rebelling against low expectations
I wake up at 7 am to a full sink of dishes and laundry overflowing. I groan and just want to go back to sleep. I don’t want to start a new day, don’t want to do the right thing. I just want to shut out the world. Can I take the easy way out? Sometimes it’s so much easier to turn away. Do you feel this way? When I first heard about The Rebelution and hopped on board, I was super excited. I loved...
Have you ever felt like life was leaving you behind? We see so many stories of Rebelutionaries seeking after God, doing hard things, and changing the world. It’s amazing to see the work other young people are doing. Writing books. Graduating college early. Starting ministries. Starting businesses. All of those are good and beautiful and amazing, and we applaud and rejoice with each of them. But...
Let’s be clear at the outset: Doing hard things is hard. In fact, doing hard things is exhausting. In June, I spoke of doing some simple but hard things this summer (i.e. attending church, reading the Scriptures, and praying regularly). Let’s pause for a moment and assess as the school year draws nigh. Did you persist or coast, lean in or nod off? Personally, I’m somewhere in the middle of these...
You’ve prayed. You’ve cried. You’ve hoped. And still the answer is wait. In those moments where it seems God’s only answer is wait, and there is no end in sight, what do you do? Why does it seem we so often receive that answer for things we so desperately long for? Why is it so hard to trust when God does say “not now, my child”? When we don’t receive the answers we so desperately wish, it is...
Stop Striving. Just Rest. I obsess over checklists. I love New Year’s Resolutions. I revel in beating a deadline. I defend my 4.0 grade point. But all my striving often leads to let down. I am crushed when I fail to achieve my goals. I beat myself up mercilessly when I feel that I have failed. My overly intense personality manifests itself in physical symptoms. My shoulders and neck are often...
I cringed as I went to answer the phone at work for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Customers had been anything but easy on this particular afternoon, and I was way past ready to go home. Masking my frustration with a smile, I greeted the customer on the phone. Ugh. This was an especially difficult customer. No matter where you work, you’re bound to have days like this. When I think...
Sometimes, we’re called to walk alone. When I first thought about writing this article, I realized it would be the hardest I ever had to write. Doubts plagued me: did I really have something worthy to share? The answer is yes. God did give me something to share. But when he did, I nearly chickened out—because this is one of the most vulnerable lessons I’ve had to learn during my walk with Christ...
George Muller cared for 10,000 orphans. Don Richardson preached the gospel to a violent tribe that had never heard it before. He saw half of that tribe embrace Christ. David Wilkerson preached the gospel to the gangs of New York City and watched as God transformed the lives of countless drug addicts. When I look at these great Christian heroes, I feel overwhelmed. I too want to serve the Lord...
The good life. What comes to mind when you hear these words? What do you picture? Maybe vacations, or smiles, or putting your feet up and taking a nap, or tons of money. I think of waking up each morning with a smile and loving words from others. Or maybe you’re also practical, and you think of the good life as being a place without any pain. No sickness, no death, no suffering. I also wish this...
“Would you rather die or burn your Bible?” A couple years ago, a group of middle-schoolers started an online debate about this topic. It turned out to be an interesting—and controversial—subject. Different students came from different perspectives, and some of the answers were surprising. But it always came down to one of two options. Option #1: Burn my Bible I found some students...
rebelling against low expectations
