We are the Champions

   "We are the champions, my friends, And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end, We are the champions, We are the champions, No time for losers, 'Cause we are the champions of the world" (Queen). If you don't know that is the song called "We Are The Champions" by Queen. It is a typical song sung by teams when they win a tournament. I always wanted to sing that song after winning a championship, but I never got to.
   Now, before you go thinking this is going to be a depressing blog I have sung that song in another competition. In this competition I didn't have to do anything to win. Someone won for me. In Him I am more than a champion. In Him I am more than a conqueror. Jesus has already won. People may think that he is in a constant battle with the Devil but they are wrong. There wasn't even a contest really. The devil is like an ant. Jesus is so big and powerful that all he had to do was step on him.
   Because we have this knowledge, when we feel down we must remember that the battle we are fighting is already won. In fact, the war has already been won. We cannot lose because Jesus is on our side. He defeated Satan because he loves us. Isn't that great to think about? Whatever you are going through I encourage you to remember that you have already won. Satan cannot bring you down. Even if you fail, even if you fall into temptation, Jesus is still on your side. All you have to do is ask Jesus to forgive you and he will. Now, that doesn't mean that we should continue to sin if we know Jesus will forgive us. We are to be more like him each day as we grow in him.
   So, how does it feel to know that you are more than a champion/conqueror? Will you continue to try to be like Jesus? How can you grow in Him today?

   Romans 8:35-37 and 1 John 5:4

   Image from here.

Better Than What You Are

   I am a soccer player. I've played every position on the field. When I was a junior in high school I decided to try to become a better goalkeeper. In order to do that, I sat on the couch all day watching TV.... just checking to make sure you are still with me.
   When I became a keeper I had to work hard to get my body in shape, learn how to dive, how to catch the ball, when to come out to get the ball, and so much more. If I didn't work at it I wouldn't have been starting goalie at LBC for 4 years, I wouldn't have broken LBC's shutout record, and I wouldn't have become a better person and coach.
   What would've happened if I didn't work hard at being a goalie? I wouldn't have made an impact on LBC's soccer team, I wouldn't have become a keeper, and I wouldn't have become a better person.
   In the movie Kung Fu Panda 3 Master Shifu has a conversation with his apprentice, Po. Shifu: "If you only do what you can do, you'll never be better than what you are." Po: "But I like who I am!" Shifu: "You don't even know who you are."
   "If you only do what you can do, you'll never be better than what you are." If we stay stagnant, if we don't try to improve, then we will never get better. If you don't try to learn how to cook, you'll burn your food. If you don't try to learn how to drive, the you'll crash your car. If you don't try to grow in God, then God will not be able to use you for his glory.
   1 Corinthians 10:31 says: "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." God gives us many gifts. He wants to be able to use us in his story. He wants us to be able to grow in him. Why does he want that?
   Po said he likes who he is. Shifu replied "you don't even know who you are." Who are you? You are a child of God (John.1.12). If you have accepted Christ as your savior then you are a child of God. Jesus walks with you and wants to help you grow in him. Now that you know that/have been reminded of that will you try to grow in him? Will you work hard for his glory? How can you work hard for him today?

   Image from here. 

A Forgiving Death

   We have all had to do it at one point or another in our life: forgive. Maybe a stranger stepped on your foot. Maybe a friend had to cancel on you. Or, maybe a family member betrayed you. Whatever the case, forgiveness is called for. We all expect to be forgiven yet we all know that forgiveness is not an easy thing to do at times.
   Why is it so hard to forgive? Ann Voskamp has an answer in her book The Broken Way. She says: "NO one gets to forgiveness unless something else dies. There always has to be some kind of death for there to be any kind of forgiveness." The ultimate example of forgiveness is Jesus. He had to die in order to forgive our sins.
   Now, you may be asking, “what has to die when I forgive someone?” The answer is typically your pride. Let's say that someone has lied to you, not just once but many times. He promised he would never do it again but he continued to do it. According to the world's standards, you have every right to stop forgiving this person. You could hold a grudge and never speak to him again. But, according to God's standards, do you have a right?
   In Matthew 18:21-35 we read about a forgiving master and an unforgiving servant. The master had a right to throw his servant in jail because the servant would NEVER be able to pay off his debt. It just wasn't plausible that during the servant's life he'd be able to pay 100 bags of gold off. The master was merciful and forgave the debt. The servant went out and found a fellow servant who owed him 100 pieces of silver. The servant threw his fellow servant in jail because he could not pay his debt. All this servant had to do was forgive because he was forgiven. He could've let go of his pride and just said it was "okay, you don't have to pay." But, the servant wanted what he deserved. Then the servant got what he truly did deserve; he was thrown in jail and the key was thrown away.
   We have been forgiven so much. God has every right to say, "you have sinned too many times. You cannot come to heaven." But, he doesn't say that. The creator of the universe has every right to be prideful and give up on us but he doesn't. If he is our ultimate example, then why can't we put away our pride and forgive others just like he does?
   Ann Voskamp goes on to say: it is "Never the cross you carry, but your resistance to the cross, that makes it a burden." We can push back and pull back and choose not to forgive others. But, when we don't forgive, we are only hurting ourselves. We all have a cross to carry. It could be a situation, a problem that keeps happening, a sin, etc. And, if you remember correctly, crosses are heavy. Jesus needed help carrying his cross because he was so beat up. He has experience carrying crosses. It is very difficult for us to carry the cross on our own. We can ask Jesus for help carrying our cross. We can ask him to help us forgive that person who wronged us. Then, our burden becomes lighter.
   So, do you have anyone you need to forgive? Are you going to ask Jesus to help you carry your burdens? Will you choose to die to pride in order to forgive others?
   Image from here.

Who You Are

   We have all gone through that time of life: middle school-early adult years. That is the time where we search for answers: why are we here? Who are we? Who do we want to be? All of these questions have to do with our identity. I think that's why many movies enjoy focusing on identity a lot; it is something we are all searching for.
   In the movie Moana, a young child named Moana, is chosen by the ocean to restore the heart of an island. Moana goes through many trials until she gets to the point where it is too hard to continue. She begins to wonder why the ocean chose her. She did not feel special at all and wanted to give up. Of course, Moana just needed a reminder of who she was. 
   Moana was called because she stood apart from the rest of her people. She never gave up (until that point). She realized that the call is inside her just like the call is inside us. She realized that her heart was for her people and doing what was best for them even if it was hard. That's why she was chosen. She would not have been able to complete her mission if she did not figure out where her heart was.
   Just like Moana, we are chosen. When we are born God wants us to come to him. He calls us. We all go through different trials in our lives. We have a choice, we can choose to give up and walk away from our destiny. Or, we can be like Moana and never give up even when it's hard. In those times we need to remember we were chosen for a reason. We are children of God. We need to lean on him for strength and do what he calls us to do.
   So, do you believe you are chosen for a reason? Will you choose to never give up on what God calls you to do? What can you do to remember who you are, and why you were called, when trials come?

   John 1:12 and Romans 12:1-21