The why

This morning, our pastor challenged us to stop simply saying what we believe when we talk to people about our faith but WHY we believe in the love and power of Christ.

Here are some of my whys:

• Jesus is my Savior because He has taken on Himself each of  my hateful thoughts, my screwups, my laziness, my selfishness, my apathy, my disregard for Him and Truth. He's forgiven me once and for all and lets me keep asking for forgiveness when my conscience gets weighed down again. 
• He is my hope because He has promised me a special nook by His side when my life here ends. 
• He is also my hope not only because of the promises He makes to me but also the ones He keeps everyday.
• He is powerful because I've seen how He can move in both mighty swoops and tiny, subtle details.
• To me, He is loving because He never takes His eyes or hand off me. He is always surrounding me in my circumstances. Nothing gets to me without being checked by Him first. 
• He is my life because every minute I breath is a minute intended by Him to bring glory to Him. He chooses to let me breath through both the moments when I'm disgracing Him and the moments I'm praising Him. 
• He is truth because I am complete when I am living the way He has told me to live. When I'm not living His way, I feel scattered, out of control of myself, prideful, bitter, lonely, and unforgiving. When I live His way, I am loving, motivated, at peace, confident, humble, forgiving, and full of joy. He accepts my heart so I can live His way. I wouldn't be able to on my own. 
• He has given me and my husband, Adam, (2 completely unworthy, un-perfect, selfish people) a chance to live in marriage together. He has given us the chance learn how to live outside of ourselves and become one that serves His Kingdom. In and of ourselves, we're not good at that! We're actually pretty bad! But God is trusting us with that chance. And so far, with Him at our head....... it's actually kinda working! wow.
• I've seen Him take practically parentless teens and give them a new perspective. I've watched Him light up their hearts and give them hope that this circumstance will pass, that the things that have been done to them need not define them, that He is the Lover of their soul, mind, heart and body, and He is the Truth they have been searching for. I have seen Him teach a young teen to forgive their parent. Do you know how huge that is!? Teens (people for that matter) become wise when their teacher is God. 

When I get the opportunity to share my faith, I want it to look like this. Not a list of principles and crumbling rules. I want to give people my heart, which God has changed and is still molding. I want them, I want you, to be changed and molded by Him. There is no greater fulfillment  joy, or hope than that which comes from being totally encompassed by the Giver of Life.