how quickly do i carry the names of various things forth in my life? and yet, how little is that name Jesus? i'm better at selling the name of Mocha Club or Auburn or sparkle TOMS than i am at selling the name and renown of my savior-Jesus! that is a shame. that must change. i'm overwhelmed at all i learned and experienced. i'm convicted and challenged in the best ways. i'm changed forever.
living without proclaiming the gospel is no longer an option. boldness is a necessity. it's something i'm terrified of, yet something i have total confidence in God for. i can't compete with Jesus for who should be my foundation--it should always be Him! i can't escape all temptation, but i can learn how to curtail it and stop imminent sin before it occurs. i can't continue living in such comfort and separation while so many suffer. i can't keep reading books like "radical" and "crazy love" and still foresee my life as so american-dream-like. i must make changes. my life must reflect something greater. i must carry the one name that matters: JESUS!
one more thing the Lord revealed to me clearer than ever before is that He is truly and fully the God of the NATIONS! i was overwhelmed by this reality a number of times this past week and really the past semester. i'm not sure what this new-found burden on my heart means, but i'm excited to see what the Lord will do! it caused me to realize how much i have limited our limitless creator and how much greater He is than i could ever realize. students in kampala, uganda; paris, france; and throughout china are boldly declaring Jesus as Lord and lifting up His name. He is the God of so many cities and has so much more to do in each place. may we not be blinded by our own worlds but be drastically exposed and collided with these incredible things happening in, through, and for our God!
"yes Lord, walking in the way of your truth, we wait eagerly for you, for your NAME and your RENOWN are the desires of our souls" isaiah 26:8
