by Liv and Liz | Feb 23, 2023 | College, Life Advice
“People are searching within themselves for the answer, when they just need JESUS!”
“My campus DESPERATELY needs Jesus, everything secular is so glorified, yet everyone feels empty.”
“We need a place for young women to come together to grow closer to the Lord and each other.”
“I think that there are so many young women who need to hear that they are worthy. And that God is the true king. I find myself trying to constantly reassure my friends that they are worthy and loved by God.”
“Our female community lacks community and unity. The female student body desperately needs to feel loved and seen, we need to feel as though there are people out there praying for us.”
This is a glimpse into what female college students had to say when Live Original asked, “Why do you want us to come to your campus?”
Hey guys, it’s Liv! I just want to start by saying, that we get it. We know firsthand that college can be a time of searching. Searching for community. Searching for answers of our life purpose. Searching for a true friendship. Searching for fulfillment and encouragement. Searching for balance. This season of life can have a lot of unanswered questions, and it can begin to overwhelm us if we let it.
For many, This is the first time you are on your own. You have the freedom to make decisions for yourself. It’s the beginning of a journey where you get to choose what’s next. From what’s for dinner to what you want to be involved in in your free time. You get to dictate the next steps. It’s exciting, and can be even a little scary.
Liz and I both had pretty different outlooks and approaches when it came to college. In my freshman year of college, I was ready to jump into every campus event that took place. I was excited to rush and join a sorority, and I lived about 5 minutes from campus. I absolutely loved the fact that everyone around me was in a similar stage of life as me. I could relate to pretty much everybody in at least one way, being a student. To me, we were all connected in a way and I was ready to fully step into my new life as a college student. Liz on the other hand was really only interested in the school aspect of college. Liz wanted simply what we all were there for, to get a degree. There is absolutely nothing wrong with either approach and a lot can and will change throughout 4 years of college.
No matter the person, this season will come with struggles, important lessons, and chances are you will graduate knowing a lot more about yourself than you knew before. For me, I found that one way a lot of the other students hung out was by “going out”. My sorority events seemed to be more fun if I had a few drinks with my friends before, and it was more fun to go to the local bar on a Friday night then to be home by myself. So, I did that for a while. At the time it seemed fine because it felt like the thing to do in college, but the next morning seemed to always come with a headache and lot of guilt. It felt like I could either have a social life or not, and if I wasn’t okay with living the “college life” then I wouldn’t have a life at all. My freshman year was a weird time filled with church on Wednesday night, Bible study on Thursday, and a party on Friday. I didn’t want to choose, so I thought I’d just do both and it was exhausting.
My sophomore year of college, God placed my high school friend, Liz back in my life at just the right time. We instantly grew close and our friendship was truly just what we both needed. Turns out, we each had some struggles we could relate on, and some struggles that were unique to each of us. Even in our unique struggling, we helped each other not feel alone in them and there was so much beauty in that. The beginning of our friendship consisted of a lot of late night conversations, a lot of listening, laughs, and a lot of encouraging one another. It was just what my soul needed.
I could have never imagined how Jesus planned to use our friendship. Liz and I learned so much from each other and grew with each other throughout college. Now, we get to work together and visit colleges with girls that are walking through a season we just came out of. Even if I wanted to, I could never pinpoint the amount of times Jesus was preparing us in every moment separately and together for what he has now set before us.
Liz speaking! Yes, yes, and yes to everything Liv just said! College is such a pivotal point in life. So many decisions and so much freedom — and it’s a bit overwhelming deciding how to use all that newfound freedom. My second year in college, I experienced heartbreak. I was on the struggle bus big time during that season. Struggled to find Godly friends, trust God’s timing, what to do with my life, and so on. It took months for me to figure out who I was without a boyfriend. What were the things I liked to do in my free time? Who did I want to spend time with? Needless to say, I did a lot of searching. And I just can’t help but think that someone reading this can relate.
In my lowest point, I remember thinking that I had two choices: run to temporary fixes (such as partying or jumping into a new relationship) or run to the permanent source of life — Jesus. I think this is true for each of us in any given situation. We can either run to or from Jesus, but either way, we’re running towards an eternity. Thankfully, I chose the path toward Jesus. And I tried my best to run toward Him full force, though it wasn’t always the easy choice.
