I really love Jesus. I also really love Ke$ha. And I know it might not sit too well with some church folk that I have Hillsong Worship and Ke$ha on the same playlist, even if she does have “Jesus on her neck-a-lus-us-us.” But this month I’ve really come to a newfound revelation in my identity in Christ, and now I’m pretty sure Jesus might have a few Ke$ha tracks on his Spotify playlist too. I’m not going to try to convince you that all Ke$ha songs have hymn-worthy lyrics, but my music just shuffled to some classic “Tik Tok” and I got inspired, so we’re rolling with it.
So at the time of writing this, I’m on an 8 hour, overnight bus ride from a northern village in Ghana to the main city, where we will stay for a week before heading to Togo. I just took some Zzzquill to get some shut eye on this bus (that literally feels like the Harry Potter night bus, swerving pot holes at 80mph), so please forgive whatever disorganization of thought that may ensue in this blog.
Our month in Ghana was amazing. We spent it working with a local church, making relationships with the incredible people in the community, lots of singing and Bible lessons at local schools ranging from preschool to young adults at vocational schools, university outreaches, lots and lots of dancing, plantain chips by the armful, and a fair bit of Criminal Minds while eating spoonfuls of peanut butter or the local frozen yogurt out of a bag (FanYogo changed my life this month as well). Ghana was a blast, and it’s crazy to think another month is already hundreds of pictures and amazing memories. We made friends, made African overalls, made a few babies cry with our smiles (that might have been just me), made a lot of people laugh with some pretty incredible dance moves, and made some realizations about Jesus.
For starters, my team can’t get enough of a specific part of 1 John 4:17: “As Jesus is, so are we in this world.” I can honestly say that I’ve read that verse numerous times without a real second thought. But when you take a second to actually ponder it, it’s legit insanity people. There are fathomless benefits that come from that one part of this verse alone, among them being that I am the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Not because of anything I’ve done or could do, but just because I have chosen to have a relationship with Jesus, I am now and forever engulfed in HIS right standing with the Father. My faith is credited as righteousness (Romans 4:5). I have nothing to prove, nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Say it again? I am RIGHTEOUS before the God of the universe without a single right action other than having faith in the love and power of Jesus.
“The love of God is the greatest force in the universe. Sin wilts before it. When you encounter the undaunted and unending love of Christ, it changes you. You no longer want to sin. The passing pleasures of this world lose their appeal because you have found a love that is truer and better by far” -Paul Ellis, The Gospel in 10 Words.
When you know you are a slave to righteousness, you live as an heir to the throne, not a beggar outside the kingdom gate. And with that comes unspeakable freedom! I’m free to dance like I’m dumb (“dumb da da da dumb”), free to live and adventure and love and sing, free to live without guilt or shame or condemnation. I am also free to acknowledge the pain or suckiness of a life that isn’t sunflowers and glitter all the time, let others in even if I’ve been let down in the past, and express negative emotions without fearing that my status in anything somehow decreases. Long story short, when I know that I know that I know that at the end of every day it’s all about a RISEN Jesus, claiming for me through his death that now and forever I have a place of perfection, everything changes (Romans 5:19).
“Christianity isn’t a list of do’s and don’ts. Christianity is Christ. The point is not whether something is on your do list or your don’t list, the point is whether you have any list at all. Rule-minded people are pre-occupied with doing good and avoiding evil, but this is carnal religion. It’s eating from the wrong tree. Christianity isn’t a test, it’s a rest.” -Paul Ellis, The Gospel in 10 Words.
I don’t have to strive for righteousness to become God‘s child.. I practice righteousness because I AM His child. This all being said, I’m okay being a little Kari Jobe and a glass of Chardonnay. I love long and meaningful worship sets, and I also love flailing-ly interpretive dance moves to Wonderwall. I’m in total and complete right standing with the Maker of the universe, even when I’m not at church or telling someone the gospel. I am still an heir to heaven when I’m far from perfect. I know who I am and that Jesus calls me Beloved, and my worthiness does not decrease just because I or someone else fails to see it sometimes. I am not broken, my past does not disqualify me, and my weaknesses do not make me incapable. I am free to BE! Of course that doesn’t give me the freedom to go on living like I don’t have Jesus (2 Peter 2:16), but I am not tied down by the constraints of religiosity and legalism.
“When you sin it takes absolutely no faith to feel unrighteous and unforgiven. It takes faith to look at the cross, listen to the Holy Spirit, and confess, ‘I am messed up, but because of Jesus, I am still righteous!’” -Paul Ellis, The Gospel in 10 Words.
“We are who we are:” sons and daughters of the everlasting God Himself! And we can be secure in that identity. If you’re “so sick of being so serious,” if it’s “making your brain delirious” (@Ke$ha), take hold of the love and righteousness that Jesus gave his life in exchange for you to embody. If we depend on our own good-ness, “faith means nothing and the promise is worthless” (Romans 4:14).
In her song “Learn to Let Go,” ma gurl Ke$ha says “choose redemption”… l mean, she ain’t wrong. It’s a free gift homies: choose it, don’t be afraid to receive it, and don’t just hold onto it without unwrapping it.
I wish I had more WiFi and data to message each of you individually, but please know how much I appreciate and seriously value your continued love, support, and prayers! Please know also that I am praying for you as well— don’t be afraid to shoot any specific requests my way for my next internet availability:)
Togo here we come!
