Someone once told me that accepting Christ was kind of like putting on a new robe. At first, it feels amazing. It’s fuzzy and warm and everything just feels oh-so-right. Then for some, the robe starts to feel a bit too heavy. So heavy, that you find yourself with the urge to shrug it off, even if only for a little while. After some time, you begin to feel cold, lonely, and you just want the warmth of that robe again. You put it right back on. Ahhhh…instant gratification, right?
WRONG!
Accepting Christ isn’t disposable. It is not some article of clothing that you can shrug on and off at your convenience. You can’t just be a Christian when it suits you. Accepting Christ is a FOREVER commitment. Yep. Girl, you’re in it for the long haul with Him.
There are times that all of us (and don’t you dare say, “Oh, not me…”) that we all wish we could shrug off the weight of Christianity. Just for a bit. Just so we can do whatever it is we want to do without the guilt or pressure. Well sister, this where FAITH and TRUST come in.
FAITH in a God that is and always will be. Faith that He knows what is best for you and for me, regardless of what our mortal minds think or try to control.
TRUST in a God that has a plan for you. Trust that He has an ultimate plan. That plan may not be what you’d like right now, but it will far exceed what you ever expected in the end.
How do I know, you ask?
Well, guess what? I don’t.
HOWEVER, I have a faith and a trust in my God that He is and always will be. A knowledge that He knows what is best for me.
Here’s a little truth: I was a woman with the robe.
I was raised Lutheran and only used it when it suited me.
I have screwed up my life royally in the very short 30 years I have been on this earth. I have shrugged off the robe of Christ and even fallen completely off the wagon of Christianity. I have made some AWFUL decisions. From drinking at the age of 15, to getting pregnant at 17, to burning through a marriage by the age of 26, and to turning my back on my God when my 5 year old was diagnosed with leukemia. Oh yeah, I went way off the path of trusting God.
Then one day, in the midst of what I thought was the beginning of a nasty custody battle, I realized I truly missed my relationship with God. I missed loving Him and talking to Him and worshiping Him. I missed the joy that I would feel on Christmas when we celebrated His birth and I missed the sorrow and the tears I felt on Good Friday when Christ died on the cross. I missed Him and I missed His love. He deserves all of me for all that He has given.
On December 4, 2011, I was baptized for the second time in my life. I will never forget that day. It was the beginning of a new life. A new, amazing life that I want to live for Him. One that I will cherish until I find myself at Heaven’s Gates.
I know that I have a lot to still learn and to build on as a new adult Christian. I know that I am going to slip and fall flat on my face. But I don’t want to be the woman with the robe anymore. I want to be the woman with Christ in Me. I want to know that I will put my trust into God and that I will develop and unshakable faith in Him. Most of all, I want to know that when I do stumble, that I will land safely in the arms of grace.
I know I have the start of a good foundation.
As I leave you, please remember this: Feed yourself with faith and trust everyday. Feed yourself with scripture. These are the foundations of your relationship with your God.
You don’t just eat once a week…
So, Feed Yourself, Girl!
Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
feed yourself, girl 