For Qu.

11-14-2017

His name was Quvonta, Qu for short. I didn’t know him all that well yet, but he was still a teammate. I remember having him in my orientation group at school, showing him around campus, helping schedule his classes, talking with him and his brother about basketball. We practiced together for a few weeks before he went back home to Cleveland for a little while. We chatted in a group message with the rest of the team. He always lifted us up and encouraged us. He wanted to make us better. He was determined to make us better. He was supposed to be back to practice on Monday, but Monday never came for him…

We got the news Sunday morning from Coach in a text that read, “I postponed the game today. There was an incident where Q was shot and killed last night. I don’t know anymore details.” My heart sank. My stomach dropped. How do you take this kind of news? A friend, a teammate, a twin brother, a best friend, a son, dead. Forever gone from this earth. But God, why?! He was only 18! He had so much life left to live! How can you do this? Why would you do this? I don’t understand. Honestly, I probably never will.

As the news spread, I see pictures of Qu on social media. I read stories about the joy he brought to others, the laughs and smiles that were shared with him. I see videos of the silly dance moves that he unashamedly showed off. My heart continues to break. What do you say to your two teammates, one who is his twin brother and the other his best friend? There aren’t words gentle enough to make the tears stop. There aren’t words encouraging enough to lift their spirits. So you say what you can and hope that they know you mean it.

One of the most afflicted men in the Bible, Job, has a lot to teach us about loss. God allowed Satan to take away his family, his livestock, his money and his health. If anyone had a reason to curse God it was him. Upon hearing the news that all of his livestock, his servants, and his children had been killed, the Bible says that Job “got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. The he fell to the ground in worship and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’” What an atypical response to tragedy. I’ll be the first to admit that more often than not, my initial instinct is not to worship God when tragedy strikes. I want to question God, I want to know why, and I want to know the purpose, the plan. But Job reminds me that the Lord is in control. He gives and he takes away, sometimes unexpectedly and sooner than we would wish. While Job was sitting among the ashes in his mourning, God allowed Satan to take Job’s health, but he had to spare his life. Job was covered in sores from head to toe and the Bible tells us that Job’s wife told him to curse God and die but Job refused. He asked her the question, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” What a great question to ask and to gain perspective. God is God in the good and the bad. He is present in our highest times and our lowest times. He is worthy of our worship on the top of the mountain and in the valley below. As for the questioning of God’s plan, we are reminded in Isaiah 55 that God’s ways and thoughts are not like our own. “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” 

In situations like this one, we want to know why, but we have to have faith, even in the darkest, lowest valley that we find ourselves in. Faith that God is in control. Faith that God does not make mistakes. Faith that God is just. Faith that God will never leave us nor forsake us. Right now, we mourn with those who mourn and pray for peace, comfort, and healing in the lives of those who knew Qu.

Rest easy, Qu. This season is for you. We love you and will miss you. 

Made New.

2/7/2017

II Corinthians 6:17-21

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

As I sit here in a crowded Panera, watching the rain drizzle down outside, I become blatantly aware of my inner being. I feel as if the weather today largely represents my emotions the past couple weeks. Down. Dark. Damp. Dreary. Discomforting. This is not the Wyatt I know. This is not the Wyatt I want to be. But, nonetheless, this is the Wyatt I have been. It is no one’s fault but my own. I have allowed myself to wallow in my thoughts. I have limited myself to only negative thinking. I have tried to solve everyone else’s problems but my own. I have lost focused. I have become complacent. I have believed the lies that I have to stay here, that I have done this to myself, that I don’t deserve anything better because of the mistakes I've made. To be completely honest, I’ve ignored God’s leading. I've ignored his promises. I’ve ignored His Word. I’ve ignored what I know to be true. I’ve held onto my desires, rather than seeking His. Again, to no one’s fault but my own. Looking back at the past few weeks, one theme has been evident through it all. Forgiveness. God’s forgiveness. Our forgiveness. My forgiveness. Now I can forgive other people pretty well, that is usually not a problem for me. I’m not usually one to hold grudges or anything like that (I’m not saying I'm perfect in this area, I can still improve but in comparison. Let me go on). Where I struggle, though, is accepting and believing I am forgiven and am able to forgive myself. I’m my own biggest critic. I frustrate myself to no end. I try to do things on my own, in my own strength. Surprise, that doesn’t work. I can’t do this life on my own or in my own strength. Period. I need God. I need the Holy Spirit. In my devotions today, I was in II Corinthians. I reread a passage that we had discussed in depth at Bible the past couple weeks. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” I am a new creation! I’m not my past mistakes. I’m not the person I used to be. I’m none of that. I am a new creation in Christ! Oh, how glorious! “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.” To God be the glory. Silly, Wyatt, you can’t do any of this on your own, it is all from God! He reconciled, restored friendly relations between (thanks, Google), us to him through sending his son to die on the cross for us! He did that! He desired us that much to do that! He is not holding my sin against me! He sees his son in me and that is it! I do not have to dwell in those feelings like I have been. I can move on. I can learn from my mistakes and become better because of them. According to II Peter chapter 1, I have been given everything I need to live a godly life. I have been given these things from, guess who, God! Not myself. Also in II Peter, it says, “… he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” Did you read that? Through these great and precious promises that he has given us, we can participate in divine nature because we have escaped the corruption in the world. We have this ability and it is one that I have been neglecting. I’ve allowed my desires to keep me trapped in the corruption. Each day is a battle between flesh and spirit. Each day is a choice to love God or love my flesh. Each day, with help from the Holy Spirit, I can choose to live and believe the great and precious promises of God, not the lies of this world. It is my challenge to me and to you, if you struggle with these same things, to live in the light that we are no longer slaves to sin, to live in the light that we are new creations in Christ. “The old has gone, the new is here!”

