by Grace Valentine | Jun 17, 2021 | Life Advice, Sisterhood |
If you’re anything like me then you’ve struggled with comparison. I love that the word of the month for Live Original is sisterhood because so often I treat other daughters of Christ as opponents instead of sisters.
Throwback to high school for instance…
One time my friend’s ex dated someone new. We did what many girls do. We stalked the new girl and compared her to my friend…
“YOU’RE PRETTIER THAN HER.”
“OH HE TOTALLY DOWNGRADED.”
Downgraded according to Urban Dictionary means:
“When someone goes from having something relatively good to something that is worse than the original. Often used with boyfriend/girlfriends.”
So basically I called some random girl who probably is a sweet girl with dreams, a family, shares the same Creator as me, and has insecurities like me….uglier than my friend. I compared my friend to a girl she didn’t know. I created tension between two girls who did not even know each other.
Two girls who are actually sisters in Christ. I thought comforting words were: “you’re prettier than her.”
The truth is this conversation may make someone feel pretty for a second… it may make someone feel “better” for a minute… but comparison can’t ever comfort someone. Only our Savior can comfort.
I look back on that night and I get so convicted by my sin. But the truth is I’ve noticed this same conversation happen with girls of all ages, including moms. We compare each other instead of love each other. We compare ourselves and find ourselves more insecure than before.
I don’t care if it’s the new girl your ex is dating or the bully at your school. I don’t care if it’s the girl in the “rival” sorority who just doesn’t seem to like you… or if it’s the prom queen. We as women need to start walking in our true purpose. And that’s to be sisters and teammates, not opponents.
The truth is comparison isn’t comforting. Comparison may make you feel good for an hour while crying that your ex moved on, and having a friend chime in saying “she isn’t as pretty as you,” but the next day you’ll wake up and look in the mirror and doubt your friend’s words. You’ll notice your waistline increasing and freak because Sally Jane, who is now dating your ex, has a smaller waistline. You’ll realize you aren’t the prettiest princess, and yes, maybe the girl next to you does have better legs than you. Her chest is bigger and the girl your boyfriend cheated on you with does get more guys than you.
Comparison highlights someone’s best and worst qualities while allowing you to only highlight your worst. It may make you feel good for a second, but comparison doesn’t comfort. Comparison doesn’t bring you peace. Jesus does. His grace completes you.
When you compare others to each other, you begin to see the worst in your self. If you speak destruction in others’ lives, you continually destruct your own.
Comparison only highlights insecurities more.
Because, truth be told, if I compared my looks to the fashion blogger on Instagram – she would probably win.
I can’t compete with her, because I was never meant to be her.
Our society already puts so much pressure on women to look a certain way and to act a certain way. Why do we as women, who firsthand know how hard it is to be a girl… still decide to put down other girls?
And the thing is, this kind of stuff doesn’t only happen in high school. We like to believe it only happens in high school… childish stalking, judging a girl by her social media, and comparing her to your best friend… but I’ve met plenty of 20-somethings, 30-somethings, and soccer moms who like to make life a competition.
Why are we women so darn competitive?
LIKE WHY DO I HAVE TO ALWAYS BE FASTER THAN THE 40 YEAR-OLD NEXT TO ME IN THE GYM.
There’s no way my quads will ever be as good as hers. Nothing wrong with that. But why do I care? Why don’t I focus on myself, instead of wasting energy trying to be someone I’m not? Why don’t I cheer her on? I should spend more time being her sister and stop trying to be her competition.
Maybe you sometimes feel the urge to compete with your ex’s new girlfriend or the girl who is dating the great guy. Or maybe you feel like your friend gets all the boys and since you don’t, she’s winning and she is prettier.
It sounds dumb, because it is dumb. But let me be clear – just because one girl is beautiful and talented does not mean you are not. Just because someone is scoring touchdowns does not mean you have to sit on the sidelines. Just because someone is happy, does not mean you are supposed to be sad.
Life was never meant to be a contest. Community is about connecting, not comparison.
Our one goal should be Christ. We should be pushed to know Him and not be pushed to be the prettiest girl in our group, to be more popular than his ex, or to be more successful than our “friend.” Our one goal should always be to know Christ and make Him known. When you know Christ, you pray for those around you to walk in their blessings and in His name.
