Top 7 Things God Taught Me This Year

Wow, this year seemed so long, yet so short all at the same time. It was definitely a year of growth, along with those nasty growing pains of course! But all of it was well worth it. We aren't promised a happy and easy life as a follower of Christ and I thank God for the trials and suffering He has allowed me to go through because they have shaped who I am today. So as the summer roles in (!!!) here are the top 7 biggest things God taught me this year. 


1) This journey with Christ is a lifelong pursuit and I am just as in need of God's grace at every moment as the lost people around me. I am not beyond the gospel. His grace has saved me, is saving me, and will save me. 


2) While I have a responsibility for the people God places in my life, I cannot claim them as mine. They are His children, not mine. The most freeing thing this year for me has been the realization that the results are not my responsibility, but the faithfulness to the task is. 


3) Our God created things to multiply. Followers, disciples, churches, etc. God is a God of growth. We must never grow stagnant. 


4) Discipleship is vital! We must commit our lives to being poured into and pouring into others. God didn't call me to seminary for myself, but for the advancement of His kingdom.  Go deep with the few, pour your life into them, and see them begin to do the same in others. 


5) I have to work each day to be intentional. I get distracted way too much! Following Christ takes EFFORT and INTENTIONALITY! Intentional about my time in the Word, intentional about my use of time, intentional about the people I surround myself with, intentional with building relationships. These things don't just happen out of nowhere. 


6)Worship is so much more than music. It's a lifestyle Christ has called all of us to. It's why we were created! It is the laying down of every part of our lives to see God's plan and purpose rise up in us. For His glory to be what we yearn for. To see awe struck worshippers in a relentless pursuit of the God who created us. 


7) God is soooo much bigger than I thought. What He has done, is doing, and is yet to do completely blows my mind.