She Believes: Embracing The Life You Were Created To LiveНамуна

Today, we will be exploring the gift of friendship, God's desire for you to be connected to meaningful and life-giving relationships that strengthen your faith, and his desire to use your life to bring hope to those around you. This is one of my greatest joys and passions: connecting women of all ages to God's purpose through interaction and relationship with one another. My desire in our time together is to help you grow in understanding that his plan for your life includes connection to others for the purpose of leading the girls around you closer to Jesus.

Believing Makes Being Together Even Better

I love my life, but it would definitely not be described as quiet and slow-paced. It seems like I am constantly facing some sort of deadline. Your schedule may be similar: go here, go there, pick up the kids, send that text, make dinner, empty the dishwasher, check on Mom, finish that report! Wowza . . . life can get pretty crazy! And if we are not careful, just "doing things" can be all that we do, and our relationships and connections with people can get shoved to the side or ignored altogether. People are really meant to be the most important part of life.

Have you ever experienced a connection so obvious that you knew God had made it happen? Have you ever heard him whisper to you, "See that girl in front of you? She needs your encouragement today." It can happen almost anywhere, for anyone: the server in the restaurant, your neighbor, the woman sitting next to you in the doctor's office, the couple sitting in front of you at church. Whether you are noticing or not, they are there, just waiting for you to stop and notice them. The truth is, it is God's will for you to connect with people and to use your life to reveal his love to those around you. But for that to happen, you have to be willing to stop, take time, open up your heart, and share your life with them. And that, my friend, takes faith!

There are girls all around you who are desperately searching for an answer to their lonely, hurting lives, and as a believer in Jesus Christ, you could be their only connection to the hope that is inside of you! But for you to be used by God, there are things you must do to make connections with the people he places in your path. Most importantly, you have to keep your eyes open, have an obedient heart, and be willing to respond to God's voice. 

1 Thessalonians 5:6, 8, 11 (The Message): So let's not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let's keep our eyes open and be smart. . . Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation. . . So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you're already doing this; just keep on doing it.

In 1 Thessalonians, Paul is writing to believers and admonishing them to live wide awake, ready to be an encouragement to those around them. When was the last time you stopped to encourage and talk to a girl you did not know? What do you think Paul means when he says, "Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind"?

My Faith Declaration

I believe that God created me to love and connect with others! Even when I feel the desire to hide, I will remind myself that he has called me to notice and reach out to the girls he places in my path. I will purpose to bring hope, life, love, and acceptance to the sisterhood that God has positioned around me, and guard against disunity and strife. And I will strive to always lead every girl who is watching me—through my kindness, words, actions (and social media posts)—closer to Jesus!