In Acts 9 there’s a woman named Tabitha who Peter comes across while telling others that Jesus had risen from the dead. We don’t know much about Tabitha and maybe that’s why I admire her so much. We don’t know if she was the prettiest girl in the town, or if she had a successful business. We don’t know if she made the best breakfast or if she was popular. What we know is that she loved the overlooked. She made clothes for the widows and the poor. Tabitha loved others well. She was constantly looking for those others had forgotten and helping them. When she died, everyone was upset wearing the clothes she had made them. Peter rose her from the dead through Jesus’s name.
In a society that tells us we should strive to be the “main character”, I hope we can strive to be like Tabitha. She loved big, didn’t try to make her name big. She served others, not her own name. She wasn’t worried about being “prettier”, “better”, or “proving herself”… she was busy being a good sister to everyone. And when others thought she was dead, they remembered her for her love. Her love was what made her different. She loved her sisters well and her community was better for it.
We have enough women who focus on changing their relationship status and changing who they are to please society. We need more women willing to change the world.
Always remember ladies – just because another girl is beautiful does not mean you are not. She’s your sister, not your competition. Life and community was meant to be a celebration, not a competition. Run the race God called you to run, the One that leads to Heaven. AND STOP trying to compete with people who are supposed to be your teammates.
Grace is a 24 year old author of two books who also writes timely encouragement on Instagram. She lives in Orlando, FL, and her favorite food is sushi!
Follow Grace on Instagram @thegracevalentine to find out more info on her books!
by Olivia Telano | Jun 15, 2021 | Life Advice, Sisterhood
Lord of Lords. Wonderful Counselor. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace. King of Kings.
Friend.
Jesus is so many wonderful things. He is perfect in every way. He’s mighty and powerful and He knows us better than anyone else could. Sometimes I find myself getting caught up in just how mighty He is that I can forget that He is also my friend. He cares about the details in my life. He cares about my worries, my dreams, and rejoices with me in my successes. He wants to hear about our days. He hurts with us. He takes pleasure in life’s special little moments with us. He is always there when we call and never fails to listen. Jesus is a lot of amazing things and He is also the greatest example of a true friend.
I think we can all agree that it is so important to find good friends. Good friends make life sweet and truly are a gift. I know it sounds cliché, but we really weren’t meant to do it on our own. We have to remember though, while we’re on the search for good friends, we must also make sure we are a good friend as well. Are we being a friend we would like to find? It is crucial for us to truly take time to step back and ask ourselves how can I be the best friend to people that I can be? Who better to look to than Jesus to learn how?
Okay friends, let’s dive in and see what scripture tells us about how to be a good sister and friend so we can be as much of a friend like Jesus as possible.
- Speak the Truth – “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” (Proverbs 27:5-6)
Okay, this can be a hard one sometimes. Especially for my people pleasers out there. It’s easy to want to constantly support and “hype up” friends in everything they do. In fact, it may even make you feel like you’re doing something right because people love to be told what they are doing is amazing. As friends, we should be conscious of the boundary between encouragement and accountability. The Bible even takes it as far to say enemies are the ones who multiply kisses. We need to get over the fear of telling a friend the truth, even if it’s not what they want to hear. Calling out a friend for sin is true love. Helping our friends live a holy life is so important and is a great measure of friendship. Open rebuke means to help point out a friend’s sin personally and directly. We just need to make sure we are approaching the situation out of love and not judgment.
- Take Time to Listen – “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this : Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19)
One of the most valuable things we have in life is our time. It’s one of the only things we can never get back. We can buy all the gifts, give all the compliments, and encourage friends all we want, but the way to make a person feel truly loved and heard is to take time to listen. Sometimes that’s all someone needs. Everybody wants to feel heard. We as Christians are called to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Listening is more than just hearing. Listening is defined as giving attention to. Let’s remember how valuable it is to sit and give our full attention to someone who needs it. It is a great way to show love to anyone and everyone.
- Forgive Freely – “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
It is plain to see the world is easily offended and not very forgiving at all. Bitterness is everywhere. That is why we have to be careful to not fall into the pattern of this world to write off someone as soon as they make a mistake. You can not be a good friend to someone that you are holding on to bitterness towards. We must remember how God forgives us seventy times seven and how freely He forgives us. Nobody is perfect and it’s human to make mistakes so we must show grace to the ones who hurt us. It is a lot easier said than done, but we need to remember God’s undeserved grace He freely gives us.
