#oldhasgone

College, for many, is a time full of uncertainty, worry, and anxiety. What major should I pursue? What will I do when I get out of college? How will my life play out? It is so easy to get caught up in the smallest details of our lives that we tend to overlook the big picture. At the end of the day, is one C on my report card really going to ruin my future? There's a viral Christian quote that I see all the time on the internet, in various artsy pictures and cool fonts: Let go, and let God. It may sound cliché, but it is so true. What could we possibly be anxious about or be dealing with that is so troublesome that the Savior of the World can't handle it?

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

This verse lays it all out for us and is normally the go to verse for anxiety about what is to come. It is comforting to know that The Lord has plans laid out that won't harm us and that will prosper us. 

In all seriousness, I need to take a chill pill. As long as I'm following Christ the best I can, keeping in constant contact with my Creator, and staying in the Word, I will be fine. He's got my life all figured out, and He's got a future for me. He's shaping me and molding into the best man I can be, and even with my endless imperfections, He will ultimately form me into something beautiful.

I'm a very material person, and I tend to focus on the wrong side of things. I worry about my perceived image to the others around me and how they might think about me. Am I wearing the right brands? Do my actions reflect who they want me to be? Do I live up to their standard? For me, college highlighted all of these worries. There were thousands of people I had never met, and all I wanted was to fit right in. Then it clicked.

All I had strived for was becoming perfect. It had ruled my life and was exhausting and I couldn't handle it anymore, and in that moment of weakness it made the most sense to open up my Bible that had been gathering dust since move-in day.  

"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me"  -2 Corinthians 12:9

Tonight at Port City Overflow, a weekly college student service in Wilmington, Duane Mixon brought a great message about the hope we can have in Jesus Christ. He brought up the crucial point that we aren't defined by our respective sins.  We are defined by Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.  How amazing is it to think that everything that bogs us down through our everyday lives that we think dooms us is made completely new in Him?

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. - John 16:33

Jesus lived the perfect life. He overcame every possible worldly obstacle that you and me have or eventually will face.  He even overcame the one thing that we would never be able to: sin. Wouldn't it make the most sense that when everything seems to be taking a turn for the worst that we would turn to the only one who has ever lived a perfect life? 

Part of John 16, starting before verse 16, comes under the heading "The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy."  They knew that He was soon going to leave them.  They knew that a large part of the world would rejoice at the fact that Jesus was no longer on the earth. And they knew that things would become even more difficult for them without His physical presence with them. But Jesus gives them a peaceful reminder that He has overcome everything.  He has overcome everything that they are about to endure, and in God they can truly find peace and overcome their worldly trials and sorrows.   

You stay the same through the ages Your love never changes There may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning

And when the oceans rage I don't have to be afraid Because I know that You love me Your love never fails

This is the chorus of a song by Jesus Culture that I've been stuck on recently.  It's just one of those songs that really hits me and makes me thing about how great my God is, and His unending love and protection. Every line of this song is packed with encouraging messages of hope and love, but the chorus is my favorite part.

Last night, I went to an early service at the Brier Creek campus of Summit RDU, where JD Greear used the story of the prodigal son in his sermon.  I'm sure I had heard this story used in an Easter service before, but for some reason it had never stuck out and meant as much to me.  He broke the story up into 7 parallel points that ran together with the story if you were to replace the father with God, and us with the prodigal son. 

God loves us....

Even when you rejected him and broke his heart

As we wander in the darkness

As he brings us back

As he wraps us in his arms when we return

As he baptizes us with grace and makes all things new

When we're too proud to receive his grace

And the last point,

     7. We can even ultimately choose to stay outside of God's love forever

It really was a simple explanation of our relationship with Christ, and was made simple yet effective enough to reach everyone who heard it.  He also made several applicable points about God's grace that were incredible:

the cross was Jesus running to us and bearing our shame (the father in the storied ran to his son upon his arrival which was a shameful act in that time period)

the cross is not a decoration, it is a declaration

the resurrection was Jesus making all things new

none of us are beyond His grace