07/21/2023 Lately, I’ve observed youth seeking after many a thing in Christian communities, and sometimes it’s not the easiest thing to see a young person “suffer” from not having the things they want right away, the gratification of a desire that seems to be good, but that really distracts them from Christ. I remember when I was a teen and younger adult and how hard it was to prioritize my life. When I got born again, I had to get radically washed and transformed in the renewing of my mind. I had direct teaching on that, and if it weren’t for it, I would still be trapped in many of the lies that I was prior to then. Some of the more subtle traps I would find myself in were the many avenues I tried to pursue kept me “busy” in activity, but my heart wasn’t intent on the Lord and busy with because of the distraction of those activities. I know others who could handle it well, but for me, I was honestly needing the Lord for more intense purposes than I understood at that time. (I have speculated that God was preparing me for meeting John at another college, some 3 years or so before I actually would meet him for the first time). God was really dealing with me strong, and I had persecution, immaturity, and just normal Christian things to work through every day. So, I didn’t have time to be “in love” with anyone else or anything else but Jesus, and I was certainly that.
Good Distractions
My studies also demanded time from me, and my Christian girlfriends were a boon and a strength to me, so that if I needed good conversation in Jesus, it was easily accessible. My free time was spent with others in the Lord praying, praising, and learning from scripture, and this was in different groups, but one main family was teaching us. No matter where you are at with the Lord, a college campus is a wondrous place to find other believers in the Lord much stronger than you, way further on down the road with Jesus than you, and able to teach you about marriage and sanctification. I needed those things at it was the right time. Even in lil ol’ Georgia, I found Jesus.
Issues and Sins
I had many issues to overcome, and sins were apparent and subtle. For years I had idolized sports, and did spend about 4 hours a day (I’ve calculated) on physical activity, lifting weights, intramurals ultimate (football-game like) frisbee, intramurals for volleyball, softball practice, batting practice, and I inwardly prided myself to be the best at what I did, and for a while I was. But I was always exhausted and if I didn’t perform to my impossible standard then I knew I would have to work more, harder, and longer next time. In a way, it was my idol – to be a softball or athletic star, and I remember for years (more than 10 at that point), I was setting myself up to succeed in the world of softball. My identity was there and whether or not I wanted to admit it, if someone were asked from my high school what I was known for, they probably wouldn’t say first “Oh Rebekah, she’s a Christian” but they would surely probably remember me with my uniform on or hear me talking about the sport. I was a nominal Christian, but I needed the regenerating experience of the Holy Spirit, that only God can do by preveniently setting things up for a soul to hear the Word of God, REALLY accept it, and produce a crop. I had to get a spiritual rebirth, and upon doing so, the facade of being so athletic appeared very temporal, and even if I were to become a softball professional athlete (as some do!), I would still be vulnerable to an injury that could set me back and one injury had already set me back in 2006, a broken leg during intramurals that was proof enough (bad leg break in 3 places), that my body was meant to be a temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) and not meant to be a punching bag. My coach was mad that I was out of playing, I was mad because I knew softball was my love, and most importantly God got my attention, which was prevenient too! I would not honestly wish to say so, but in my drive for perfection, I could even possibly accuse myself of trying to destroy myself. But I don’t think it had gotten that far.
Overcoming Temptation and Needing the Blood of Jesus
College time is a wide world of wonder and time of solidifying those ideas in yourself (at least the age bracket if a person is not in college – like the years of being 18 yrs old to 22 yrs old) that you will carry with you probably for the majority of your adult life. Sometimes, I cry because I’m so thankful for those times, and I knew then they were special times, but when I look back now, I can only see things as remembering what God has saved me from.
He saved me from spiritual and bodily harm with taking away my idol of softball, kept me away from guys with teaching about chastity and saving yourself unto God, and letting him work out the details for boy-girl relationships, saved me from using foul language, dressing sensually and causing boys to lust whether it was in athletic circles or church circles, being stoic and empty in a business-world outlook on life, falling into a trap of busyness but not being able the Lord’s business, having friends that would have been disloyal to me, protection from getting raped by having put myself in vulnerable places, and though I was not a party-er I had a friend who one night said “No” to going to a party and “Yes” to what Jesus what trying to teach her in her heart, and went to a friend’s house where a guy was sharing his testimony, and that one decision changed the total outcome of her life and whole spiritual person. She is a hero to me. We can’t assume that everyone even at a Christian atmosphere, Christian school, or Biblical community is a clean-as-a-whistle soul because not one of us is that, not a one. Some mindsets like that and others, such as believing that a person is saved just because they are at church – those mindsets if not based in reality, must be shattered.
Jesus had to live for God, minister for 3 years, and then die. And why did he live so briefly and spend 30 years in preparation for 3 years to spend on 12 men, and then die so quickly at the hands of the religious power of that time. Doesn’t there allow for any mystery that if Jesus set himself aside for 30 years, and He is the Son of God, that maybe we should wait a while for those things which we deem are sooooo important, like the right husband to be with, the right community, or the right vocation for us. Just sayin’
Because of the shed blood of Jesus, I have peace with God. And when God looks at the blood of Jesus, his anger is appeased (2 Corinthians 5:21). I have to remind God to look at Jesus’ blood a lot, but when I come into the light and acknowledge that what I’ve done is right or wrong, I will have fellowship in the light, and the blood of Jesus cleanseth me from all sins (1 John 1:7). Don’t you know that I need that?! 🙂
Sharing Testimony
I share my testimony on my blog, and if I get a blessed window to do so with my mouth, I will be at the most peace when I can share what Jesus had brought me through. My testimony is my story, its my song, and I can feel such eternal joy when remembering what God has done for me, and how radically he can use one life, one decision, or one encounter to do mighty things in the world. I would wish the same on my best friend and worst enemy.
A Great God is one who will let your story be your most beneficial contribution to society, and our God is a God who provided Jesus, to work in Your life the only way He can work in yours alone. Your individual story is being written, and Jesus wants to be all up in it! Give him a try, and you won’t even have ask for a refund 😉
“For whoever wants to save His life will lose it, but whoever loses His life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25).
Rebekah's Reflections 