Faithful Blog

Have you ever felt inadequate? You know, like the people around you could do your assigned job better than you can? Lately I have been feeling a little bit of these feelings. I am currently a Worship Arts Major, but sometimes I look at the people around me and feel like I really don’t compare to the talent I see. I feel Satan attacking me from all angles; whether it be a differing view of a classmate on female worship within the church, a “better” voice singing in the choir next to me, or a word from a mentor that was never intended to discourage me. Nevertheless, I am being attacked, and even though I am trying to fight this battle I find myself second guessing my place on campus and at church. Where do I fit in the big picture?

I know that most everyone feels inadequate at some time or another, but I also know that God will never leave us. I found these verses that encourage me with what I am feeling. I hope they encourage you too.

1 Peter 3:12- “Your eyes, Lord, are over the righteous, and Your ears are open to their prayers.” This verse lets me know that God will hear my cries of discouragement and confusion and that He is watching over me through my struggles.

Psalm 32:8- “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go. I will guide you with my eye.”

And… Psalm 31:3- “You are my rock and my fortress; therefore for Your name’s sake lead me, and guide me.” God is telling me the way to go, if I am following His plan for me, whom/what/when/where/why shall I fear? God is my fortress, I shall not fear.

Ok, last one… and this is my favorite of the 4… simply put, so I won’t elaborate. Psalm 46:10- “Be still and know that I am God.”

Kelsey

Posted by Rob Cornwell at 8:54 AM | Permalink

So let me start by saying how much I love the show Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I had a Faithful concert this last Sunday when it was on so my mom taped it for me and I finally got to watch it last night. It was an amazing episode. It was about a man who saved 2 police officers on 9/11.

But what really stood out to me was the bible story it reminded me of. This man's house was falling apart. It looked great from the outside but inside everything was literally falling to pieces. Walls were paper thin, stairs were sagging and breaking... They found out after they demolished the house that the foundation was built on top of debris from a previous house that never was cleared, and that's why the house was crumbling.

Remember that song about the foolish man that built his house on the sand and the wise man that built it upon the rocks? That's what I was thinking about he rest of the episode. This foundation was not built very solidly or on the right base. How often does this happen to our lives?

We build our foundations on meaningless junk to find out later our whole lives are falling apart! We try to build in on worldy things like friends and money but when those fail everything else fails right along with it. Instead we should be building our foundations on God, because his foundation NEVER fails! He always sees us through. Then instead of looking great on the outside and falling apart inside, we can be strong inside and out.

I pray that anyone who actually reads this will just take a look at what your foundation is lying on right now. Is it built on a bunch of left-over junk? Are the walls falling down inside? Maybe you just need to re-do some interior decorating. Or maybe your foundation is there but it's time to start building on.

Get started today on your extreme makeover!

Lauren

Posted by Rob Cornwell at 9:52 AM | Permalink

Love. What is love? This question is hard to answer, especially around this time of year. Valentine’s Day is a holiday when people want to feel loved and have someone to love even if they don’t truly love that person, but God hasn’t called us to love one or two days out of the year. Oh no, He has called us to love all the time. In fact, in Luke 6:35 we are told to love even our enemies and expect nothing in return. Unfortunately, I am having the trouble of feeling called to love someone, and not really wanting to. Honestly, this person is super hard for me to love, but I know that I need to. The entire verse of Luke 6:35 says this, “Love your enemies and do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great; you shall be the children of the Highest; for I am kind to the unthankful and to the evil.” Did you read that last part? God says he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil. Now, God doesn’t have to do anything for us, but He sent His son to die for us so that we could have eternal life and He is kind to everyone.

Because I have accepted the gift that God has so graciously offered me I am also called to be kind to the unthankful and the evil. I don’t know about you, but this is hard! Nevertheless, God never told me that I could back out on a calling that was hard. John 13:34-35 reads, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. As I have loved you, you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one to another.” What do I need to do in response to this commandment? Simply throw up my hands and say, “Yes, God, I will.”

Kelsey

Posted by Rob Cornwell at 10:09 AM | Permalink

So I decided last weekend that I was going to start worrying less about how I looked to other people. I was tired of waking up an hour and a half before I had to leave to take the time to groom myself. It was a biiiig waste of time. So on Monday I actually wore my glasses instead of putting in contacts. On Wednesday I didn't feel like doing my hair so I just pulled it back. And then on Friday I barely put any makeup on and did absolutely nothing with my hair but brush it and leave... And ya know what happened? I got more attention and more compliments on how I looked last week than I have in all the other weeks of going to school all "dolled up" combined! It's crazy. The day I do nothing with my hair, I get at least 7 or 8 compliments on how good it looks. It's a pretty cool feeling knowing that I don't have to do anything to myself to be "pretty". I still get attention without all the junk in my hair and on my face.

When I started thinking about this, it really relates to how God views us. We are made in his image and are beautiful. It doesn't matter what clothes we wear or how we do our hair and makeup, God loves us for who we are and he thinks we are more beauftiful than anything. 1 Peter 3: 3-4 says "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight".

Now I don't think God is saying we shouldn't wear nice things and make ouselves visually attractive. But he is saying don't let making yourself beautiful control your life. It's ok to go out in public without make-up. You are always beautiful in God's eyes. You could be having the worst day of your life and look like a mess, but God still calls you his princess. Now that my friend, is pretty amazing. If God thinks I'm beautiful, why does it even matter what other people think?

Lauren

Posted by Rob Cornwell at 8:19 AM | Permalink