- Encourage One Another – “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in habit of doing, but encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Encouragement can do so much good. It can help someone find hope, lead them to success, push them to keep going, and can simply brighten a day. Encouragement is powerful. The truth is, you never know what a person could be going through and how far one simple text or compliment could go.
- Love Unconditionally – “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:12-15)
This is the good news friends. Jesus loves us so much that He laid down His life. The ultimate gift to us. God loves us with calling love. It is a commandment right from the lips of our Savior. Our love to others should reflect and direct toward Jesus’s love for us. God loves us because it’s who He is, not who we are. We don’t earn His love through our deeds or what we can do for Him. We must strive to love others like that. It doesn’t matter what they’ve done or who they are. It doesn’t matter what they can do for us. We must freely give our love. We must be a friend to all. Thank you Jesus for showing us how to be a friend to others by being the best friend this world has ever known.
Olivia is a member of Team LO and is a marketing major at Louisiana Tech University. She loves coffee dates, going on long walks, and her dogs, Max and Sophie.
Follow Olivia on Instagram @olivia_kate1
by Madison Hogue | Jan 26, 2021 | Life Advice, Sisterhood
Note from Team LO: We are so excited to have one of our LO sister ambassadors on the blog today, Madison Hogue! Today she’s sharing about this month’s theme on the LO sister app, “rebuild.” If you’re searching for godly community and daily encouragement, LO sister is the place for you. Now, enjoy Madison’s blog. We hope you are just as blessed by her words as we were!
Sin is inevitable. The brokenness that results from sin is inevitable. Looking back, or for some even in the present – we’ve felt a shattered spirit through various trials and struggles. Brokenness from sin has made its debut more times than necessary in all of our lives, no matter the extent. The feeling of having our life collapsed is unfortunately inevitable, when we live our lives driven by the ways of our human desires.
We feel the comparison, we feel the temptation, the bitterness, we feel the pressure to perform or look a certain way, you name it; we’ve faced our struggles no matter the degree. I’m here to remind you of something that must be held tightly from today, to tomorrow, to the rest of your life: the brokenness that ties in with sin can either cause you to keep sinking deeper into it, or God can use that very sin to rebuild your life on a stronger, more durable foundation. My prayer for you is that you believe He wants the second option for you and that you will fully trust in Him to take hold of your heart so He can begin piecing it back together, to live out your God given purpose. He calls us to build a foundation on His sturdy rock, not the world’s quicksand.
Jesus so evidently speaks this to us in Matthew 7:24-27 by saying, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
Man. Jesus is saying to us that if we try to build our lives upon the world’s standard, oftentimes the ‘easier’ standard, we will collapse. I’ve built my foundation onto sand more times than I’m proud to admit. The outcome was always the same though, I fell. I sunk. I was defeated. I was never fully satisfied. But the good news is that if we build our life upon His foundation, His bedrock, we truly begin living a fruitful life.
The first step is so important to allow Him to perform His work: surrendering.
Surrender the very thing that’s causing you to sink. The cost of surrendering in order to rebuild means that our flesh must die; we must be willing to let go of our old to walk into the new. This is sometimes easier said than done, but thankfully we have a God who calls us worthy and beloved and is constantly at work within us, ready to walk the path together into freedom. No, walking alongside Him will not always come easy and this doesn’t mean that all of your battles will suddenly disappear, but I can assure you on this: Walking with Him means that we won’t have to face them alone. God doesn’t make us storm-free people. He transforms us into storm-proof people built firmly on the foundation that is in Christ. He’s stretching His arms out ready for us to come home.
Surrendering feels out of our comfort zone, most times it means releasing from something we might have rooted our identity in + relied on rather than turning to God. That’s the beauty of giving it to Him though, to make that leap of faith into who He’s calling you to be. This verse below helped me in an unsteady walk of life I was living to finally grasp the whole idea of what it means to let go.
