A little reminder to persevere

Hey Quest!! It has been wayyy too long since my last post, but I have still been reading all of your posts and they are so encouraging!!

So the other night I was reading out of Hebrews, and I think Hebrews 10:32-36 has a really good message for all of us, especially after having such a wonderful experience at Quest this past summer, and now having our busy lives in full swing.

"Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."

I think these verses are so cool because they convict me of the times I care too much about what others think of me in regards to my faith and the times I fail to joyfully give up my worries and other things in my life. Sometimes it's difficult to stand firm in your faith when you are with friends or family members that don't have the same beliefs, or that think you're "too holy," but I know for me, it was a lot easier at camp and right after getting home from camp - in those "earlier days" after receiving the light. The same thing goes for giving things up with joy... I feel like it gets harder to serve joyfully and selflessly and to give things up to God joyfully and selflessly because it is so easy to get wrapped up in what the world is telling us. Also, these verses make me realize that the early believers had the same struggles we face. They too went through the "earlier days" after receiving the light - the days when they were totally on fire for Christ - and then as time passed, they too needed the encouragement to persevere and to stay confident in their beliefs. As humans, we are going to sin, we are going to fail, we are going to fall away from being 100% on fire for Christ sometimes, but the important thing is that we persevere through our struggles and be encouraged by one another so that we don't shrink away from our calling to draw near to God and to love each other.

Hope you are all doing great!! It's crazy to think that 2010 is already ending. Everyone have a wonderful New Year! Happy 2011!

- Emma