Overwhelmed: A High School Senior's Spiritual Journey

"At the foot of the cross, where I am made complete. You have given me life through the death, you have bore for me. And you have won my heart." - Kathryn Scott

As I sit here and struggle with a title, topic, or simply the words to say, I am overcome with amazement at the sight of God at work in each and everyone of our lives. It is such a refreshing site and much need peace. Being a senior in highschool is of course fabulous and every other postive emotion you could possibly list, but it is also terrifying and absoutely overwheleming.

Big Daddy Weave not only has a completely snazzy stage name, but some of Christian music's best lyrics in a song. Words spoken by man could never do justice for the absolute beauty of the greatest artist of all time. In the song "Overwhelmed," BD Weave sings wonderfully of the mercies and presence of our loving, powerful, creative, merciful God. As the song floods the room around me, I am reminded that this Earth is not our home. So many times, as in this week for example, I have allowed myself to get caught up in the wordly things. School, boys, future dreams,

etc. and I have unknowingly allowed fear of the unknown keep me from seeing the bigger picture and strengthing my personal relationship with Christ.

God has called us out and in the waters of the world to be a witness for HIS glory.

Not our own personal gain or our own popularity, but to be humbled and shine as the salt and light of the Earth. In the new testament book of Matthew, in chapter 5, Jesus is teaching to his disciples on a mountainside. He has already began to decribe what a life of following Chirst entails. In verses 13-16:

"You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Insead they put it on its stand, and its gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify the Father in

Heaven.

Jesus is telling us to bravely, but humbly be the light of the world. We use salt on our sometimes bland cooking to add a little flavor. If salt stopped adding flavor, we all know a family member, whose meal would be in some deep trouble. Can I get an amen?! :) Salt back in Jesus' day was very expensive.. It was used as an act of persevation. If you killed a big game animal, and wanted to save the meat for a later day, since you couldn't freeze it, you would do what was called a "Salt Cure." You would put the meat in a salt/water combo and the meat would absorbe the salt and become dry. So Jesus telling us that one of the purposes of being a disciple is to be like an "expensive" salt that keeps meat from rotting, is simply telling us to go out and witness and try to share the love of a Jesus with a those who need his love and grace most.

In Chirst we have been given a new life (Romans 6:13). When that time of year rolls around for birthdays, hoildays, graduation, weddings, or whatever occasion is coming up next, we are so quick to talk about either what we want or the gifts we recieved, but as we are excited to talk about those things, we should be 10 times more excited to share the Word of God with the ones around us. We are promised a well-worth-it reward in enternity, so dont lose hope, faith, or perservervance because in Hebrews 12:1-2:

"...Let us run with the perseverance and the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith..."

And again in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

In Christ we are made complete. We come to him broken and worn, and he welcomes us and promsises us, not a easy life, but the strength to endure the race. With Christ, we are never left alone, we are never abandoned, and we are certainly never forgotten. He is our strength. He is our protecter, provider, comforter. He is our therapist. Remember, you may be the bible that others read, so strive to live in a way that makes unbeilvers question their disbeilf in God.
MB