Becky’s Beliefs — Live Each Moment
by Becky Marras
Back to school. Three words that make children across the world cringe. It’s back to early wake-ups, packed lunches, late-night studying, group projects and bus rides. As July comes to a close and August creeps up, many of us will be heading back to our places of learning, anxious for the year to come. As a graduated senior heading off to college in a month (exciting, I know!), I want to encourage you to make the most of every moment. 1 Peter 1:24-25 says, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.”
Vision and Faith
We are temporary, but the Lord is eternal. Our time here on earth passes by so quickly; each moment is fleeting. In her song “Every Moment,” Joy Williams says, “So don’t let go, hold on to every moment, always know, hold on to every moment that you can.”
Every moment is created by God, so my question is how are you going to glorify Him in it? How can we hold on to every moment while praising the Savior? We need to be visionary and have active faith.
We need to have a vision for the upcoming school year. Proverbs 16:9 says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” So how do you practically live out that verse this school year? Develop a mindset of service through prayer. How would you like to grow closer to Christ this coming school year? Do you want to be more verbal with your faith? Be pushed out of your comfort zone for Jesus? Sisters, as you go back to your place of learning, I encourage you to be in prayer. Sit down with your family or friends and lift up the 2008-2009 school year to the Lord. Give Him your dream of getting straight A’s, being asked to prom or even becoming class president.
Sometimes we’re hesitant to surrender. Be encouraged by the words of Shannon Primicerio in her book Being a Girl Who Leads: “Remember, God has a ministry for you in His church and a mission for you in the world. His vision for your life will encompass both things.”
Set goals, remembering God is sovereign over all.
Planning and Pretzels
We all know LeBron James is a talented athlete. He didn’t become successful simply by wishing that he were an NBA superstar. It took hard work and determination. Most likely if he’d spent his youth attached to the couch with a bag of Doritos, he wouldn’t have become a name we hear on TV. He took action in fulfilling his dreams. In the same way, we need to take action in living out our faith.
James 2:26 says, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” Once the Lord has given you a vision for your school year, you need to live it out! If your goal is to be bolder in sharing your faith, you have to take that step of faith and speak when the Lord opens doors. Or if your goal is to bring three friends to youth group, ask someone to hold you accountable. Have someone you trust check in on your progress, making sure you’re putting feet to the Lord’s plan.
So, the next time you’re sitting on the bus about to munch on your leftover pretzels from lunch, focus on the vision the Lord has set before you and be His hands and feet. This might mean offering a pretzel to the girl next to you or asking a fellow classmate to watch his language. Whatever it is, remember we’re called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, even at school. Especially at school.
Copyright © 2008 Becky Marras. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.Hey, we'd love to have some feedback from you! If you've got a comment about this article, send it to Brio@briomag.com. Please include your name, age, mailing address and the title of this article.
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