I learned a few things in that season that stuck with me. I learned that no matter how we perceive our circumstances, God is always in the midst of them doing a new thing. I read a quote once that said, “Flowers grow best in the valley.” And I clung to that quote, because it reminded me of how God does the same for us. Whether you’re dealing with a breakup, loneliness, lack of confidence, or poor performance in school, He sees you in the valley. And if we let Him, He will use our valley season to grow seeds in us that will increase our faith.
Sometimes it feels impossible to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we have the light Who holds our hand every step of the way.
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12)
One of my prayers in that season was for all that God was doing in my life to not just affect me, but those around me. God answered this prayer tenfold by opening the doors for “LO on the Road”. Through this ministry, Liv and I have had the opportunity to travel to college campuses and encourage friends with Truth and relate to them by sharing a bit of our own stories. We have been blown away by God proving this to be His plan each time we sit in a room full of girls ready to talk about Jesus.
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
This verse is the heartbeat behind LO on the Road. Our goal is to reach girls, whether they are on fire for God or aren’t sure where to start. Our prayer is to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and that it would have a lasting impact.
But we want to encourage you with this: You can start right where you’re at. Gather some friends together, no matter how big or small of a group, and make your time about Jesus. Whether it’s going through a Bible study from the LO Sister app, studying a book in the Bible, or going through a sermon series. Whatever it is, just be in community with one another.
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20).
Email us at ontheroad@liveoriginal.com for more information on us visiting your college campus 🙂
by Ayana Symone | Feb 21, 2023 | Life Advice
You and me?
We have work to do.
You—meaning, a follower of Jesus who has experienced the goodness of God yourself.
Me—meaning, your fellow sister in Christ, who believes with all her heart that only in Him, a free life is possible.
Whether we realize it or not, every person in pain is longing for what our Savior has to offer. Those who are hurting, those who are hopeless—they need to know that there’s a way out.
And, it’s up to us to let them know that there is a way—The Way.
His Name is Jesus.
And, if there’s anybody who knows the importance of spreading the gospel to all people, even if it means taking the gospel to some unlikely, controversial places, it’s the man I’m featuring for today’s post. This man didn’t just know the world needed the gospel, but he did something about it, presenting it to those who were typically excluded from it.
You know him.
You love him.
He’s probably the writer of one of your favorite verses.
You guessed it!
Today, we’re talking about Apostle Paul.
Not only that, but we’re going to take a look at his ministry from his point of view.
After all, his story is incredible. The minute Jesus called Paul to ministry in Acts 9:15, the Lord made it very clear that Paul wasn’t just meant to preach to the Israelites—God’s chosen people. No. Paul was also called to preach to—brace yourselves—the Gentiles.
Let me tell you why this is so significant.
The Israelites often viewed the Gentiles as the outsiders, enemies, those unworthy of the grace of God. And, the worst part is that they felt they had biblical reasons to justify their viewpoint. When God made a covenant promise with Abraham in Genesis 15, promising Abraham that his descendants were going to be as many as the stars in the sky, we see later on in Scripture that God called these descendants Israelites. Not Gentiles.
Get the picture?
In other words, the Israelites lorded their covenant promise over those who weren’t descendants of Abraham. They overlooked Gentiles, excluded them, outcasted them, shunned them—
—so when Paul came on the scene with a clear call to minister to Gentiles, the Israelites were terribly upset.
But, that didn’t bother Apostle Paul. No way! In fact, he was way too bothered by the fact that the Gentiles were out there giving their lives to gods who didn’t even have ears to hear them with when they could be praying to the God who not only hears them, but talks back too! And, it upset him in such a way that he did something about it—going above and beyond any other apostle, letting the Gentiles in on the greatest love story of all.
And, boy did he pay the price for it.
Because of Paul’s pursuit of the Gentiles, he was misunderstood, mocked, whipped, beaten, stoned, persecuted, and unjustly imprisoned many times. In fact, much of his life was spent in chains for the sole purpose of preaching the gospel. And, thankfully, we don’t have to be uninformed about what life was like for Paul in prison. The Bible gives us an exclusive, inside-look of what prison life was like through the readings of many of his letters—his most famous one being addressed to the Philippian church.
