rebelling against low expectations
If I could go back in time, there are plenty of things I would want my teenage-self to know. But if I could, I’d especially want to go back in time and shine some truth into a few of the lies that I believed as a young person. Maybe you’re struggling with some of these lies too. If so, this is my invitation to you to experience some truth. Lie 1: I’m too young to do big things. The world we live...
I’d love to travel on a sailboat. To hang out over the railing, the wind whipping the rigging, flying fast and free over the foamy blue. Sun, salt, and sea-spray lightening the red of my hair, utterly unbridled joy and excitement. This water-daughter has lived most her life by the sea, and would love to sail upon it, to reach glorious lands yet unknown (at least to me). And in a way, that’s what...
“You don’t understand! Your life is perfect compared to mine! You wouldn’t understand.” “Ha! You think my life is perfect? Oh, no…” Comparison. That’s what it was. I was recently watching one of my favorite TV shows, and this scene eerily reminded me of a scene from my own life. I had believed someone else’s life was perfect. I complained that their life was perfect. I compared, allowing myself...
As teens and early twenties, it’s easy to spend our time trying to create an identity. The most common question I got as a high schooler was, “What do you want to do with your life?” In other words, how do you want to define yourself for the next forty plus years? It’s a big question and not I wasn’t the only one trying to answer it year after year. My friends were experiencing the same...
I’m sure you’ve all experienced being labeled something. The world labels people by what they do and what they look like, instead of who they really are. For me, I struggle with defining myself by my disability. It’s hard being visually impaired sometimes. Some of the simplest tasks can be so frustrating. There are also a lot of different awkward social situations that can happen. For example, if...
“I AM WHO I AM,” he said. “Say to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14). This is the name God told his reluctant leader Moses. He went on to explain, “This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations” (v.15). This verse is rich with many truths, but one word in particular emerges for me through repeated reading: remember. Flip forward a...
I was lying on my bed one night when the phone rang. A moment later my mom walked up the stairs and the first words out of her mouth were, “We need to pray.” She told us that one of my best friends was severely depressed and had left the house saying he wanted to kill himself. As I lay there praying silently, I asked, God…please save him. Lord, I don’t want to live without my best friend. Please...
A few weeks ago, a friend asked me, “What is one major thing you struggle with, that keeps you from striving towards God?” The second I heard it, the answer became clear– fear. We all face fears, fear of the future, failure, rejection, and betrayal. It’s crippling. The fact is, if we aren’t careful, fear will take root in our lives and control all our decisions. It creeps in like a thief seeking...
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...
We’ve been given the greatest gift imaginable–the love of God. But many Christians, including myself, struggle with accepting so great a gift. We feel like we’re not good enough. Or, maybe we think we’re good enough sometimes, but after we commit certain sins, we’re unworthy for a while. That is a lie. If we’re unworthy sometimes, we’re unworthy all the time. Nothing we do could makes us...
rebelling against low expectations
