May I ask you a personal question?
Where do you stand with God today?
When I say today, I challenge you to consider where YOU stand with God today.
Is He standing next to you? Is He right in the mix of whatever you are going through? Does He feel far away or even non existent? Do you feel excluded from even standing next to Him?
If I were to ask God where He stands with you, I already know the answer. He’s reminded me time and time again that no matter where I stand with Him, He is always standing with me.
This fact is true for you too.
This summer, I joined a small bible study and we are reading through the book of James. It’s a short, impactful read, and I recommend that you walk through it with someone you enjoy discussing things with. The study is with a few women my age and a couple of high school girls from our church’s youth group.
Starting a new study group always reminds me of the first time I ever went to a bible study. I was new in my faith and nervous to attend with a bunch of women who were well established in the church.
I’ll never forget the first impression that was imprinted on me. At some point we’d begun talking about being friends with people who weren’t Christian. Immediately, I felt uncomfortable knowing I was the newest “Christian” in the room and maybe not Christian enough for these women to accept me.
Some of the women were chiming in that they could not be “friends” with other “non Christians” because they were “of the world” and not a positive influence. I, maybe too naive in the Christianese they were speaking, asked “Wouldn’t Jesus want us to be friends with everybody?”
For some reason, I didn’t give up on that bible study, despite it making me feel excluded before these women even got the chance to know me. I’m glad I listened to the small voice that told me to stay.
From that study, I’d met a friend who was kind, gentle, and eager to keep going. She asked me if I’d be open to continue meeting with her and study one of the gospels together. It still didn’t make sense to me, this idea of hanging out and reading the Bible together over coffee, but I was open to it.
We would meet at the coffee shop and simply read a couple lines at a time through each chapter. There would be moments where something would stand out and we would discuss, otherwise we would just listen to one another as each would read out loud through the book of John.
The experience of studying the Bible with my new friend, one on one, was life changing. I’d been so turned off from the previous experience of bible study and the exclusivity I’d felt from Christianity. Now looking back, I know that God has a plan with everything.
Flash forward to the small group we’ve formed this summer, and I see myself in some of the highschool girls sitting around our circle. They are nervous to share, maybe even intimidated by the whole God thing. Now, I can see why God had me in that first bible study. He knew my pride would keep me going back while He did a greater work on me.
Jesus leads us with truth and love. Oftentimes, I think Christians get so caught up in the truth of what scripture says, that they forget to be loving. The more I’ve grown in the church and in my own faith personally, there are parts about it that are hard to sit with some days.
As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, I aim to follow His example and His way. As a human being, I am not perfect and I fail at this constantly.
I think that humility was missing from the group of women I sat with in my early days of bible study. I think humility and owning our mistakes is missing from our society as a whole. “I am right and I know everything” is the attitude we are up against most days.
There is a holy moment that happens when we realize that we are the one who stands in our own way. We stand in the way of our faith, our confidence, and the challenges that overwhelm us everyday.
My hope is that you will see God standing with you today. You are not alone in any capacity. Your pride may try to convince you that God doesn’t have time for you, or that you are better off without Him today. Rest assured, He is with you always.
In the moments you don’t believe.
In the middle of your mess.
In your seasoned faith.
In your lack of confidence.
In your strained relationships.
In your bible study.
In the bar.
In your car.
In the blessing.
In your youth.
In your middle age.
In your very last days.
God is standing with you and He will continue to pursue you no matter where you are.
Love more, worry less, and trust Jesus with the rest!
Makenna Curtis
Faith & Entertainment Writer
Local Pulse Pensacola