It’s ironic, if you study it. He wrote the book of Philippians in chains for preaching the gospel, and yet scholars call Philippians ‘the happiest book in the Bible.’
Why?
Well, let’s take a look inside!
You can’t get past the first chapter of Philippians without feeling like you’re reading a gooey, sappy love letter. Read it for yourself! The whole first chapter is littered with “I love you’s” and “I’m praying for you’s” and “I thank God for you all the time’s.”
Which makes no sense at all.
I don’t know about you, but if I was in prison for an unjust reason and the guard allowed me one five-minute phone call to my church family—
Let’s just say I wouldn’t be reminding them about how much I love and long for them with the tender compassion of Jesus Christ, as Paul wrote in Philippians 1:8. You kiddin’ me? My phone call would instead sound more like:
“Get me out of here!”
“Start a GoFundMe, so you can bail me out!”
I would tell my church family to get #FreeYana trending on Twitter!
Be honest!
Wouldn’t you?
Because you didn’t do anything wrong! You were simply bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost, to those society (and, even the church!) might’ve overlooked. You don’t have reason to be in jail. You deserve justice!
But, Paul? That wasn’t what he expressed to the church at Philippi.
Instead of trying to work out a plan to break out of his prison cell at midnight, he instead commanded them to not be anxious about anything, to pray and petition with thanksgiving, as written in Philippians 4:6.
He wasn’t worried about them coming to bail him out. No, Paul was more worried about their thought life. He told them in Philippians 4:8 to fix their thoughts on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. That was his instruction.
He wasn’t wallowing in self-pity, going into detail about how unfair it was that he was in there and something oughta be done. Nope! Paul said he can do anything through Christ who gives him strength, whether he was chained or free. He didn’t mention his need for anything either. He assured them that God was going to supply all of his needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
I mean, HUH?!
It doesn’t make sense, does it?
How is it that Paul could be wrongly imprisoned, persecuted, misunderstood by his own brothers and sisters in Christ and still…have joy?
Well, I’m writing this post today to tell you the answer—the secret sauce to Paul’s perfect peace.
You ready to find out what it is?
Here it goes…
His perspective.
Paul had the right perspective.
And, if you read Philippians 3:12-14, you’ll find out what that perspective was, that his eyes were fixed on one prize and one prize only:
Jesus Christ.
And, because Jesus Himself was the only perspective Paul had, he was able to endure every trial, tribulation, and obstacle he faced as he spread the gospel. And, it was his perspective that made every problem worth it.
Dr. Matthew Stevenson puts it this way:
The problem isn’t always the problem. Instead, the problem is your perspective of the problem.
And, when you run into problems spreading the gospel, a poor perspective is the last thing you need. In fact, the wrong perspective will keep you from enduring, from pressing on towards the prize, as Paul said in Philippians 3.
Therefore, if we’re going to do what Paul did, something we’re all called to do anyway—bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to all people, not just the ones who look like us, think like us, talk like us, but all people—then we must have the perspective that Paul had.
That perspective being Jesus—only Jesus.
And, if Paul was willing to endure chains, persecution, and being misunderstood for the sole purpose of spreading the good news, with the right perspective, we can, too.
At twenty-two years old, Ayana is an author, a blogger, and the host of “To Be Heard” Podcast. In 2018, she self-published her first novel, titled, How I Fell in Love with Myself, and self-published her second novel, titled, My Name is Anxiety in 2022. She is a former English & Journalism major with a previous education in writing from a program based in New York. As she continues to pursue a career in writing, she aims to bring relevant messages of faith, redemption, hope & self esteem to you & others around the world.
Follow Ayana on Instagram @ayanasymone
by Maddie Fischer | Feb 16, 2023 | Life Advice
I recently attended a women’s retreat and we played a game called Four Corners. They asked several questions and the corners of the room represented a different answer to each question. After a question was asked, we would all walk to the corner that represented our answer to see who in the room would pick what answer (I promise there is a point to explaining this).
I will never forget the moment that God used a simple game at a retreat I wasn’t even planning on attending to reveal a life-changing truth to me. One of the questions asked was, “If you could have a super-power, what would it be?” I found myself torn between two of the four corners, flying or teleportation, and I said it out loud. The girl next to me responded, “Choose flying. If you teleport, you will miss the journey.”