“You are more than the choices that you've made,

You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,

You are more than the problems you create,

You've been remade.”

-          “You Are More” by Tenth Avenue North 

Endure It.

1/14/2017
“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” – I Corinthians 10:12-13

This is a passage of scripture that I have heard hundreds of times. It’s been told to me and I've given it to others as well. In fact, I have even given a short little message to our youth group about it before. However, as I was reading it today, a couple things struck me. (Side note: I love how you can read certain verses and passages a hundred times over and think you have it down and then the Holy Spirit just enlightens you and opens your eyes to something on the hundred and first time reading it. God is so cool.) First, I was reminded to never become so secure in where I am standing that I think I have it all together. We must always, “Be alert and of sober mind,” because “the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8). Often times, in my life, the times when I think I am doing really well, are when the devil hits me the hardest and I’m not ready for it. So don’t get complacent. Secondly, I love that Paul encourages us by saying that we aren’t alone. We aren’t the only one facing this temptation or that temptation. “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.” This was really encouraging to me because most of the time, I feel like I’m the only one who struggles with certain temptations. But I was reminded and reassured that is not the case. As Christians, we do not have to go through pain and struggles and temptation alone. We are called to lift one another up in prayer to be there for one another, helping and strengthening our brothers and sisters. The beauty of being a part of the body of Christ is that we never have to go through life alone. Thirdly and quickly, I was reminded and encouraged that no matter what I’m up against, no matter how strong the temptation, with Christ, I can bear it. I can get through it. He will not give me more than I can handle. How great of a thought that all those times we face something that we think there is no way we can do it or get through it, God says we can. Now, this is when things got interesting for me as I read this passage. “But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” How many times have you heard someone share that God will give you a way out, an escape from your temptation? I know whenever I have heard someone telling me this or when I've told it to other people, we always stop there, “He will also provide a way out.” Period. We don’t finish the verse, “so that you can endure it” (emphasis added). I read this today and it stopped me in my tracks. Endure it? Wait a minute; I thought he gave us a way out? Doesn’t that mean we don’t have to deal with it? Can’t we just pass over it or skip through it? Why does it say endure it? Google (don’t you love Google) defines endure like this: “1. suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently. 2. remain in existence; last.” What are you saying, Wyatt? Good question. I think a lot of times we read this verse and when we are struggling or facing temptation, we or someone else might pray this verse over you or share it with you to encourage you that God will give you a way out. But that’s it, we don’t finish the verse. So we build up a false sense of what should happen or what God will do. We just assume that we will look up and see a red “Exit” sign and that’s it, an easy way out. We get upset with God if that’s not the case. “Where’s my help, God? Why did I fall into this temptation? Where was my way out?” Read the rest of the verse! “So that you can endure it.” His way out may not be completely avoiding the temptation. It may be a friend who enters into the situation with you to help you through it. It may be a book or a quote or a verse that speaks to you and encourages you through it. It may be a change of perspective about the situation. It could be any number of things, friends, but I’m convinced that it is not always going to be an easy-button exit. When are we ever told that the Christian life would be easy? So why should we expect an easy way out of our temptations? Now, I’m not denying God’s miracle working ability or doubting his providential ways. Maybe in your life, He has given you an easy way out, praise God for that, but let’s not think that that will always be the case. Let’s be encouraged and evaluate our struggles and circumstances and see if maybe God has given us a way out, “so that we can endure whatever temptations or struggles we are facing. 

