The Greatest Lie You'll Ever Believe

I was going to write an intro about it. I was going to tell you a story about how I struggled with it. I was going to try and make it inspirational. But then I realized I don't need the back story because, girls, we all struggle with it. Beauty. Ya, that word probably put a whole bunch of thoughts through your mind.

And how many of them were positive?

It absolutely breaks my heart how many of us struggle with accepting our own beauty. We are quicker to tear ourselves down than any person who stands against us. For goodness sake, I went through a period where I avoided looking at myself in the mirror at school because I got tired of not liking what I saw. And there's a lot of mirrors in the girl's bathroom at Northridge to avoid.

Now I could go into a long explanation about how you are beautiful and how society's standard of beauty is un-achievable and unrealistic- both true- but you've heard all that before. So instead I wrote this to tell you the dangers that come with believing you're not beautiful and how I overcame them.

I really struggled with my self image in late middle school/early high school. I also struggled with bouts of depression and loneliness. In other words, I was not happy with myself. And that's where my focus was. On myself. It was all inward comparing myself to those "skinnier, prettier, better dressed, funnier, smarter..." You get the picture. But as a Christian that was all wrong. Beyond the unhealthy self image I had, my focus was in the wrong place. Our focus is supposed to be outward. How can I help impact the world? How can I be Jesus to those around me? But I was letting my insecurities get in the way of the opportunities God was placing in front of me to be the "salt and light." Instead of seeing how that girl was hurting or listening to what God wanted me to say to her, I was passing her up while tearing myself down in the process.

There's something really important that I want you to get here. The single greatest lie the devil can ever make you believe is that you are worthless. See, you are a precious treasure. But when you doubt the infinite value God sees in you, then you'll never fulfill the divine purpose he has for your life. And for girls this almost always starts by looking in the mirror and not being able to see the beauty written all over your face.

And it breaks my heart that there is generation after generation of women who have so bought into this lie that they're willing to starve their bodies to be "beautiful." That they're willing to spend dollar after dollar trying to buy beauty. That they've started to doubt their own worth. Well let me tell you something. Beauty is not measured in pounds. It's not something that can be bought and put on. It's something inside of us that radiates out into our actions, our smiles, our lives. Beauty- true beauty- is something that reaches out and affects others. It has the power to touch others and change their lives. Where our insecurities and believing the lie cause us to focus inward, beauty radiates outward.

See, there's something really important that happens when we believe we're not beautiful. The power is taken out of us. Women, I believe, were built strong and powerful. For starters we have the strength in us to handle childbirth and our uterus tearing itself down once a month. Joking aside though, when we truly believe we're not beautiful we deflate. Sure we may able to operate still, but are we operating at 100% capacity? No. But when we believe in our own beauty, a dramatic shift happens. We glow. All of that power and strength I was talking about earlier, God is able to harness and use.

So here's what I want you to get from this. Believing you are not beautiful is a lie. Pure and simple. Picture it as one of the devil's greatest weapons against you. He's going to use it to make you doubt yourself, to hurt your relationships, to affect your faith...because in all reality that's his goal. To tear you down. To break you. It's an all out war to twist your heart.

So what do you do in war? You arm yourself for battle. And the most powerful weapon is scripture.

So when the attacks come and you start to "fat talk" yourself, when you start to hate your body, when you start to compare yourself...battle Satan's lie with God's truth. And truth says that you were made in God's own image (Genesis 1:27). And God's image is perfect. Literally. Truth says you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). Truth says that outer beauty is fleeting (Proverbs 31:30). And the thing that really matters, that really makes the difference is having a beautiful heart. It's what makes you beautiful no matter the size of your waist, the number of pimples on your face, or the year of your clothes.

And beyond that take a moment to change your focus to outward. Because chances are Satan's changing your focus to inward for a reason. He wants you to miss the opportunities. And changing our focus to outward can be very hard to do. You almost have to retrain the way your brain thinks because it's so different from the way our culture normally works. But we're called to be different (Romans 12:2), so no excuses! So here are some of the things I've done to shift my focus.