As I wrestled through making my decision, her response changed the trajectory of my walk with Jesus in the best way. God used it to identify a tendency within me that was hindering me from experiencing the fullness of His perfect plan. I used to always want to take the shortcut because it was more convenient. I realized at that moment that if choosing the shortcut means missing the journey, it isn’t worth it. Even if I did ultimately end up where I was supposed to be, I would be lacking what He desired to produce within me in the process.
There are two lessons I pray you learn from this story:
The first is this – Never underestimate who and what God can use to speak to you.
Don’t try to limit a limitless God to fit within the box of your expectations. He just might use who or what you least expect to reveal Himself in an undeniable way. Spend enough time in His presence to recognize His voice even when He speaks to you in unexpected places and through unlikely circumstances or people (or games, lol). When you do recognize His voice, stop to listen and allow the truth of His word to interrupt your plans, bring correction to your way of doing things, and lead you along the path of His perfect plan. When you feel Him tugging on your heart or addressing an area of your life that needs to be adjusted, no matter where you are or what you’re doing, take note and let it move you to action.
His presence is with you wherever you go; not just in church on Sunday morning, in your weekly Bible study, or when you are doing your daily devotions. He knows what you need, He knows when you need it, and His delivery is always perfect even if it’s different than our expectation of how He would show up.
When He speaks and what He speaks won’t always be at the most convenient time or comfortable to hear, but it is always intentional and always for your good and for His glory. A perfect example of this is Moses and the burning bush…
“There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up.” (Exodus 3:2)
God will show up in the midst of your ordinary life in extraordinary ways so that it’s undeniable that it’s Him speaking. If you will listen and apply what He is speaking, you will live continually amazed by Him doing what only He can do in and through you.
He is in everything; live aware.
The second is to choose the journey of following Jesus over the convenience of taking the shortcut.
Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
Decide, sincerely, that you would rather take the long way with Jesus than the shortcut without Him. The truth is, the shortcut (convenience) will end up costing you in the long run. It’s dangerous to chase the fulfillment of the promise without walking through the process. The process isn’t painless; but it grows, matures, and produces steadfastness within us along the way. The process prepares you for the promise. This is the beauty in what is at times painful, and it’s absolutely necessary.
Don’t just say that His way is better, live like you believe it’s true. Let your life be a reflection of your wholehearted trust in Jesus. When you are torn between the corners of life and tempted to choose convenience over His way, always choose His way. I can assure you that no one knows what’s best for you like the One who knows you best, and living for Him is what you are made for.
Life will present you with countless choices – big, small, and everything in between. Don’t make a decision for immediate gratification like the world does, even in seemingly small, insignificant choices. Don’t be directed, distracted or swayed by the opinion and process of man. I can assure you that there were a lot more people standing in the teleportation corner than the flying corner, but I stood in the flying corner, sure and confident of the choice that I made.
When making a decision, be led by His voice and the truth of His Word. If He is directing you to take the longer way, trust that He goes before you and that His plans for you are good. Let your confidence be in His faithfulness. Set up camp in the midst of His promises for those who love Him and walk according to His Word. To live in those promises requires the continual application of the truth of His Word to our lives. It requires that we trust that all of it is true, not just some of it.
I find myself praying this prayer often lately, that I long for nothing more or less than all of what He has for me. You’ve probably heard the quote about how life is more about the journey than the destination. It’s the journey that shapes us and helps us arrive at the destination of who God has called us to be.
I don’t want to miss a thing when it comes to what God has prepared for me. I want whatever will most reveal His glory through me.
When God used a mindless game at a girl’s retreat to remind me to not miss the journey He has for me, I never would have imagined that I would be sharing it with you, but He did, and here I am.
You might not always know where you are headed, but your trust isn’t in where you are going, but the One who is leading you step by step. He sees the full picture when you feel stuck in the right now. Let the reward of following Him outweigh the temptation to settle for the shortcut.
Walk in His way, friends. The best is yet to be!
“Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.” (Isaiah 30:20-21)
Maddie is a (new) wife, worship leader, and writer. Her passion is pointing people to Jesus, following wherever He leads, and encouraging others to do the same. A few of her favorite fun things are rainy days, road trips, coffee shops, flower trucks & gold confetti.
