rebelling against low expectations
When I graduated five years ago, I didn’t have a life plan. I remember wrestling with uncertainty, trying to figure out what was next as I attempted to answer the bombardment of What’s next? questions. I felt the suffocating pressure to have my life plan mapped out by graduation day. I’m sure many 2021 graduates can relate. In the five years since I received my diploma, I’ve experienced numerous...
“The only absolute knowledge attainable by man is that life is meaningless.” This was the famed 20th Century Russian author Leo Tolstoy’s pessimistic outlook on life, and it is shared by many individuals today. Tolstoy felt life was meaningless because he rejected faith in God. But even Christians can sympathize with the feeling. Have you ever felt life was meaningless? One of the wisest and...
Scrolling through my old Instagram posts, I hesitated over one in particular. In that post, I made how sick I’d been public. It was pre-diagnoses, when the only thing doctors were telling me was that it was anxiety (it wasn’t). That was a very dark time in my life. I was at peace, yes, but that doesn’t change how dark it sometimes got—and sometimes still is. A lot of people told me things like...
I want a time machine. To go see the future so I can plan accordingly. To go back to the past so I can know what I don’t know already. Mainly, to never be blind-sided by the difficult or the easy moments of life. Right now, I feel blind. I have been reading Jeremiah and was struck by the same blindness in the lives of the Israelites. They are blind to the power of their God and instead turn to...
Many distractions battle for our souls on a daily basis, but there is One who is worthy of our full attention. With all this noise, it can be hard to focus on what really matters. There are countless external voices vying for our attention. Even our own internal voices can get out of control. Our ambitions can trap us. Our worries can entangle us. Our striving can entrench us in chaos of our own...
Carpe diem: Seize the day. Recently, I watched the movie Dead Poets Society and it left that phrase, Carpe Diem, bouncing around in my mind. The saying challenged me to rethink how I live, because generally, I don’t seize the day. It seemed like something I should be doing. Something that would better my life and increase my impact on the world. But I wasn’t exactly sure how to seize the day, or...
I had big plans for my high school years. I was going to lead Bible studies and disciple younger girls and volunteer and get involved in local ministry. I was determined to use those years of flexibility and energy well for God’s glory. I was going to do hard things. Well, God had other plans. I spent the majority of my high school years bedridden and housebound. I got sick—really sick—and I...
What is God’s plan for my life? I believe that is a question every teen has asked him or herself. What does God want me to do? This job or that job? Should I go to college? Yes? No? What should I study? The decisions a teen has to make can seem overwhelming. In the time we are living in there are a seemingly unending amount of offers. University. Gap year. Online courses. If you think about it...
Everyone has a story. As a Christian, many would call it your testimony. Your testimony is the story of being born a sinful human and God coming into your mess, rescuing you when you give your life to Him. If you have been saved by Jesus, you have a testimony. However, what some people sometimes forget is that your testimony doesn’t end with being saved. That’s just the beginning. Your testimony...
Dear Rebelutionaries, We’re taught to do hard things, step out of our comfort zones, and rebel against low expectations. We do hard things to bring glory to God. To share Jesus’ love. To honor Him by faithfully honing the talents He gave us. But I have a confession. Sometimes, I work hard to bring glory to myself. Sometimes, I think that God won’t pay attention unless I do hard things. Sometimes...
rebelling against low expectations
