Hello Dear Friends!
Thank you so much for all that each of you have done to show me support and care! God is proving to me His faithfulness through you! Classes at Clemson begin on the 24th and our first big event, Lake Day, is on the 27th. The nearer I get to reaching my fundraising goal of 85% and being able to move to campus, the more excited I become and the more I remember exactly why I chose to be an RUF-I intern. When somebody loves something, they can’t help but share it. I am so excited and thankful that I have been given the privilege of sharing the good news of Jesus’ love with international students at Clemson.
In the midst of raising support this past week, I have felt the sneaky tapping of comparison on my shoulder. Comparison whispers things like, “you are so far behind,” and “how could God use you when there are better gifted people out there?” Comparison is subtle and slips in quietly through the cracks. Comparison tells us we are worth the amount of work that we can do, but that we will never be able to do enough. Comparison calls us to depend on ourselves. However, God calls us to humble surrender and dependence upon Him. God proclaims that we are worthy because we are made in His image. God affirms us that He is at work but that He delights to use His children. In a sermon illustration I heard recently, the preacher held up a cup and announced that it was filled with air. “How do I get the air out?” he asked. Air cannot simply be dumped out of the cup, but the cup must be filled with something else entirely. He then poured water into the cup, filling it, so that there was no room left for anything else. This is what God does with us. He fills us with His Spirit so that there is no more room for the lies of comparison, doubt, and shame. We need only to look to Him for peace, assurance, fulfillment, and joy. It is so easy to accept the titles of “unworthy,” “unlovable,” and “not enough,” but because of Jesus’ work on the cross, our identity is, “worthy,” “lovable,” “enough”, all summed up in three words: “Child of God.” The most important title we will ever claim! When we realize that God made us perfectly in His image, we can look beyond ourselves to others who are claiming negative titles about themselves and offer them the awesome news of Jesus’ love for them!
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