Keep up with Maddie on Instagram @maddiee_joy!
by Freddie Amos | Feb 14, 2023 | Life Advice, Love, Relationships, Wisdom |
For the majority of college, I was single. And I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t always patient during singleness. I was the one in the friend group that was consumed with dating and obsessed with finding a boyfriend. I struggled with being single. I don’t really like to even say struggle because it sounds like it was a burden to be single. The only reason it was hard for me is because I made singleness hard. I didn’t like being single, therefore I didn’t like the Lord putting me in a season of singleness. I wanted a boyfriend because the whole world told me that a boyfriend gives you security, love, acceptance and companionship. I wanted a boyfriend because I didn’t want to be lonely, insecure or isolated. All my friends were in serious relationships and it seemed that their lives were much better than mine because they had boyfriends. For two years, I lived in this belief that a boyfriend would solve all these problems. Two years of obsessing over the hope of having a boyfriend one day. I was mentally exhausted from the constant search and need for someone else to give me the security and love I so desperately wanted.
I vividly remember sitting at the counter of my college house reading and journaling when I had this thought, or rather God planted this thought in my mind.
I was so tired of feeling sorry for myself for not being in a relationship. I knew that a relationship wouldn’t fill me, but I was acting like I was depleted and deprived because I wasn’t in a relationship. My beliefs were not lining up with my actions. God so lovingly showed me my inconsistencies. I was wasting my thoughts by being overwhelmed with desire for a relationship, so much so it decreased my quality of life. I decided to change my thoughts. I wanted to live everyday like it was my last day of being single. I was going to enjoy it even if somedays I had to force myself to see it as good. One day I would hopefully be in a relationship that would turn into marriage and I would never be single again. I wanted to make myself proud of the way I lived in it and didn’t want to waste what the Lord had me in. If you really stop and think about each day, we have no idea what it holds. It could be the day that changes your life. But instead of waiting on the day that changes everything, I want to live my life freely and confidently not waiting on a day to come.
As I looked to the positives of singleness, contentment grew within me. I learned how to spend time with Jesus. Not just read my Bible, pray a little, and move on, but ACTUALLY spend time with him and enjoy it! I looked forward to being in His presence every day. I received all the security, acceptance, and love I needed from Him. My heart was slowly aware that the things I desperately wanted, I had in Jesus all along.
As I became more content with my season, the Lord gave me more peace in my heart about the unknowns of my future. He removed the way I idolized a future husband and provided me with deep satisfaction in Him.
The day I started dating my now husband, I had peace leaving my season of singleness. I knew I had been obedient in learning all the Lord wanted me to grow in.
I am grateful for my season of singleness because it taught me to be content in every season.
It created a heart posture within me to be satisfied in the Lord rather than my circumstances. Rushing from one season to the next is harmful. It steals the lessons of love, satisfaction, and being fully present with the Lord that He wanted to teach me.
Being fulfilled by the Lord’s presence then produced satisfaction in the season I’m in now.
Being single is wonderful, dating is wonderful, engagement and marriage are wonderful! But if you ignore contentment in singleness you will be dissatisfied in dating. You’ll want engagement, and in engagement you’ll want marriage. In marriage you’ll want kids, then you’ll want to be empty nesters. It’s an endless cycle of always wanting the next thing.
It’s a trap that we can so easily fall into if we do not posture our hearts to be content in our current season.
It can be dangerous to view singleness as a season of waiting because of what it does to our hearts when we label it that way. Waiting can imply that your life is missing something and you are looking to that thing hopeful it will fill whatever is missing in your life. “I’m waiting for God to move in my life.” “I’m waiting for Him to give me an answer on what He wants me to do.” “I’m waiting on Him to give me a boyfriend.” When we “wait” on God to act, move, or provide and it doesn’t happen on our timeline, we view it as a punishment. In reality, we were never actually waiting on God, we were wanting God to move when we say so.
Sure, you might feel like you are waiting for a boyfriend. But what are you wanting a boyfriend to fix in you? Fix in your life? If you never had a boyfriend, never got married, would you be content with your relationship with the Lord to fill you?
