If I lost everything right now...

“If I lost it all, would my hands stay lifted to the God who gives and takes away? If You take it all, this life You’ve given, still my heart will sing to You…”
 
I’ve spent the better part of this afternoon into tonight at my dining room table, working on homework and planning out my week. I definitely will be hitting the ground running with several significant assignments due this week. I can’t work without music playing and the song I referenced above was playing on my phone’s music app. I was working on some Greek homework I have due tomorrow and it was enough to make me stop and think about something Pastor Moore said in the service this morning about living for the flesh vs. living for faith.
 
The statement that was made was:: “The only way I’m going to have less in my life is when I desire to live by the flesh rather than the spirit. Even though I have a loving heart, would I go through that pain, take up that cross, and die that death? Would I do that for someone else? Christ didn’t live through His Crucifixion through the flesh— He did it through faith.”
 
Going back to the song, the thought I had was, “If I lost everything right now…would I have enough faith in God to carry me through?” This is something that’s been convicting my heart for a little while now.
 
The answer to that:: I honestly am not sure if I would or not.
 
As I reach the final days before my licensing, God has really been moving like no other in my life. The insights I’ve gained, the revelations, epiphanies, and things that have been revealed to me about different aspects of my life are priceless. The heavenly and spiritual riches I have gained through this experience far outweigh the intrinsic, physical, and material accolades.
 
I spent a little time on my sermon tonight to prepare for Homiletics class on Tuesday. (this is being written on Sunday night and I’m unsure of when it will go live).
 
It was officially announced today that licensing will take place April 17th. The fear I had when we were at this point last month with my original date is gone and have been replaced with nothing but joy and excitement. We are currently 20 days away with a lot of preparation left. I could not be more humbled, ecstatic, blessed, and honored for this opportunity. To have the AMAZING life teachers and mentors at Summit in my life that I do is priceless. I thank God each and every day for them and the life lessons and blessings they have individually and collectively brought into my life.
 
God gets all the glory and praise for bringing me to this point. When I look back at the posts from when I first announced I was going to be licensed at Summit to now…all of the trials, heartache, pain, fear, and anxiety have all been more than worth it. Everything leading up to this has paid off 70x7 and beyond.
 
I am so, so, so excited for all that God has done. In keeping humility and my own heart in check, I cannot allow myself to get comfortable. I know that for every trial I overcome through Christ, there’s going to be another one just as hard, if not harder. I want to continue to hunger and thirst after Him. I can’t allow myself to stay in my cozy, safe, little bubble.
 
I like to view the concept of faith as a rubber band. I have one on the key ring that I keep my car and house keys on that was given to me by my Internship professor. I keep it on there as a constant reminder to not be scared of tension in my relationship with God or in my faith and to rise with it, rather than bringing it down to my level. It’s a constant daily reminder to myself to not be scared or anxious about growing in my faith.
 
I want to close this post out by challenging and encouraging whoever is reading this to do the same. Let your faith be like that rubber band. Expand and stretch with it rather than bringing that tension down to your level.
 
Above all else, remember:: “Now faith the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”—Hebrews 11:1.
 
Love and light,
 
--S. 

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