It's Worth ItSample

What I Admire Most

My name is Masey McLain, and I’m an actress who had the incredible opportunity to portray Rachel Scott in the film I’m Not Ashamed. When I played the role of Rachel, I was asked if I ever felt as if I were having an identity crisis or losing myself by stepping into her shoes. I usually don’t get that question when I play a role, but because this time I was portraying a real person, maybe that’s why it came up.

But the answer to this question was, actually, no. I never once felt I had lost my own identity while “becoming” Rachel. I think a lot of that is because of how I was able to relate to her while portraying her. To help me do the part, I found that the Lord used experiences in my life I never dreamed he would use. I have come to believe that certain things have happened in my life in order for me to have been able to portray Rachel.

When I first heard I was in the running for the part, I had a different view of Rachel than who I found her to be after reading her journals. In my mind, she was perfect. She was a martyr for Christ and did everything right. Who can live up to that?

But that was far from the truth. In reality, she was just like you and me. She was completely human and had weaknesses just like everyone else. The reason her life has made such an impact is because of her relentless pursuit of God. Even though she was not perfect by any means, she chased after the heart of God. And you and I have the same opportunity to seek after him (Jeremiah 29:13).

If you want to know God more deeply; experience his intimacy, presence, and abundance; and live fully in your purpose, you must seek him with your whole heart (Psalm 14:2, Psalm 63:1, Psalm 119:2).

Rachel did this. Yeah, she messed up; she was confused at times, and she was just trying to figure it all out like all of us. But she decided to seek God’s heart above it all, no matter what it looked like or what it cost her. And God did extraordinary things in and through her.

Rachel counted everything else as loss in view of knowing Jesus. She found that following him was the only thing that satisfied her soul and that was worth surrendering her entire life to. She understood her purpose.

Rachel desired to love people with a heart of compassion and see and love people as Jesus does. And the more she sought the heart of God, the more he changed her heart to look like his.

The most purpose-filled life comes from the deep intimacy of truly knowing God. Rachel didn’t wake up one day being kind and compassionate and ready to love people and change the world. I believe all of that was an overflow of her time spent seeking to know his heart.

For all of us, that’s our first step in living with purpose. Seek to know God deeply and intimately, the way you know your best friend. As you get to know him, he’ll show you what sort of a life he’s been dreaming for you and the way to live it.