Personal Notes.

9/1/2016

Reading: Acts 17 & 18

Acts 18: 9 & 10 – “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

Don’t be discouraged, don’t stay silent, God is always working and we are in HIS hands. To live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).

Do I really live my life this way? Do I really see dying as gain? Do I live my life as if it is Christ’s? Do I do all things to and for HIS glory? Do I openly share the Gospel? Is evangelism my top priority? Do I actively try to bring the Good News into every conversation and relationship? Do I devote myself to prayer? Do I spend time every day in the Word? Do I put my time with Jesus before everything else? Do I even make time for Him? What am I pursuing? How do my actions, my thoughts, my life reflect my relationship with Christ? What keeps me from following Him wholeheartedly? What am I scared of? Why do I sit silent? Why do I not share this life-changing and life-saving news? Am I afraid of failure? Is it failure if I they don’t accept it or reject it? Or is it failure if I don’t even share it? Am I afraid of what it may cost? Am I afraid what they may think of me? Am I afraid of what God may call me into? Am I afraid of what the Holy Spirit may convict me of? Am I too in love with my sins to give them up? Am I too in love with being comfortable and content with my life as it is, rather than letting it go to experience all that God has for me?

These are the questions that need answered. These are the questions that I really need to be honest with myself about. These are the questions, that no matter how much they cut to my core, no matter how uncomfortable they make me feel, no matter how much they convict me and challenge me to change, to give up my life for the sake of Christ, I need to answer.

Lord, Jesus, I need you now. I need your strength. I need your patience. I need your guidance. I need your boldness. I need your humility. I need your forgiveness. I need your conviction. I need your discipline. I need your persistence and perseverance. Lord, I need you now more than ever. Please come and help me be honest with myself. Help me to be real with myself. What is this life about? It’s not about me. It’s about you. It’s all about You. Come, Lord Jesus and wreck my life with the truth of Your Word and bring me out of this self-satisfying life, into a life that is dedicated and devoted to growing, learning, and sharing about You, the one and only thing that really matters.

Pure Joy.

7/1/2016

When you find yourself between a rock and a hard place, what is your initial response? When you’re face to face with struggle, trials and tribulations, pain, hurt, doubt, how do you respond?

What do you do? Do you say things like, “I wish I could just fast forward through this?” or “What did I do to deserve this?” Maybe you ask God why he is doing this or allowing this to happen.

All too often are initial responses to struggles and to testing trails is to question them, to get mad or frustrated with them. But why is it that it’s not until after we go through it, that we look back and say, “Oh, now I see, God. Now I get why I had to go through that.” Why can’t we respond that way during it? Did God tell us that we won’t face trials? Did He say it would be an easy life? I think there is a reason that we are told to “rejoice always” and “pray continually,” multiple times in the Bible. Life is hard. Life sucks sometimes. Life can knock you down, it can throw you a curveball when you’re thinking fastball, and it can throw you one up in, knocking you back off the plate. Just when you think you have it figured out, something goes wrong, something doesn’t go the way you thought it would. The question is, how do you respond?

I’m guilty of letting it get the best of me all too often. I get angry, I get frustrated, I get depressed. But now, I’m challenging myself, and you, to choose joy. James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Consider it what?! Pure joy? God you can’t be for real? There’s no way. That’s too hard. You don’t understand what happened.

Yes, consider it pure joy, child, because I am perfecting you. I am doing more inside of you than you could ever ask or imagine. I am refining you through the flame.

That’s my challenge to you and to me. Consider it pure joy.

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”

- II Corinthians 4:6-12

Found Guilty.