Instead of waiting on God to give you a boyfriend, be with God in your singleness. There’s so much more at stake than your desire for a relationship. The Lord is forming in you contentment, satisfaction, and a sole desire for His presence to fill. I believe these lessons are best taught in singleness and that’s why the enemy wants us to rush out of it. If we never learn how to be content and satisfied in the Lord we will always look to something or someone else to fill us. This is why singleness is so valuable! You cannot learn that only God can fill you until he is all you have to fill you.
There will be a last day of singleness for you. So, make yourself proud of the way you lived it out!
Focus your purpose in singleness to be closer to God, to soak in his presence, and learn how to be satisfied where he has placed you.
I promise that when you allow your heart to be satisfied in Jesus, you will lack nothing. The longing for a husband won’t change, but you will be content in where the Lord has you. Your heart’s ability to be content now will cultivate a heart of contentment for every season to come.
So, to my friend that is single today, wondering when and if her husband will ever come into her life: focus on your heart posture. Learn to be satisfied with God in your singleness, its so much more important than having a boyfriend.
Freddie is a recent grad from Auburn University with her masters in clinical mental health counseling and is on staff with LO as a counselor. She loves long walks, spending time with friends and family, and helping people find their confidence in who God made them to be!
Follow Freddie on Instagram: @yourfriend_Freddie
by Jill Dasher | Feb 9, 2023 | Life Advice, Wisdom
I long to write something of worth in a real and tangible way as you pursue your walk with Christ. There is so much information coming at us from different directions, but if we’re honest, it’s not leaving us with the transformation we desperately desire. The world is selling us an identity that fails to live up to its promises. The miracle facial cream does not eliminate my wrinkles, the $120 leggings don’t make me feel better about myself, and the curling wand that promised to turn my hair into locks of gorgeousness is just okay. All in all, we are somewhat disappointed with our collection of “must-haves.” Am I right? We desire something more.
Perhaps this is why the number one question I am asked by Jesus-professing believers since becoming a mentor on the LO Sister app is, “How do I desire God?” We are hyper-aware that the world and all its glitz and glamor are not fulfilling us, and we know in our heads and hearts that Jesus is the answer, but how does that “knowledge” equate to transformation? How do we become people living, loving, and longing to be in the presence of God?
To live, love, and long to be in God’s presence, we must understand that His presence is not about going to the right place. He’s not a formula or a location. We know this is true because of the message Jesus gave the woman at the well in John Chapter 4. Jesus had just told her the truth about her life, and this was her response: “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one must worship is in Jerusalem,” John 4:20. Most likely, she wondered where she could go to be cleansed. In that day, the custom was to go to the temple to be cleansed of sin and to offer sacrifices for your offenses.
The ongoing debate among Samaritans and Jews was over which “temple” was the right one—Bethel or Jerusalem. This was Jesus’ response:
“Woman believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth,” John 4:21-24.
In these four sentences, Jesus disrupts the normal system of worship. It was no longer about going to the right place. He says, “It’s neither that mountain or in Jerusalem.” Now don’t get me wrong. By no means did Jesus do away with the place. Actually, “the place” became more important. Where is the place? We’re getting there; just hang with me. Jesus’ words to this woman speak to our longing for desire. To put it in 21st-century language, Jesus told her that the Father longs for genuine, authentic worshipers who crave the truth in every area of their lives. The Father is seeking worshipers who aren’t simply showing up to cleanse their consciences but to commune with Him. He is love. He is the fullness of what we seek and the ultimate end of our desire; we just haven’t sat with Him long enough to find out. We are far too easily distracted. In truth, we want to desire Him with the least effort involved. We want the fruits of the life He promises without altering our schedules. We settle for Wendy’s while Jesus longs to dine with us by candlelight because there’s just not enough “time” for that. We have places to go and people to scroll. Did I say scroll?
Take a moment to seriously ask yourself this question and answer honestly—what do you desire? What is it you think about most often? What are the things/persons, etc., that you plan your days around? What is the center of your desire? The honest answer to those questions will likely relate to what you consume daily. For example, if you desire the perfect body, your days will probably be marked consuming anything and all fitness. You’ll spend your money on it, you’ll purchase gym memberships and diet plans, you’ll follow health influencers and buy the brands they tell you to. You will think about it when you wake up and when you go to sleep. In other words, you will become what you behold. Whatever it is that you are consuming in mass quantities will shape your desire and become what you worship. To borrow a quote from the pastor of our church, “The only thing that will determine what you become will be what you worship.”
