 You can be as close to God as your heart desires. But a deep relationship with Jesus cannot come through another person. It’s a choice only you can make.
I’m learning the importance of allowing God to search my heart. David writes, “O LORD, you have searched me and known me!” (Ps. 139:1 ESV). I don’t know about you, but I want to be known by my Father. And I want to know Him more. My prayer is for you to desire a deeper, more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s the most important part of any person. Actually, it’s the purpose of life itself. The Westminster Shorter Catechism, a respected document in Christian theology, says, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”  I recently watched “The Greatest Showman” for a school assignment. If you’re unfamiliar with the movie, it’s a musical encouraging viewers to be themselves. One of the songs in the movie is called “This is me.” It strives to celebrate the differences between human beings. In other words, the song shouts, “Be yourself!”
Today, I’m writing about identity. But I’m doing so from a biblical perspective. In my home, there’s a quote on the wall. It reads, “In a world where you can be anything, be yourself.” It’s a cute cliché, but I forget it’s there. Actually, I forget the words. I don’t know about you, but I struggle to be comfortable in my own skin.  Identity. It’s a touchy subject. Who or what defines you? Modern culture tends to equate identity with popularity. In other words, our level of acceptance determines our importance.
Don’t believe me? Look at a teenager’s social media account. A collection of so many highlight reels, longing for acceptance. I know because I often find myself there.  I’m only seventeen. So many things I’ve yet to experience. Much of life is still an imagination. But, thank God, I know Jesus Christ.
Looking back, I wonder where I’d be without His saving grace. His unconditional love. His reckless pursuit for my soul. I may be young. “But true wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are his” (Job 12:13 NLT). Water drips from the leaves of a tree, landing on the pages of my journal.
The grass gently sways to the rhythm of the wind. Birds sing in the background. If God can provide their needs today, He can certainly provide mine. After all, “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” (Matthew 6:26-27). Whew! What a relief. “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3). |
