The Change

Hello all. Although I have been absent since my return to the US, I have not forgotten about you all.

It has been brought to my attention more and more over the last few weeks that we live in a very twisted and messed up culture. My pastor, Louie Giglio, said something this week and it seriously has made me think a lot. It went like this, "Jesus, change me..because I desperately need it..and the world DESPERATELY needs you." Seems simple right? Perhaps it is because I radically changed parts of my life and am now able to see how messed up and damaging some of my past decisions were, but to see people in this world continually make similar mistakes truly saddens me and makes me see how much the world really does need God. 

My dad refers to it as the decade of discovery. The time where you try everything you can to figure out who you are, what makes you unique and what gives you true identity. Although I've heard him say it a million times, he is right. Everyone at this age just wants to figure out their place and where they fit, even if it means making stupid decisions to get there. I feel like so many people in this generation have completely lost sight of the fact that God is THE single most important thing in the world though and that they really do NEED Him. I realize that I used to be no better, but I just wish people would see how much they are damaging their lives and futures. I see far too many drunken Instagram pictures, vulgar twitter posts and questionable things on Facebook nowadays and it really does make me sad. Living in the world and participating in its "fun," is not something that I miss. Over the last year and a half, I have experienced what it is like to give God control of my life and let Him change me, from the inside out and I wish that others could experience the same thing. 

So many people these days think it's okay to cuss, drink and sleep around with whomever they want and that it won't ever come back to hurt or haunt them. I used to be there and know how hard it is to get through these years without falling in to temptation and going along with what everyone else deems as acceptable. The saddest thing about all of this is that they are very few people in my generation who are brave enough to stand up for their faith and fight to put an end to all of this. The majority just sits back and watches it happen. Why? Most likely because they are too afraid that they will be rejected by the people that they don't even really like, but work sooo hard to earn approval from. Again, I've been there. It's not worth it. The only approval in this world that you need is from God and I long for people to understand that. 

In 1 John 2:15, it says, "do not to love the world or the things of this world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Do you get that? You can't love both. You can't love to get drunk or hop on twitter and explicitly share your emotions and then turn right around and like a perfect Christian. It doesn't work that way. A lot of people think being a Christian mean's that it gives them an automatic pass to get away with sin. That's not the case. We all desperately need the grace we don't deserve from God and none of us are above it. 

I wish I could say that I have figured everything out and have it all together, but I don't. Which is why Louie's statement made such an impact on me this week. It is my utmost prayer that God would continually change me, so that I might influence and point even just one person to Him. I am nothing without God and can't imagine where I would be today, if it weren't for His relentless love and grace towards me. 

So, I challenge you to let that be your prayer as well. Let God change and mold you in to the person that HE wants you to be. Quit wasting your time with empty and vain things. We are called to glorify God with our lives and actions, so don't be afraid. You never know who is watching and who's life you could potentially influence to change, for the glory of God. 

Love always, 

- Rachel