From Leslie Ludy's "Authentic Beauty":
"Just as there is a marked distinction between memorizing the definition of a rose and actually holding one in your hand, there is a huge difference between saying you know Jesus Christ and truly experiencing Him as your true Prince, your Hero, and the One you give up everything just to be with..."
Let us be a generation that pushes through the mediocre lifestyle of hypocrisy! I want to truly experience this world and this relationship with my Lord. I long for God to take me deeper with Him than He's ever taken anyone! And not because I'm more important, more worthy, or more in tune with Christ, because I would be the least worthy of that sort of intimacy. But because it is possible, I want to run for it. Because He gave it all to be with me, I want to really know what it's like to suffer for Jesus, to walk daily in His presence and to really really really let Him set me free. There's so much about surrendering that I need to learn to do...
In the past couple days I've really been hit hard with the importance of relationships. And I know i've talked about this many times before, but I know it's something that my Master wants to secure in me. I want to be a listener and an encourager and someone who, despite outside circumstances, or even though I'm late for class or have something "really important" to do that I would drop everything in a second to sit down and be Jesus to someone, anyone! Like, when it's crunch crew time, what remains? Not grades, not scholarships, not money, not any of my matieral goods... just people. Man, there's another quote that totally describes our society and even the selfishness of my soul:
"They said that they had noticed among us some gorged to the full with things of every sort while their other halves were beggars at their doors, emaciated with hunger and poverty. They found it strange that these poverty-stricken halves should suffer such injustice and that they did not take the others by the throat or set fire to their houses."
Justice... again and again that phrase has entered my mind.
"He has shown you, oh man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you: to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)
Gosh... I want to be an advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves... for those who have no say... for those who are guilty, but still need to know His love, just as I need to know it. Jesus, send me to the nations as an ambassador for You! Let me lose myself in others! Strip me completely of all my selfish ambitions and desires and set in me a heart of compassion and a spirit of service. Let me KNOW You! Captivate my restless soul once again.