Every morning I've prayed for God to give me his eyes. I pretty much pray the lyrics of Brandon Heath's song. "Give me your eyes for just one second, Give me your eyes so I can see, Everything that I keep missing, Give me your love for humanity, Give me your arms for the broken hearted, Ones that are far beyond my reach, Give me your heart for the ones forgotten, Give me your eyes so I can see...." It's really a great prayer if you think about it.  As Christians we're called to be Jesus to the world and you're starting everyday asking God that you can see the world as he does, that you can see those who need him, that you can see those opportunities. And when you start your morning claiming those opportunities are out there, you're going to start looking for them subconsciously.

Beyond that I will tell you that the switch isn't going to be automatic or last forever. It's an ongoing, continual process. There's going to be times when you want to shift inward, especially at the beginning. Think about it. You've spent almost your whole life developing this unhealthy habit and our culture is constantly pushing you back to it. It's like trying to quit smoking after 20 years and everyone is handing you a cigarette. Except the addiction is all happening in your brain. So it's going to take conscious effort to fight against it.

One book I'd highly recommend reading is Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyers. (I have the teen edition). It helped me to realize that I have the power to control my thoughts, to fight the negative self image and push my focus outward. (You can read through the first chapter here.) One thing I started doing after reading the book was nipping my negative thoughts in the bud. In other words, as soon as one would come I would first hand those thoughts over to God and then pray for him to help shift my focus. And this is one of those things you'll probably end up doing a lot throughout the day. But that's how a new habit is created. You have to retrain your brain and make something new instinctive. But you can do it!

Remember this is war. But God is your shield.

Ephesians 6:10-18:
 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

Love is simple, yet so strong...

During the fall semester of sophomore year of college a couple years back, I was struggling for meaning in my life.  God was not number one, instead was pride and the pursuit for selfish happiness.  From high school all the way up until the fall of my sophomore year, I was seeking my own will, which brought me into a down-wards spiral into my own sulk and misery.  A relationship with a girl had just ended and I was left with a deep hole inside that I had been trying to fill for a very, very long time.  I had been putting all my hope and trust into things of this world.  I was never fully happy on my own.  So I searched for happiness in relationships, in lust, in substance, and in many other selfish ways because deep down, I was not happy with myself, and I wasn’t the man I wanted to be.  Sure there were fun times, times where I thought I knew love, true love, but it was fake, it was not genuine, giving love.  And I began to be chained down to these things that were not love.

I was raised Christian by two amazing, loving parents, but I did not have a personal relationship with Christ, nor the reason or motivation to do so.  A life away from Christ does not 

only affect yourself, it affects the ones closest to you, and for me, because of my own hurt, the ones I loved were hurt as well.  My mother is an amazing Christian woman, however she did not have the greatest childhood growing up and was raised by an abusive step-father, causing her to have a condition called post-traumatic stress disorder.  Because of my own pride, I was not loving to her and honoring her as my mother.  I was kicked out of my own house during the summer and hopped from house to house for about a month.  Some mornings I woke up, not knowing where I would sleep that night.  My younger brother couldn’t even look me in the eyes because of how much I hurt my mother and father.  Because of a long unchaste, selfish relationship, I turned away from my friends, consuming all my time in my girlfriend, as if I was making her my "god."  I struggled having motivation in classes, and I fell away from my Lord, and Savior, who died for me.

My heart was left broken and I was left empty since I had put all my heart and trust into the things of this world.  Through prayer I decided to go back to church again.  And I decided to go on a retreat with my church and slowly, my pursuit of happiness ceased.  And the happiness I started to find in Christ was a billion times satisfying then any other happiness I had found before.  My heart began to awaken.  For I found that the only true happiness, the only true fulfillment, the only thing that can fill up these holes we have in our hearts in this life and in this world, is found in Christ.  For His love is the only genuine, 100% self-giving, unconditional, surrendering love, that sent His only son to come to Earth to die for our sins so we may have everlasting and eternal life in Heaven.  That is real love.  Sure since then I have forgotten His amazing love for me.  I do all the time and will continue to because I am human.  But when I forget or start to look for happiness on my own, I know in my heart where to turn to and who to surrender to at His feet.  Once I turned to back to Christ, and let the seed that my parents planted blossom, the fruits that it beard were amazing and beautiful, and continue everyday, and will the rest of my life.  This makes everyday a miracle to me, for I was and still am so undeserving of this love that God continually gives, never ending.

