The typical millennial Christian package consists of a densely highlighted and underlined Bible, Eno, Chacos, and a Camelbak or Nalgene water bottle covered in name-brand stickers. The mornings start off with “Good, Good Father” and “Oceans”. The bedrooms are decorated with lots of inspirational quotes, maps, and pictures from the last mission trip. The Instagram page is full of friends that are “gems” and pictures of the last country they visited. Time after time I was guilty of making these assumptions and God has laid this very heavily on my heart.
Before coming on the Worldrace I was guilty of thinking I had the millennial Christian package and being part of the fan club. Since being on the Race I have come to realize the yield signs in my life I need to confront. God is using my lessons to teach me about what it truly looks like to have an intimate relationship with him. This past season of a surface level relationship is no longer welcomed in my life. I am choosing to trust God to reveal to me his characteristics of how he will get me to where I need to be.
I’m no longer striving for a certain look or personality. I am embracing how he uniquely created me to be and having a deep and meaningful relationship with Christ. For a long time, I had the wrong idea of what that looks like. But he has been revealing to me it is not anything like what I described above.
Daily I choose to lay down my burdens at his feet, pick up my cross, and choice to be in a relationship with Christ. Being Christian in today’s society isn’t easy and certainly not a trend. My current relationship perspective is centered around surrendering to a God who sent his son to be crucified for the things I’ve done wrong. “Being intentional” is so much more than name brands, designer coffee, and bible journaling. The Worldrace has taught me to find peace and joy in spending time and resting in the arms of my creator. He has revealed to me there are people who fit the stereotype of the deepest and most meaningful relationships with Christ, people who fit the stereotype who are faking, and struggle with the idea is Jesus a lunatic, lier, or Lord.
My previous thoughts about what a relationship with Christ looks like has hindered me from running into the loving arms of Christ. As a society we have made Christianity a fan club. I am guilty of this and will be the first to admit that Church and a relationship with God was just an extra-curricular club for me. My relationship with Christ use to be set on cruise control. It was all about me and not about Christ. I made Christianity a fad and took God’s beauty and grace for granted. I can no longer have these mindsets and still be Christian. I’m choosing to be more aware of how I live out my walk.
God has placed my misconception as a message in my heart he has called me to share. I refuse to be silenced or close out my opportunities by the enemy or fear of saying something wrong. He has a clear purpose and particular time for me to be part of his FITness program (For me, In me, and Through me). I didn’t come on the Worldrace to minister to the neediest, but to finish the Great Commission of God. Through this experience I have learned to love myself and put Christ where he deserves to be, FIRST.
I challenge you to think, are you just doing it to be trendy, or do you have a deep and meaningful relationship with Christ?