“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.” Mark 8:35
During a time in my life, I was walking in a trap of comparison, which spiraled into a whole journey of forgetting where my worth was found. Body image was creeping at it’s all time high, and it was the enemy’s plot to distract me away from my redeemer. I was walking in brokenness, emerging into a false identity that was being rooted in the world. I sunk in the sand. I’m sharing this because it was a time in my life that led to complete brokenness, which resulted in me sinking so deep, having to come face to face to the wake up call of Whose I truly am, which then led to surrender. I laid my heart at the throne of God for Him to take and make new. I rested in the truth He was the only one that could save me. I had to give up my life in order to actually live it. For Him to save it. You see, hanging onto that thing we think our identity is found only leads to a sinking foundation, if it’s not drawing you closer to Christ. Giving up the thing that’s weighing you down leads to life. A life lived in full. I can attest to this.
He can take what’s shattered, messy and what we feel like is too big of a wound to restore and completely redirect our steps to rebuild the very foundation we thought was destroyed for good. He can rebuild the relationship between you and Him that was once ripped apart by sin, then replant and revive our heart, so that our foundation can be built on sturdy bedrock. Stronger and mended back together because we’re walking with Him. That’s the life I want for you, friend. That’s the life our God wants for us. It’s you and Him on this foundation walking together, so I’ll leave you with this. What broken piece in your heart is causing your foundation to sink that you need to let go of to begin a durable life built on His sturdy foundation? I promise you the surrender is worth it. You do not have to keep sinking, friend.
Madison currently lives in Arkansas where she spends her time painting, playing ukulele, loving on her crazy fun family and walking her trusty golden retriever, Beau. (Even though he mostly walks her.)
Follow Madison on Instagram @madisonjhogue
Follow LO sister on Instagram @losisterapp
by Sadie Robertson Huff | Jan 21, 2021 | Life Advice, Sisterhood
Hey hey fam! Sadie speaking 🙂 Today on the blog I am so excited to get to share with y’all a chapter from my latest book, LIVE! This particular chapter highlights the dangers of comparison and the power it can give the enemy if we’re not careful.
If you want to join along in reading the rest of my book with me and the fam over on the LO sister app now’s the perfect time! We just launched our LIVE book club where we are doing a deep dive into the book!
Tonight is our LIVE book club kickoff hang where we’ll be chatting and soaking up God’s special gift of community! So I invite you to join LO sister today and lets get this party started!!
Click HERE to get started!
Now, enjoy this chapter from my book!
In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Paul wrote to the believers, “Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Do you see what he is saying? Keep building each other up, “just as in fact you are doing.” These words convict me. Paul wrote them so boldly, as if the Thessalonian Christians were already doing it. He didn’t tell them to begin building each other up; he told them to keep doing it.
I wonder: If Paul wrote a letter to the church today, would he phrase it that way? Could he say that we are already building each other up? Or would he say, “You all really should start building each other up and encouraging each other. You are not each other’s enemy. You have an Enemy. Don’t take each other out. Keep each other going strong.”
This is such an important message for our generation of Christians. We need each other. We need to start building up each other and keep doing it.
As I thought about this verse after reading it one day, I asked myself what would keep us from building up one another. What is it that causes us to tear each other down?
There may be more than one answer to those questions, but I know this: if we want to build each other up, comparison has to go. If we compare ourselves with others, we are looking at each other and sizing each other up, saying, “Who’s better at this? Who’s not good at this?” When this happens, we are not looking at each other with the lens of Jesus.
Instead, we need to have confidence in who we are and in what God’s doing in our lives so we can cheer on our sisters and brothers. If she is doing an amazing thing and he is doing an amazing thing, it doesn’t make what I am doing any less amazing. It makes us all winning for the kingdom of God.
Let me encourage you to restructure your mind to think that you, your sister, and your brother are all running the same race. That’s a kingdom mind-set, which is the path to truly living. When Jesus taught us how to pray, He said these words: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). A kingdom mind-set is one that strives for God’s will to be done right here, right now, on earth. It’s not about waiting until we’re all in heaven and made perfect and the pain has gone away. It is the mind-set that we have a job to do right here to advance God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. If you can have a kingdom mindset, you won’t be so disappointed when your worldly status doesn’t seem as impressive as that of the person beside you. In fact, you won’t even think about comparing yourself to other people because you will be so busy cheering them on.