I started becoming a new man with a new heart and mind, awakened for the first time in years.  My chains slowly started to fall off because only a God-given love can free us.  The effects of Christ were and still are in every aspect of my life.  I now have a beautiful relationship with my family and have been striving to lead them to Christ when they fall away from Him.  I have friendships that are strong and genuine, looking out for the best in each other.  I finally have to search no more, because I have found a new home, not of this earth, but of the kingdom of Heaven.  I have found a joy, a hope, and a love stronger than anything else in this world; I’ve found it all in Jesus Christ.

Brothers, as men of God, we are strong and brave.  We must be virtuous and hold firm our Christian beliefs.  We must discern His plans for us, through prayer and works.  We must guide one another, especially women to the gates of Heaven, and if romantically pursuing a woman, we must treat them as gifts from God in which we must protect and honor.  We must protect women’s and our own physical and emotional chastity so that you and her may know that God is the core of our hearts.  We must treat our own bodies with respect, especially in such things as alcohol, the internet, and time alone, for we are temples of the Holy Spirit, both body and soul, neither should be neglected.

Brothers, we must also lead others both our brothers and sisters to Christ, but first we must be renewed inside, so that even just our presence may reflect God’s love.  It is a continual renewal that we are called to pursue.  We must look inside ourselves and overcome the obstacles that we face, so we can lead our brothers and sisters to Christ.  We must truly and genuinely love others and put their souls above ourselves.  Love is so powerful, so much more than this world’s definition.  Love is not conditional or selfish, rather unconditional and self-giving.  Love is simple, yet so strong, strong enough to free you from, sometimes your own worst enemy, ...you. Brothers, take this precious time now to prepare yourself for God’s amazing plans, that you may be worthy and deserving of his gifts he has before you.  Embrace your faith, keep the Sabbath holy every weekend, honor Him throughout your day, search for His grace and love in His word in scripture.  Follow the commandments, especially honoring your parents and family as they get older.  And above all pray, and develop an intimate and personal relationship with Jesus.

Brothers, seek God, our Father, our Creator, our King, our Shepherd with all of our hearts, all of our souls, our of our minds, and all of our strength, and see how much fruit His will brings. Pray and search for God’s plans, and surrender your own.  Resist and avoid temptations.  Strive for excellence in your classes.  And above all, take joy in God and his power and love.  Hold tight to his love through the battles and highs and lows of this life.  Be unselfish givers so that we may be receivers in Heaven.  And remember, His love is never failing.  

Our love must be as Paul writes in Romans 12: 9-12:  “Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor.  Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.”

I leave you, my Brothers, with a simple prayer I pray everyday: Lord, help me become the man that you made me to be.

The Stronghold of Fear

        Fear... Fear is a stronghold which the devil uses to control so many lives. I have seen it, both in others and myself. Throughout my life the devil has used circumstances uncontrollable by me to try and take out my faith in God through fear. Situations like the heart attack my mother had, and the death of my grandfather by cancer. However, at a young age, My parents instilled in my heart the idea that God will not allow me to be put me through anything that I cannot handle, and this knowledge, along with numerous scriptures, have made me who I am today. 