If you want to change what you desire, you must change what you behold. If you want to desire God, then you must behold Him. To behold Him is to spend time in His presence. Where is His presence? Ahhh, where’s the place? That’s what’s so amazing about God. He is not far from each of us (Acts 17:27); oh, no, he makes it super easy for you and me, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body,” 1 Corinthians 6:19. God’s presence dwells within you. You are the temple. Come on. You don’t even have to climb a mountain.
Here’s the truth. God made Himself readily available to us in every way possible. He took on the guilt for our sin, paid the penalty, and now dwells within us to guide us into all truth (John 16:13). The only way you are going to desire Him, the only way you are going to love and long to be in His presence, is to get to know the joy that comes from His presence. Jill, are you saying I have to work to desire God? No, I’m saying that it’s impossible to have a relationship with someone who lives within your soul that you never talk to and, even more important, that you never listen to. The living God is not a place you go to punch your card in. He is the alpha, the omega, the beginning, and the end. He is the diet plan that will truly fill you up. He is the living water that never runs dry, and the only way you will come to believe this is to trust your time with the King of Glory.
Just ask the woman at the well. She went from an empty life, consuming husband after husband and attempting to fulfill her desire for love, to a woman who led an entire town to the presence of the living God. This happens when we sit in His presence. He tells us things about ourselves (usually the stuff we want to keep hidden), but He loves us in our brokenness. As we taste and feel what it’s like to be loved for who we really are instead of who we try to portray ourselves to be, it’s pretty amazing. It’s an authentic love that we can’t help but share. As our desires shift to the King of Glory, a contagious aroma exudes from within us. One heart turned toward the living God is the beginning of revival.
Jill Dasher is the author of the book SHALLOW, drowning in the shallow end of people’s approval. She serves as a mentor on the LO Sister app and is a Christian speaker who is passionate about sharing the freedom that exists when you refuse to live in hiding & freely submit all of your fears & failures to the God who made you. She has a heart for foster care and adoption and takes great joy in serving on the board of Black Mountain Home for Children and Families. She resides in the mountains of NC with her husband and five children.
by Alli Patterson | Feb 2, 2023 | Life Advice, Testimonies |
The first time I encountered Jesus face-to-face was in the middle of a run. Running had become my escape. I was running and crying and talking to him. I knew I couldn’t live any real life in the tension of an affair. It was too dissonant. This life wasn’t me; it was deceptive and disgusting. Except it was me. I felt trapped and didn’t know how to get out. I knew the level of ruin I was looking at. Something stopped me right there on the sidewalk. I fell to my knees and said, “Get me out. However you need to. Break me.”
Break me.
Those words had bounced around in my head for weeks. I knew they had been planted there by the Holy Spirit. I had a sense that they were serious, that I should not say them lightly. I knew they somehow signaled that I was ready for his plan and his way of busting in to come get me. Sounded scary. And ugly. And out of my control.
My first “yes” to Jesus in years was in those two little words. Two weeks after I dared say them out loud, a chain of events went down that led to my confession. I went home one day and told my husband about the affair. The relationship was also exposed around that time at work. I knew God was behind it all. I knew the crash was coming before it came. I knew it when I said those words to God. As painful as it was, I had a strange certainty it was part of something that had to be done. And I was right. The old foundation just wasn’t strong enough.
The weeks that followed were terrible. I felt more guilt, pain, hopelessness, and fear than I thought one person could take. I couldn’t eat. The only peace I had was the split second as I opened my eyes each morning before my reality all came crashing down on me again. For months after, I wondered daily if my husband would even come home. I was a pariah at work. The “house” I thought I was building was in a heap at my feet.
But the God I encountered in that time changed my whole life. In my worst and weakest moment, I found something much, much stronger, kinder, and better to stand on. I found the truth, compassion, and power of a living God who can hold up any life and rebuild after any fall. The first act of kindness was a vision I had one night while lying in bed. Alone. While I was wondering if “alone” would be my new normal, I felt God’s arms around me. I saw a picture—sort of like a daydream—of two long, welcoming, strong, warm arms reaching down and encircling my entire home. Not just for me but for my husband, who was sleeping in the room next to mine. I felt warm and held and, for a moment, I knew he was there.
