The Beginning: Are We Really Who We Say We Are?

Life. It's wild, if you really think about it. It seems like such a blur, its always moving around us, and sometime it seems surreal. But when you really think about it, its pretty basic. We were created to live our lives to the fullest, using everything we say, everything we do, and everything we think to glorify God. And yet somehow, we cant seem to grasp, cant seem to master the basics. A few months ago I spoke at Grace's High School youth group about my travels to South Africa, and the fears and challenges that I faced. I left everyone with a challenge: "If being a Christian was deemed illegal, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" Lately, I have been far from guilty. I've always felt like I've been shaky in my faith, like maybe I haven't really been getting it. But then I realized it. I do know what being a Christian is all about. I know that Christ died for me, and for my faults, my flaws and my never ending sin, and that he calls me to live my life as close as humanly possible to the way that he did. And yet I continue to live the majority of my life in many ways that would shame this faith that I claim to have. So why is this? Unfortunately, I don't know. Maybe I'm scared, scared to give my all, scared to put my trust in something that I cant see. But I know God's there. I know that no matter what I do, and no matter how many times I go against the truth that Christs love will always prevail, and that I can turn to him at any time.

So I guess its time to make a decision. I will live my life for him. Thats it, plain and simple. I will go to bed every night, and say a prayer, thanking the God who gave his son for me, thanking him for the incredible home that I live in again; thanking him for the incredible brothers that I lived with and bonded with for a year, and for all of the love and compassion and incredible joy that they have given me; thanking him for amazing leaders, leaders who gave their all to show me the joy that they found in the Father, and leaders who led me to find my savior that I once again want to find; thanking him for an amazing 2 months in the prettiest place on the planet, South Africa, and all of the friends I found, and for the incredible experience that I had. And I will thank him for the relationship that I'm in now, the one I've been in for almost 4 months. I have the most incredible girlfriend in the world, and am often without words to describe how thankful I am for her, her beauty and her love. Day after day she shows me how to live my life, and I am thankful for her the most. I love her with everything that I am.

So I guess my question for you is are you who you say you are? Or are you like me, struggling to find that life line that we know is there. If you are, I hope that you will join me, maybe for your first time, or maybe its time for you to recommit like me. Either way, the incredible news is Christ is there, ready to love us, and ready for us to come to him. So its time for us to go.