The first book I wrote is called Live Original. The word original means much more to me now than it did when I wrote that book, and it has become a part of almost everything I do—my website, our tour, everything I speak about. With so many people all searching for identity, we need to be reminded that we are all created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). We are His original masterpieces. I really want you to understand what the word original means and how it applies to comparison.
O·RIG·I·NAL / ‘RIJ NL / adjective
1. Present or existing from the beginning; first or earliest.
2. Created personally by a particular artist; not a copy.22
Do you see the end of the second definition? It says, “Not a copy.” So let me ask you this: What is it that drives us to compare ourselves with others? Yep, it’s usually the desire to copy or imitate someone— someone we think is prettier, smarter, more athletic, more popular, or more together. If each of us existed on our own little planet, with no one else to look at, there would be no comparison. We’d also be very lonely, but that’s not what I want to address here. My point is that we are created to live in community with other people. They are intended to bless us, as we are meant to bless them, but we can end up cursing each other because we are busy comparing instead of celebrating the good in one another. That’s not God’s plan.
So what is God’s plan? We can begin to see it when we think about Him as the Creator and about ourselves as His creations. He is the original Creator. There was not one before Him. He’s existed from before the beginning, and He is not a copy or an imitation.
God was the first to create. He made all of creation and designed and crafted each of us with amazing individuality. God saw no need to compare one of us with another one. He was only focused on making us unique. If you don’t believe me, just put this book down for a minute and look around you. Do you look exactly like anything or anyone you see? Even if you’re an identical twin, there are still differences!
In addition, we know that everything God made is good (1 Timothy 4:4). So you and I, God’s creations, are good, and we are made just as He wanted and chose to make us. This leaves no room for the complete lie of comparison. Comparison was not a part of God’s creative process, so it should not be a part of what was created. It’s an offense to what God created and calls “good.”
If we read Genesis 1 carefully, we notice that after God made every single part of creation, the Bible says, “It was good.” But the man, Adam, was not good all by himself. Only when God created a woman, Eve, did the two of them become good together. The man needed someone who was different than he was in order to enter into goodness.
God’s intention in creating Eve was not for Adam to compare himself to her or to compete with her. His divine design was for the two of them to come together for something good. This teaches us that comparison has no place in the life or thinking of anyone God has made. Everything God created was good—one thing wasn’t better than anything else.
by Olivia Telano | Jan 19, 2021 | College, Life Advice, Sisterhood
com·pas·sion
/kəmˈpaSHən/
noun
•sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. // to recognize the suffering of others and then take action to help
The origin of the word compassion helps us to truly understand and grasp the meaning and significance. In Latin, ‘compati’ means “to suffer with.” Compassion means to take on someone else’s suffering with them. Real compassion should change how we live. I recently heard a preacher say compassion fuels evangelism, and wow oh wow, that was so eye opening to me.
But first, let’s talk about eternity..
Eternity. One of the most powerful, beautiful, and to some, scariest words ever. So much depth behind it. I mean forever and ever and ever. It is quite literally impossible for us to understand or comprehend.
Ever since I was little, the concept of eternity had always scared me. I would avoid at all cost thinking about what eternity really was. I felt like I was completely alone in being afraid of eternity. I knew that forever with Jesus was a good thing, but I just never really understood why nobody else was scared of forever like I was. It was a constant internal battle I faced every day. One day, I just decided I was tired of being afraid. I decided to give all my anxious feelings and thoughts to God. I figured that was a way to ultimately trust that God had everything under control, even if I couldn’t understand it.
The truth is, we are not meant to understand. Knowing my flesh wasn’t capable of comprehending the magnitude of eternity gave me a glimpse of how powerful God is, and helped me realize that there is so much more to this life we live. It gave me perspective. Everything we see right now is temporary. Your phone, your house, your clothes, the trees, and your body won’t last. The things you can’t see are eternal. The apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror; then we shall see face-to-face.” Let’s keep our mind on what’s unseen.
When thinking about eternity, we should acknowledge how important what we do on this side of eternity really is. We are called to be a light in the darkness of this world, to make a difference in people around us, and to spread the Good News of Jesus. If people are going to be somewhere for eternity, it is so important for that place to be Heaven.
Is anyone going to be in Heaven because of you?