I caught another glimpse of this God in the mirror one day. I paused, studying my own reflection. I told her the ugly truth: “Alli, you’re a liar, a terrible friend, a dishonest employee, and the worst wife.” I stood looking in the mirror, sobbing at the truth of it all. But something else happened. Right there, in the painful truth of that confession, I also felt a rush of reassurance and relief that I didn’t have to hold myself an inch above collapse anymore. I could let go and trust him instead of myself to hold it all together. I also felt his promise that one day I wouldn’t even recognize this person I saw in the mirror. I knew deep down she wasn’t me anyway.
I saw this amazing God again in a small room with the HR woman who I’d tried so hard to avoid. She was talking about what would happen to me at work—my reputation was another pile of rocks at my feet. I was crying; I couldn’t look her in the eyes. She paused awkwardly and gently said, “Could I pray for you right now?” My head snapped up and my eyes got wide as the room filled with the presence of God. Even in my shame and heartbreak, Jesus got down underneath me to hold me up.
Every one of these moments was a beam driven into my crumbling foundation. Jesus took the time and care to convince me when I felt worthless that he is a God who does not agree. He showed me over and over that he meant his words: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Jesus seemed to want me to come to him especially in the places where I wasn’t on solid ground. It was in those spots he offered to let me stand on him.
He did that for the apostle Paul too. Paul had a huge collapse, but Jesus gave him a new foundation. You can read the story starting in Acts 9. Later, as Paul thought about the Jesus who chased him down with grace when he was at his worst, he recognized there was always a plan to rebuild his life. He wrote letters to the churches he planted about his own experiences with Jesus and how there was a plan in place for his life way before he knew it: “When God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles”(Gal. 1:15–16). God picked Paul even before his worst days, knowing they would come. God showed him the real Jesus so Paul could go on and tell others how to find this incredible strength and grace too.
It was during this time, the lowest time in my life, that I stumbled into the everyday habits of this book—coming broken to him, trying to read the Bible again, and risking actual moves of faith. Because I had nothing to lose, I told the truth to every question I was asked. I didn’t have the energy to pretend anymore. It was obvious who I was, and it wasn’t pretty. I confessed, apologized, took responsibility, and repented. I prayed every day—pretty much all day. I told God I was willing to follow him anywhere. And I really tried to do that. What I didn’t know was that I was slowly uncovering the key of life as a disciple: taking risks on God. I risked telling the absolute truth and found forgiveness. I risked destroying the last bit of trust when I confessed and instead earned a tiny bit back. I risked a no when I asked, “Can you forgive me?” Instead, I heard a yes. Life as a Jesus follower is full of all kinds of risks to convince us of the truth:
“Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them into practice—I will show you what he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep, and laid the foundation on bedrock.” (Luke 6:47–48 NET)
There’s a life and a strength for you far beyond your own. There’s a better foundation for your life than you or your money, your reputation, your connections, your adventures, your intelligence, or your morality and goodness. Paul and I and many others have preached the same gospel: Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead according to the everlasting plans of God so that you could be offered a life that will never end, standing firm on the only foundation that’s strong enough to last. And it’s all by his grace. You will never deserve it. Whatever you build on him will stand. Nothing else will hold.
It’s all about the foundation.
The good news is that no matter where you are when you start this book, Jesus can build or rebuild anything. He fills in cracks, adds steel beams, and drives piers through your old concrete. And you can meet him in three simple rhythms of faith.
Come to him. Hear his word. Practice it in your life.
Today is a day you either widen a crack or fill one in. Let’s dig deep and build on rock.
Alli Patterson is passionate about helping others build a life on the firm foundation of Jesus’s truth and grace. She holds a master’s degree in biblical studies from Dallas Theological Seminary and is a teaching pastor at Crossroads Church. She lives with her husband, Bill, their four children, and one very bratty cat. Alli is a fan of Mexican food, Ohio State football, geeky Bible maps and timelines, pedicures, long runs, and good books.
To connect with Alli and find more information about her book How to Stay Standing go to www.theallipatterson.com.