5/21/2016

 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.” - John 15:18-21

As I read these verses, a few things come to mind. First, the question formulates in my mind, “How does the world treat me? Does it love me or hate me?” Second, thinking of the body as a whole, “Why are we so surprised when the world does not agree with our viewpoints or our opinions? Why do we get so mad when they reject us, ridicule us and harass us for standing up for our faith?” Finally, the third question that comes to my mind is this, “Am I, personally, being persecuted, in any way, because of my faith? Am I living my life in a way that reflects Christ, if I am not being persecuted?” I think all three of these thoughts/questions can speak volumes to our walks as Christians. How does the world think about you? Do people hate the way you value your beliefs? How you live your life according to what you believe? Or does the world love you? Does it love the way you comprise your values just to fit in? Does it love the way you’re willing to put a shade over the light you’ve been given? When the world hates us or rejects us, we should not be discouraged, because we are doing something right in the eyes of the Lord. When it comes to hot topics in today’s society, we are often harassed, ridiculed, and joked at for what we stand for. Should this cause us to waiver in our stance? Not in the slightest. We shouldn’t be surprised at these responses; we have been called to a higher standard, one that the people of the world do not understand because they do not know the Father. We should not look upon them with contempt when they ridicule us, but love them anyway, pray for them daily, and treat them as a friend, because they will know we are Christians by our love (John 13:35). This persecution that we face for what we believe in should not come as a surprise. What should be a surprise to you, though, is if you are not being persecuted. If we are not of this world our lives should reflect that. Our choices should reflect that. Our values should reflect that. If we reflect what we believe in our everyday lives, we will face persecution. It may not be extreme, but we will face it. Period. We are not called to fit in, but to stand out, to be the salt and light of this dying and desperate world (Matthew 5:13-16). I will leave you with this one question, “If you are standing on trial for your faith in Christ, would the judge have enough evidence to convict you?”

“For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” –Philippians 3:18-21

Judge Not.

5/12/2016

In the book of John, in one of the last public messages that Jesus’ gives to the people, he says this, “‘If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.’” Now, let’s keep in mind that Jesus is fully God, but fully human as well, meaning that while on earth, he faced the temptations of the flesh as well, just like you and me, but  he did not sin, he did not judge these people. How easy is it for us, as Christians, to see the actions of someone and instinctively judge that person? We are so quick to judge others from what we hear, see or even just assume about someone. In today’s society, there are so many lifestyle choices that I do not agree with, nor support. But these words have really challenged me to examine myself and how I think about and treat those who live a lifestyle of sin. As Christians, we are to strive to be Christ-like; treating others as Christ would, walking in step with the Spirit. If we are truly trying to do this, it should change the way we look at other people. If Jesus, while here on earth and battling the flesh just as much as you and me, did not judge these people, then why do we? Why are we so quick to condemn them and judge them? I know that I am guilty of this as well, but if we really want to be like Christ and be a light to this dark world, then we should really take these words to heart, “…I do not judge that person.” Jesus did not judge people while here on earth. That was not his mission, and if it was not his mission, then it surely cannot be ours. We are to be children of the light, bringing truth, hope and love to the world, not judgmental attitudes. I know that we are all human, and because of that, we sin. But I want to challenge you, as reading these words of Jesus have challenged me, to not be so quick to judge others. Instead, let’s really try to follow Jesus’ example and treat those people with love and respect, revealing to them the truth of the gospel and the message of salvation by the way we speak to them, treat them, and love them. Our mission is not to judge the world, but to be children of the light, sharing the message of salvation that is for ALL people.

Be Glorified.

4/29/2016

As I was doing my devotions this morning, I was reading in John 9 and was super encouraged and thought I would share with you all…

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.’” – John 9:1-3

These verses really stuck out to me for a few reasons. In life, we often hear the words and question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” or the opposite, “Why do good things happen to bad people?” In my life, especially recently, these questions have been a constant theme throughout recent events. I tend to get frustrated and unfortunately, begin to question God about why he allows certain things to happen. Unfortunately, I allow myself to feel entitled to only good things happening to me because I am following God. I think that because I am doing my best to walk the path that God has for me, he should reward me for that. Honestly, I could not be more wrong in this thinking. God allows certain things to happen so that HE can be glorified. In the good, in the bad, in the uncertain, He can be glorified. Without struggles, hardships, pain, loss, tragedy, uncertainty, etc… why would we follow Jesus? We follow Jesus out of love and devotion, trust and hope. If we truly believe Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose,” then we should not question the struggles and difficult times. We should not question why bad things happen to good people and vice versa. We should not feel entitled to only the good outcomes, only the good circumstances, only the good things in life because we follow Christ. Sometimes, God allows certain things to happen so that He can be glorified. That’s it. Whatever we go through, good or bad, the only question we should have is, “How can I glorify God through this?” because, just like in these verses, the only reason the man was born blind was “so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

I pray that this is an encouragement to you as well. We serve a great God that is in complete control of every situation! Praise Him!