I had the privilege of speaking at my Church’s ConnectWomen event that takes place once a month! It was a sweet time and I was very thankful to be able to share my story and what the Lord has taught me.
The entire manuscript was 20 pages, so I wont post it all, but I thought I’d share my 7 fundamentals of faith and how I apply that to my life!
Enjoy, and feel free to share your faith fundamentals with me!
- Believe in the Lord.
I say this as this most important step. Take a look into your life, do you truly believe in the Lord? Have you admitted that you are a sinner, and unable to rid yourself of that sin? If you don’t know, sin is anything you say, think or do that displeases God or anything you don’t do that God has asked you to do. Have you believed that Jesus is the only way to heaven, that putting your trust in Him is the only way to God? And have you truly, undeniably committed your life to Christ? Have you been baptized? Does your daily life speak of your love for the Creator? Are you trusting in Jesus? Do you believe what the Bible tells us, and not just the pretty stuff, I’m talking revelation, and the wars that god called, are you able to say “Lord I don’t understand but I trust you are God”? Are you abiding my 1 john 5:3 and keeping his commands? I don’t care if you have been sitting in a pew since you were two, do you really, truly believe in the Lord?
2. Be thankful to the Lord
In all things, be thankful, the good, bad, the ugly. I am thankful for every tragedy the Lord allowed us to go through. The divorce taught me perseverance and strength, my mom’s battle taught me how to advocate and to be gentle, and I wholly believe that Jennifer’s stroke brought our family to the Lord. God did not cause these bad things to happen, but he used them to bring redemption and salvation and how can I not be grateful? I am thankful for the nephews the Lord brought into my family to show me more of his love, how he creates things to be perfect and beautiful and that he is still very present and creating miracles. I’m thankful for this job, and all it has taught me and how the Lord has used it to grow me rapidly in him and keeping me accountable. Be thankful in all circumstances.
3. Love
Love well and deep, let there not be an end to the love you give. Love like Christ, read 1 John 4 , read out 1 Corinthians 13 everyday and replace “Love” with your name until you meet all of those characteristics.
You know, my marriage is teaching me so much about Christ love because my husband is so kind and loving and patient, and I am not. The Lord is using the security, peace, and the care of Dustin to grow that Christ like love in me. He is showing me how to love others better and more intentionally and I am so encouraged, because Dustin loves me so well, and he is such a small representation of how Christ loves us!
4. Pray
Always, all the time.
Jesus said in John 14: 12-14
12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Take a second CHRIST JESUS LITERALLY TOLD US WE CAN DO COOLER THINGS ON EARTH THAN HE EVEN DID THROUGH PRAYER, WHAT?? That’s a big deal y’all, that is a big deal. Do not forget the power of prayer and that God does not turn a deaf ear to a Child that calls on His name.
5.Community
Join a theologically based church, not one that says what you want to hear but one that preaches the Word of God unashamed. That when they preach they have scripture to back it up. They speak strongly but lovingly on hard topics. Be open with people, allow them to pray for you and love you, because God will use them to do these things for you when you are not strong enough to do it yourself. When I first became a Christian, I was so desperate to find a strong community of believers that I could relate to, and it was a cry of my heart for a long time, but the Lord answered that call! I was in a bible study my freshmen year and ironically four other girls and I ended up getting married around the same time and it really grew our friendship, they are the community that the Lord gifted me with to talk to and laugh with, to share burdens and prayers. Our husbands were able to form friendships through ours as well and it has made these first few months of marriage so much fun and rewarding, because we are able to support, pray, love, and grow each other.
6. Serve
Jesus was a servant, so don’t think we can get away without serving as well. This means that you go to the church that you are a member in and you dive in, pray about it yes, but don’t use “I need to pray about it” as a cop out. The Lord has called you to serve, so you need to serve. In the married ministry, women’s, in the college or youth or children’s (we need three new Sunday school teachers fyi…) go and serve. Feed the homeless person, love the sinner. Because that was you once upon a time. You are never too busy to serve, and if you don’t believe me we’ll sit down after this and pray about it. I am blessed to have my service be tied in to what I do for a living! I am constantly amazed the Lord took the wretch I was and has allowed me to lead young people and walk with them to the Cross, to be redeemed so fully that I can baptize, that I can pray with others through their salvation, that I can play a small part in the process. Your kids teach me so much, they teach me to discover and to question, to love well, to have grace. That skin color does not matter. I bring this up because I am teaching a first grade class this year, and we have so many different ethnic groups in it, from a blue eyed blond haired, little boy, to a little girl with dark chocolate skin and every color in between and when these kids, uninhibited by the evilness in this world that limits us by our color, and they pray together, let me tell you more often than not I cry because I know I am witnessing a glimpse of the throne room of God, with every tongue of every nation crying out and I am so thankful to serve this young people.
7. And lastly, live missionally.
Take the great commission seriously, I don’t care if you learn how to say it in every language, or you learn how to say it really well here in the heart of Tallahassee,. A heart changed by the Lord is a heart eager to bring others to Him. Dustin and I have recently taken up the call of missions. I’ll be starting seminary in January, we’re going to Senegal in November, and we are praying for the future nation that the Lord will use us in. Before Dustin and I started dating, we both felt a call to international missions. For Dustin, it’s how well he acclimates to new cultures, how everyone is a new friend, everyday a new adventure (he inspires me daily to be kinder, more generous, and over all a better person- but that’s a whole never speaking point)
For me, it was tears in my eyes when I heard missionaries speak, it was the call of Isaiah becoming the cry of my heart, and feeling the most myself cross legged with a friend, drinking tea and learning more about her home.
Now that we are “we” we have started praying: for guidance, for assurance, for a heart that breaks hard for others. And the Lord has been sovereign. We don’t know much my friends, we don’t know where or how or exactly when, but we know the Lord is asking us to prepare our hearts for a life led on mission. We are so very excited to for this adventure, to meet new people, to learn new things about others (and ourselves), and, most importantly, spread the Love of God wherever the Lord has us.
So go forth my sisters, my church family, believe in the Lord and be changed, be thankful for where he has brought you and where he will, Love others so well, pray without ceasing, build a community where you feel safe and they can pray with you, serve alongside them, and go forth into creation, preaching the word of God, making disciples and baptizing them in the name of the Lord. Because this is the life the Lord attended for you.
Thank you
If you are interested in supporting Dustin and I through our missions, please visit our fundraising page at:
Redheaded Musings 