“The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me -to tell people the Good News about God’s grace” (Acts 20:24).
To do that, to live on mission, we need to be a people of compassion.
It is our own human nature to constantly think about ourselves. To only consider what’s best for us. We tend to do what’s easiest and most comfortable. What a shame it would be to live our life consumed by our own desires. What a shame it would be to stay comfortable. We are called to be bold. We must remember that we are called to live a life of compassion.
For me, I truly learned what that meant during quarantine. You know it’s about to get real when someone brings up what they learned in quarantine. Lol! In the quietness and stillness of quarantine, I had a lot of time to think, and naturally this brought me to a new internal battle. As crazy as it sounds, it was then that I began to truly realize how sad it was that people were actually going to go to Hell and be separated from Jesus. Like forever. I always knew it, but I never really stopped to think about what it meant. The people in my classes, my friends who don’t know the Lord, people I come in contact with every day, probably are not all going to be in eternal Glory. This really shook me for the first time.
I remember one night, I had a dream. In the dream I could see the people around me falling short and me knowing they would not make it to Heaven, while all the believers around me continued to go on with life and failed to notice. I remember telling myself, “how are these people not going crazy knowing what’s coming for all these lost people?”
It was so real. I felt a real burden for the lost.
I thought about Paul and his intense burden he felt for his fellow countrymen. In Romans 9, Paul even expressed that his burden was so great that he would take the place of the lost if he could. Wow. Now that is compassion. The pit in my stomach caused by my thoughts over the lost lasted for weeks. It felt like I was feeling the pain of the world. While turning on the TV, getting on my phone, listening to today’s top hits on Spotify, it became clear that the world around us is filled with evil. It just simply made me sorrowful. One night while I was reading, I thought, “If I’m feeling this way, imagine how God feels… I am only thinking about the people around me while He has all the people ever created to worry about.” It comforted me that I was not feeling that burden alone. Then it hit me. Maybe God is letting me realize the depth of eternity and letting me feel all that pain for the lost for a reason.
Maybe God was letting me hurt with Him.
The truth is, without that suffering, I may not have ever realized the true importance of sharing Jesus with others.
I see now that everything I have felt, all the confusion and pain had purpose behind it. There was purpose in the pain I felt. Because God cares, we must care. Thank you, Jesus, for opening my eyes.
As believers, we should be the city on the hill (Matthew 5:14). We need to spread the peace and love of Jesus Christ. It is still sometimes hard to not be overcome with sorrow for the fallen world around us, but we can have peace knowing that our hope is found in the Lord Jesus Christ as the way, truth, and life (John 14:6).
“For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” … “But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.” (Psalm 30:5…Psalm 88:13)
Olivia is a member of Team LO and is a marketing major at Louisiana Tech University. She loves coffee dates, going on long walks, and her dogs, Max and Sophie.
Follow Olivia on Instagram @olivia_kate1
by Live Original | Dec 24, 2020 | Life Advice, Sisterhood
In one way or another, this Christmas is going to look different for each of us. Because of that, we wanted this post to look a bit different, too. Each and every one of you have been on our hearts during this holiday season and we as a team have so much we would love to say to you. But more than what we want to say, we were burdened more by the idea of, “what do they actually need to hear?”
So we decided to make a team post with each of us answering the question: What is the ONE thing we want our sisters and friends to know this Christmas?
We hope this lifts your spirit this Christmas, friend! Let’s dive in 🙂
Sadie:
If I would want you to know anything this Christmas it would be what an angel of the Lord said thousands of years ago around this time. He said in Luke 2:10, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people.”
This year has been filled with fear and with bad news. Maybe you can relate? Maybe you have had Covid or a family member has and you’ve experienced great fear, sickness, or loss. Not to mention it is not like our problems before this pandemic are not still a thing, too. You may have fears that you have dealt with for years or sadness you still hold from news you’ve once received.
I want to remind you of what that angel said right after DO NOT FEAR. His good news was this, “Today in the town of David a SAVIOR has been born to you: he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (v. 11)
No matter what you have faced this year, the hard news you have received, or the fears that you have had piling up, there is a Savior with the power to heal all things, forgive all things, and give us hope beyond this life.
That is the BEST news.