        Joshua 1:9 says, in short: "Be strong, don't be afraid, because God is with you everywhere you go." As a child, when I had nightmares, my mother got me a pillow with this scripture written on it. Now, it has become my weapon of choice for combatting the enemy. Satan himself knows scripture far better than we do, they are the very words of our creator. Therefore, he cannot stand it when we use them. Hebrews 13:6 says that "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?". Now you may say, "but satan is immortal"... Welllll no, I believe the only true immortal is he who created everything, and who can end it. Though satan has a body that is technically "immortal" as he won't die of old age, he is not omniscient, and is still bound by time, which God created. So next time satan brings upon you life circumstances that bring pain, just remember... You are the child of the one true creator who loves you. Sometimes trials are just tests he allows you to go through to prepare you for that one person you will meet, who is going through something similar, and you can bless their life with encouragement. That has happened to me countless times! Besides, when the devil tries us and fails, God smiles. Just like Job, God takes pride in his faithful children, and Satan hates it when he simply can not break us. I know not that everything I've gone through, it was all just a test, a grand "scheme" by he enemy, which The Lord has turned for good! Because me, sitting here, saying this to you is something the devil never foresaw, and I can just see him now, screaming at my window, cursing  and speaking profanity at the sight of man he couldn't break, turning what he meant for evil into word of life for others! So take heart and stand strong in adversity, know that every time you help another, you show them a glimpse of the face and the love of God.

You Were Made For Greatness

              There seems to be a deep desire in all of us, an intense desire. A desire to be loved and satisfied, to be truly happy, to be made complete. We look everywhere for ways to fulfill this desire. Every time we do, at some point, we are left lacking something, incomplete. Thus, the cycle continues and for some, maybe even their whole lives, still searching.

        
               I find myself often forgetting the fact that we were not made for this world. We were made for Heaven. If we were created for a place so incredibly beautiful and perfect, then it makes sense that we would be longing for so much more in this earthly world. For this earth will never satisfy that deep desire that God rooted in us. We were made in His image and likeness. God literally put His thumbprint on us pointing us towards Him as our direction, our meaning for existence.

        
               A quote from an amazing Christian man by the name of Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger says it well, "The world promises you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness." We are all called to be saints, no matter who we are and what we've done. No matter your race, skin color, religion, or denomination. God made us all to be like Him. We are made for His kingdom. Let's not strive for anything less. A Heavenly feast awaits, shall you dine or settle for the crumbs of the earth?

The Doubling Principle

Some food for thought:

What would happen if suddenly two or three people in your youth group, church, campus missionary group, etc. decided that they would go to any length to follow God's will for their lives? Not just to follow in secret, but to make it obvious to others what they are doing. To live a life exhibiting character as similar as possible to that of Jesus. Unashamed and totally on fire for God, they just followed His will without any agenda of their own.

Do you have any idea how many people would be impacted? Even those who might not come to know Christ immediately would see that light shining through and notice that there was something different about those two or three students. It is unimaginable how God can use something like us just obeying him and not even having to directly share the gospel with anyone. God works in mysterious ways, not just through open evangelism. In order for a seed of faith to grow, it must first by planted and watered (by people like you and me!).

Now, take those two students. Let's say they only end up inspiring two other students themselves to follow God with all their heart. Although that doesn't seem like much at all, every single soul counts when heaven is at stake. If those two students also only inspired two other people, and so on and so forth, before long the word of God and His unconditional love would spread throughout the nations!

Do you see how by merely following God's agenda for our lives and making small differences in the lives of those around us, everything counts? What would happen if those original two influenced more than two people themselves? What if your ENTIRE youth group, or church, or community took this challenge?

 Some words of encouragement (I promise it's worth your time to read through them all!):

Romans 10:10-17

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”^{[a] 12} For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”^[b]
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”^[c]
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”^{[d] 17} Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Matthew 5:16

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 10:7-15

The Message (MSG)

^5-8 Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge:

“Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.
^9-10 “Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light.
¹¹ “When you enter a town or village, don’t insist on staying in a luxury inn. Get a modest place with some modest people, and be content there until you leave.
^12-15 “When you knock on a door, be courteous in your greeting. If they welcome you, be gentle in your conversation. If they don’t welcome you, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way. You can be sure that on Judgment Day they’ll be mighty sorry—but it’s no concern of yours now.

Colossians 4:2-6

New International Version (NIV)

Further Instructions

² Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³ And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴ Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ⁵ Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

1 Peter 3:15

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁵ But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...

Isaiah 6:8

New International Version (NIV)

⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

There's just some food for thought. Every little bit does, in fact, make a difference. You can be that difference in someone's life. What an awesome privilege!

Dios los bendiga, mis hermanos.

