If I had to choose one word to describe how I have felt over the past 4 months working on staff with Campus Crusade at EKU, I would say I have been humbled. It is amazing to me that God has chosen to pull me out of my sin and make me into a new creation. He has chosen to use me for His glory and to proclaim His name to the nations. (Matthew 28:19-20) He has chosen to allow me to have conversations with students who are searching for Him and uses me to proclaim His Gospel. I am not deserving of any of this but that's the amazing thing about my Savior! It's not about what I can do for Him or what I deserve....it's all about what He did for me on the Cross. Praise Him!
One Bible verse that has continually stood out to me over the past few months is:
"For you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit." John 15:16
I love this verse! Isn't it amazing to know that we are chosen by God - the Creator of this entire universe, and He calls each of His children to go and bear fruit that will last. Even when everyone else fails us it is so comforting to know that we have been loved and chosen by God. Because of this I am humbled.
Another verse that God has been using in my life lately is Romans 12:1-2:
"Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."
God's love and mercy towards us never changes. But we have the choice of how we will respond to all that He has done for us. We can choose to reject Him or choose to accept Him and surrender our lives to Him. Paul says that the true way to worship God is to offer our entire life to Him as a living sacrifice. When we allow Christ to transform our lives He renews our minds and teaches our hearts. He allows us to follow His will and to bring Him glory.
We were created for one main purpose, to bring glory to God. God loved me so much that He chose to send Christ to die for me and He chose to rescue me from my sin. It has been a challenge for me to have a proper response to this truth - to fully surrender every area of my life to Jesus and allow Him to transform me completely.
When we remember that God loves each of us personally and has chosen us to go and bear fruit, we will have no other response to His great mercy but to lay down our lives for Him who laid down His entire life for us. It is a challenge for each of us to live this out each day but by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to bring glory to our Maker!
