For Your Consideration...

As most of you know, our students were in Black Mountain last weekend attending Winter Camp. It was an incredible time for them with amazing music, teaching, and games. We asked the students what stood out the most to them from the weekend after our last session, and I feel like their answers need to be shared. I believe that each of us could benefit from these reminders right now. 

1 - God don’t make no junk! 

You have been given the ability to be you. No one else can be you. Being you is an incredible gift given to you by your Heavenly Father. Don’t ever take that gift for granted or let anyone convince you that you need to be someone else. No one else is you and this world needs you…the you that God made. 

2 - What are you doing to learn who God made you to be?   Matthew 25:14-30

Something that is valuable is something that cannot be replaced. The master in this parable did not compare the first two servants. He just wanted to know what each one did with what they were given. How can we do something good with what God has given us if we haven’t bothered to find out what it is that He has given us? It’s not about what other people are doing or what gifts and talents they have been given. That is God’s business, not ours. It’s about doing the work to figure out what God has given us, and then doing good work with what we have been given.

3 - Stop judging an incomplete work!

God is not finished with you yet. God is not finished with any of us yet. We have to stop judging ourselves and others as if we are a completed work. We are all still in process and none of us can see the completed picture. Only God can see that. We are all going to make mistakes. We are all going to fail at some point. It’s okay. We are still in process. God is not finished with us yet. Perfection and completion here on earth is not the goal. Continued striving and perseverance is the goal. Don’t give up on yourself or anyone else. If you woke up this morning, then God is still working on you. 

4 - Offense is not given, it’s taken.

The way you think determines how your day goes. Stop thinking that others are out to get you. People are not offending you. You are taking offense to whatever they are doing or saying. Stop being offended and start being considerate instead. Think about others first. Think about what you say before you say it. Think about what you do before you do it. Consider the fact that everyone has a unique story that you know nothing about. You have no idea what they have endured that has led them to the place they are in, believing what they believe, and acting the way they are acting. Learn who it is that God made you to be, and stand firm in that. His opinion is the only one that matters anyway. The sooner you learn that, the harder it will be for you to take offense because once you learn and believe that God is for you, it doesn’t matter who is against you. 

5 - Worry is trying to be more than you are.   Philippians 4:6-9

Quit trying to fight battles that are not yours. Quit fearing things the Lord has already defeated. Peace is being okay with God being in control. Knowing, believing, and accepting that God is in control of ALL things brings peace that passes all understanding. The next time you find yourself worrying about something, stop and thank God for defeating it already. Reset your mind. Like I said earlier, the way you think determines how your day goes. Remember, knowing what to do makes no difference. Doing what you know to do makes all the difference. 

Last weekend was amazing and we had a wonderful time…even though it ended up being a longer trip than originally expected. I am exhausted but exhilarated. I had some incredible conversations and learned quite a bit, both from the teachings and from simply spending time with these kids. 

Students tend to get a bad reputation. I hear people talking negatively about the next generation all the time. I am here to tell you, the kids we have at Next Level are future world changers. Some are incredibly innovative. Some are already strong leaders. Some are wise beyond their years. Some have more compassion in them than many adults I know. Some are natural encouragers. Some are destined for ministry. They make me laugh and they challenge me. God uses them to stretch me and shows me things through working with them that strengthens my faith. 

If you have a student or are around any students regularly, please don’t give up on them. Pour into them. They need us, whether they want to admit it or not. They need someone to mentor them. They need someone to guide them. They need someone to challenge them. They need someone to let them know that it is okay to be who God made them to be. They need someone to let them know that it is okay to ask questions. They need someone to let them know that it is okay to push back sometimes. They need someone to be there for them. They need someone that they can trust. They need someone to accept them for who they are and push them to be even more. They need someone to encourage them. Most of all, they need someone to love them like Jesus. 

As incredible as this weekend was, I am tired. Everyone that went on this trip is tired. But that’s okay. There is a difference between being tired in the work of the Lord and being tired of the work of the Lord. I am tired in the work, and that is a tired that I can live with.