on our behalf…

My hearts cry above all else, is that God would continue to change me. It’s no longer enough for me to simply ‘know’ statements of faith or have a close understanding of God – I need His Word to be real and alive in me. I’m asking God to change me through His Word, to make me more into a reflection of Him instead of simply drawing attention to myself. I don’t want my life to misrepresent Him in this world in any way –or worse, point people away from God rather than toward Him. That would break my heart, and I believe it would break God’s heart, too.

I pray for each of us today, that we’d be challenged to ask God to reveal to us the message our lives are speaking for us… Is it the message that you want to be speaking? Is it in line with what you say you believe? Are you allowing God and His Word to continue to change you? I pray that through our life-message we could worship God more deeply and completely than we ever could with a simple song.

FACE IT - Has Real Truth really changed you?

I was sung to this morning...

I have no idea what you're morning has been like, but if it's been anything like mine, we're both in trouble, LOL! Seriusly, this morning has been rough and it's not even 10 am yet. My biggest struggle has been that things have come up that are out of my routine, out of my comfort area, -OUT OF MY CONTROL- and I started to feel stressed, pushed, pressured... Do you ever feel the same way? It's not even that it was anything big or monumental that bothered me - it was just pressure that came from a billion different small and insignificant things... I felt out of control this morning, and I could feel my emotions in starting my day being swayed with each new *surprise* that came up before I was even fully awake and out of bed.

Usually as I'm waking up in the morning I have a song on my heart. Sometimes I feel like that song is a window for me to see where my heart and mind is focusing as I rise. Other times, I feel like it's a song of encouragement that God sings over me as I wake. This morning's song is called 'My Help Comes From The Lord' by The Museum. Here's a few of the lyrics to give you an idea (if you don't know the song):

verse 1:
When sorrows come and hope seems gone
You're the rock I rest upon
When waters rise and I can't breathe
You're the love that rescues me
Out of the darkness, lift up my eyes
Unto the hills, I feel my faith rise

chorus:
Maker of heaven, giver of life
You are my strength, my song in the night
My refuge my shelter, now and forevermore
My help comes from the Lord


As my morning seemed to crumble and fall as I woke up, I felt this song being sung over my heart and knew immediately that I needed to get into the Word... I decided to take a morning away from the book of Matthew (I've been going back to study the stories of Jesus's life) and instead went into the Psalms (soothing balm for my heart, hehe I'm such a girl).

Psalm 121 is God's song over my heart this morning:

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

I pray that today we'd all get to stop and take time to really worship our Lord who watches over our every step, who guards us and keeps us from harm... That just as He sings over us, that we'd be able to sing back over Him this morning.

Love you guys. Have a great day!
-Rebecca