--Lindsay



**Craving more scripture on the topic of spreading the message of Christ? Check out http://www.openbible.info/topics/evangelism.**

The Bible: An Underdog Story

                              Let me start off by saying that I am a doubter. When God starts working in my life, at first I’m thinking AWESOME! But give it a little bit of time and then I start to wonder if he’s really doing anything at all. Maybe I’m just making it up? Maybe I’m being overdramatic?  Maybe he wouldn’t really use me like that? Doubt is a great and powerful tool to effectively undo all the things God is trying to do in your life. Especially when it comes to your calling.

                Think about it. God created each of us for a specific reason. Some of us are called to be doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs while others are missionaries or youth pastors. Imagine how great it would be for the devil if he kept us from fulfilling that great calling God has put on our lives. Unfortunately it’s so easy to believe that we’re not the ones with the great callings. We’re not outgoing enough, spiritual enough, or “great” enough for them.

                Funny thing is God has a habit of placing the “significant” callings on some not so significant people. Usually though, the biggest thing keeping us from fulfilling them is ourselves. Take a look into the life of Moses and I’ll show you what I mean.

                Moses’ calling was to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt and consequently to freedom (Exodus 3:10). But you know it wasn’t as easy as saying “Ok guys, let’s get out of here.” From Moses’ perspective there were some serious issues with God’s plan.

                First off, in order to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses had to be a leader. But there was one tiny problem with that aspect of the plan. Moses had difficulty even talking. Most scholars believe he had a stutter. How in the world was he going to get these people to follow him if he couldn’t even talk to them? You got to be kidding me, right? And Moses even mentioned this to God in Exodus 4:10.

                On top of that, the people Moses was supposed to be leading didn’t even really like him. A lot of times we don’t think about it, but Moses didn’t really fit in anywhere. He was technically an Israelite by birth but had grown up living an Egyptian lifestyle. Because of this he didn’t really belong to either group. He was an outcast of sorts. In fact he was living in exile when God gave him his calling.  So how was he, the outcast, supposed to get these people to follow him in the first place? (Exodus 3:11)

                And probably most dauntingly of all was the fact that Pharaoh, one of the most powerful leaders at the time, would never just let his slaves walk out of his country, no questions asked. No way. If it came down to it, there would be a war to get out, which the Israelites would most likely never agree to. I mean let’s face it. Who would win in a fight, a bunch of slaves or their powerful oppressor?

                So here’s where the story stands right now. Moses, the stuttering outcast, is supposed to get the Israelites to follow him out of Egypt in direct defiance of the powerful Pharaoh. At this point it makes sense why Moses argued with God from the moment his calling was given. I mean, how in the world was he supposed to pull that off? But this is where God stepped in.

                Problem #1. You can’t speak? Look Moses, I will give you the words. But if you’re still uncomfortable with that, I’ll even give you someone to say them for you. You just act as the channel between me and my people. I’ll do the rest. (Exodus 4:10-16)

                Problem #2. You don’t belong? I will show the Israelites miraculous signs so that they know I am the one backing this. It’s not about you and how great you are. It’s about me and how great I am. (Exodus 4:30-31)

                Problem #3. You’re afraid of Pharaoh? I will break down Pharaoh’s will so that by the time I am done with him you will be able to walk out of this country, a free people, without ever having to lay a hand on a weapon. (Exodus 7-11, Exodus 12:31-42)

                And God did exactly all of that.

The main thing I want you to get from this is that from our perspective, God’s calling on our life is probably going to seem impossible or in Moses’ case, verging on crazy. But we have a crazy God who can do incredible things if we just let him. Maybe you’re called to be in ministry, to go to a foreign country and preach to people who you can’t even communicate with because of the language barrier. Maybe you’re supposed to tell a group of friends exactly what purity means to you. Maybe you’re supposed to change your college plans. And you’re thinking God, you have got to be kidding me. Remember though, that from our perspective God’s plans rarely make sense. But if he called you to do something, don’t believe for a second that he doesn’t also have a way for you to do it. It doesn’t matter how great you are or not. There was nothing remarkable about Moses. Except for the calling God put on his life and the fact that he answered it. Are you ready to answer your calling?