I’ve spent the last few weeks trying to figure out what topic to start off with in this blog. (Of course that’s not all I’ve been doing – I got a little busy with the whole school–work-sleep-life balance too!) You see, I’m a real believer in firsts: first job sets precedent for your work ethic; first 10% sets precedent for your finances; first blog should set precedent, or at least set the stage, for the ones to come. So I’ve mulled over this idea or that revelation, many of them seeming less than relevant to the place that I’m in right now, and none of them seeming quite so revolutionary as they were at the time when I scribbled them down in my journal or the side of my Bible.
And then today I had a run-in with the whole point of having non-negotiables in my life in the first place: once you’ve set them in place, they aren’t intended to be revolutionary anymore – they’re reviving.
Think of places that are constantly wrought with wars. Governments or generals are forever taking over power and then being replaced by the next rebel leader of a revolutionary cause. I don’t want to live with the governing principles in my life like that. In contrast, the French Revolution was an important piece of history, and then it ended when the foundation for a new and different France was laid. Likewise, the non-negotiable principles in my life are meant to form the foundation for my life and walk with God, and then that foundation needs to set. That way, when I forget what I'm building my life on, I just have to go back to the foundation to see what it's made of and revive my vision.
All that to say, instead of starting out with some sort of eloquent monologue on the importance of putting first things first, I’m going to start with the thing that I had to remember (and let revive me) today. In a nutshell, it can be found written on a yellow sticky note spanning the Atlantic Ocean that lies between Canada and Africa on the world map in my room:
“There’s more evidence of His faithfulness than there is of my fear.”
In the moment of insecurity or loneliness or financial strain, this truth is difficult to believe, but it remains the truth regardless of what I see in my immediate circumstances. In fact, it will even change the way I view those circumstances.
How many times in the past have I seen the provision of God in my bank account? I can't think of a time when He hasn't come through with funds when I need it.
How often have I begun a task that I felt myself too weak or inadequate to accomplish, only to experience a fresh level of strength just in time to see it through to completion? Every semester at school has been a testimony of that.
How many more unexpected reminders of my many valuable relationships - with parents, friends, teachers, leaders - will it take for me to trust God and depend on my relationship with Him to satisfy my emotional needs now? My life is full, whether I choose to see it or not.
When I stack up all of that evidence against my puny fears, there is no comparison. Can I see the future? No. Will panicking about it change anything? No, certainly not in any positive way. So I choose instead to follow the evidence, and to trust.
And then today I had a run-in with the whole point of having non-negotiables in my life in the first place: once you’ve set them in place, they aren’t intended to be revolutionary anymore – they’re reviving.
Think of places that are constantly wrought with wars. Governments or generals are forever taking over power and then being replaced by the next rebel leader of a revolutionary cause. I don’t want to live with the governing principles in my life like that. In contrast, the French Revolution was an important piece of history, and then it ended when the foundation for a new and different France was laid. Likewise, the non-negotiable principles in my life are meant to form the foundation for my life and walk with God, and then that foundation needs to set. That way, when I forget what I'm building my life on, I just have to go back to the foundation to see what it's made of and revive my vision.
All that to say, instead of starting out with some sort of eloquent monologue on the importance of putting first things first, I’m going to start with the thing that I had to remember (and let revive me) today. In a nutshell, it can be found written on a yellow sticky note spanning the Atlantic Ocean that lies between Canada and Africa on the world map in my room:
“There’s more evidence of His faithfulness than there is of my fear.”
In the moment of insecurity or loneliness or financial strain, this truth is difficult to believe, but it remains the truth regardless of what I see in my immediate circumstances. In fact, it will even change the way I view those circumstances.
How many times in the past have I seen the provision of God in my bank account? I can't think of a time when He hasn't come through with funds when I need it.
How often have I begun a task that I felt myself too weak or inadequate to accomplish, only to experience a fresh level of strength just in time to see it through to completion? Every semester at school has been a testimony of that.
How many more unexpected reminders of my many valuable relationships - with parents, friends, teachers, leaders - will it take for me to trust God and depend on my relationship with Him to satisfy my emotional needs now? My life is full, whether I choose to see it or not.
When I stack up all of that evidence against my puny fears, there is no comparison. Can I see the future? No. Will panicking about it change anything? No, certainly not in any positive way. So I choose instead to follow the evidence, and to trust.
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