Court:
Tis the season where everything looks different.
Friends, I thought by now we would be gathering everywhere, filled with the joy of Christmas, sharing all the hugs, peppermint hot chocolate, travels, and so much more. And yet, for most of us, everything is different about our Christmas season this year.
This idea that Christmas would be our saving joy, our saving grace, our something to look forward to.
Here’s the thing: Christmas is not our savior. Jesus is.
Christmas may look different, but Jesus remains the same. And with the daily changes, it can be challenging to rest in His peace and His presence.
How can we position ourselves to experience God’s peace this Christmas?
Psalm 27 encourages us to look upon the goodness of the Lord and Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage. The waiting is a beautiful space for us to trust in God.
He promises us his peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
As we step into the final days of 2020, we encourage you to reclaim the peace that Jesus offers at Christmas and every day.
As God’s children, we can live with peace, hope and surety of what’s to come. God prepared a place for Jesus to come into this world. Surely He is preparing your place too.
No change of plans on earth can change the truth of His Word. Christmas may be chaos, Jesus is our peace. He is with us now and He has prepared a place for us. We pray that you rest in His peace today because that is unchanging.
Steph:
“Born – that man may no more die” – Hark the Harold Angels Sing
I never thought the age old Christmas carol, ‘Hark, the Harold Angles Sing’ would be something God would use to shape my heart in a powerful way (after all, my greatest memories of that song are me singing it with a gold, pipe cleaner hallo on my head for the Christmas pageant in 2nd grade) – yet a few years ago that song truly changed how I see Christmas.
In 2014 my Grandfather passed away on Christmas. I still remember sitting on his bedside that night, saying goodbye — it wasn’t the merriest of Christmas’ to say the least. As we left the hospital that night there was person playing Christmas carols in hospital lobby. Something about the tune caught my ear and that night as I crawled in bed the melody was stuck in my head.
Playing the song through my mind, I was stuck that night on the lyrics “Born – that man may no more die”. To be honest, I didn’t even realize I KNEW that was in the song. So many of those classic Christmas carols are ingrained in my mind but rarely have I ever stopped to really ponder them.
The reality is, that Jesus came to us on Christmas — with a story that included death, so that we might have life. He conquered the sting of death because He came to us that night on Christmas with a plan that was greater than any heart could comprehend. Christmas is about Jesus’ birth but it is also about His plan to die.
2020 has been a year of loss and I know so many of us might not be feeling very merry today. You may have lost a loved one this year or have someone near and dear to you wrestling with illness. To my sister who is walking into this Christmas with a heavy heart or the burden of grief heavy on you – I pray you find comfort in Jesus’ birth this Christmas as He was “born – that man may no more die”.
Morgan:
I once asked a mentor of mine to describe Jesus in one word. I was expecting the standard, “loving”, “patient”,
“gracious”, or even “all-powerful”, in which all would have been accurate and true, and words I would have been completely satisfied with.
But the word she used I had never heard used to sum up Jesus and I haven’t really heard it since. A word I had forgotten through the years, until recently when I personally, and I’m guessing you, too, need Jesus to be this now more than ever.
It’s the word “With.”
Some synonyms for the word with include: among, beside, amidst, and near.
This is Jesus.
He is among us.
He is beside us.
He is in our midst.
He is oh, so near.
He is with us.
His “with-ness” is actually WHO He is.
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel. (Which means, God with us.)” Matthew 1:23 (ESV)
2,000+ years ago, Jesus, the “visible image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15), came to earth, put on flesh, and made his dwelling among, ‘with’ us. (John 1:14)
…Why?
To empathize with us. To feel our pain. And then, out of an abundance of the Father’s love, to nail it to the cross and cancel our debt once and for all through His power. To bring us back to “with-ness” in Him.
You see, I’m broken, and I need a Savior this Christmas. One that knows me, sees me, empathizes with me, and is with me.
Some of you might be “without” a lot this year.
Without a family member.
Without the ability to buy your loved ones the gifts you wish you could.
Without the peace that you thought 2020 would hold.
It’s okay to acknowledge what you’re without this year. But friend, please remember what you do have that no one can take away from you.
Immanuel – God with us.
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There you have it, friends! Praying that each and every one of you experience His presence this Christmas ❤️??
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