Young and Reckless

There is something amazing that happens when you realize that God has your back…then life starts happening. School and work wear you down so thin that there is almost no time for God or to pray. Then you start giving in to your carnal desires, although you can still see God everywhere, you notice that you are just not worthy anymore and that realization can be the scariest thing of all. There is a fork in the road.
     

             1. Ignore the fact that you realize you are doing all these things that just don’t seem to please your spirit, let alone God. Continue on with your life—have fun you’re young. You can take God seriously later when you decide to have kids. 

            2.   Ask God to forgive you and then ask Him to help you forgive yourself. Pray and ask for strength and mercy. Seek Him out and follow.

Both of these choices are appealing, I’m not even gonna lie. But, you have to ask yourself, if you’re not willing to sacrifice now in your youth how much MORE are you going to sacrifice later on in life. Everyone wants to have fun in school and “live their life. ” Really you just want to be reckless. Feel that rush that we associate with fun and youth and that’s normal. But you can still have fun and be in a relationship with God. Being devoted to God at a young age is not a horrible thing—in fact it is one of the most beautiful things about God.

God has a connection with young people that is evident in the Bible—he calls out young women and men, youth that have grown up in church and out of church, he calls us all to follow him recklessly and realize that there is something special about the young people of God. There is something special about the struggle you feel. There is something special about the place you are in.

God Speaking to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5)

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you,

before you were born I set you apart;

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Many times I felt like I am constantly feeling a struggle between two different Sarahs but it is that brokenness, that dissonance that allows for God to work and bring everything together. This brokenness is not a new thing either. Jeremiah, one of the most flame prophets in the bible was called the weeping prophet his brokenness and struggle allowed the things that broke God’s heart to break his heart—that is called empathy. That is a gift. A hard gift. A hard anointing. What is hard to God though?

“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

God is willing to rescue from whatever mess you find yourself in. Whether circumstances put you there, or if you put yourself there God is able and willing to meet you in the valley to work with you on the way to the mountain top. Not to say that that will be easy but it is beauty most definitely. Serving God while young is one of the hardest things you can ever do, it is something that will show you who you are, it is something that will show you who your friends are but it is something well worth it.

2 Timothy 3:15-17 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

God’s will won’t take you where God’s grace can’t protect you. Keep praying for each other, keep being reckless, share, comment, subscribe lovelies. (email me @ sarahbrunotalks@gmail.com if you have any questions) I'm eclectic with the music. I already know. 

Reckless Generation

You know what’s scary? Scary is realizing that a little girl at church looks up to you, that there is a little hand out there reaching out to touch you and see what you’re doing. It’s even scarier when there are people your own age looking at you. It’s a blessing sure, but it kind of makes the pressure really real. After writing the blog (last summer mostly) I had a lot of trials, a lot of short comings, but even more blessings because that is the God I serve. I felt like I had this pressure of breaking, that everyone would be looking at me and I would royally fail; but God has not called us to fail. In Jeremiah 29:11 it says that he has a plan to prosper us and for a future. It gets hard to remember that when we are constantly falling short of the glory but it’s even more important to restore ourselves after such trembling of faith.  I wanted to write this blog on Christianity and Feminism but God calls away from our own plans to follow His.

Restoration. I was worshiping today and out of my mouth I kept saying “restore, restore, restore…” In my life there are a lot of things that can use restoration—relationships, focus, art, and this blog. Maybe it is time to restore ourselves, our families, our passions, and our ministries. What things are in need of restoration in your life? What is God calling you to do in the midst of the rumbling? What is drawing your attention away from the voice of God if you cannot hear Him? I urge you to physically write down these responses and write your prayers down. Remember this is not a journal but rather a prayer book.

 “ And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of saints.”(Rev. 5: 8) It is said in the bible that God keeps our prayers in bowls in the throne room as incense before him. He keeps every prayer we have ever thought, muttered, yelled, or scribbled thoughtlessly in our planners (maybe that’s just me though). I have been writing my prayers down for a while and though it sometimes might require a little more time, I have seen how God has answered even the smallest of prayers and has literally made a way out of no way. It will demonstrate how God is faithful even when we are not, those pieces of paper have held me accountable many of times.  I bring up a prayer journal because where does restoration start if not through prayer. If not through fasting. If not through asking God to restore.

Maybe you are brimming with positivity and you are full of zeal, but what about your family or friends? Are the people around you in the season of reaping? Are they sowing? Have they forgotten what their favorite scripture used to be? There comes a time when God calls us not only to restore ourselves but our families and friends as well. There comes a time when you must ask to bring forth restoration and stand in the gap for your loved ones. My prayer is that you take up this challenge to declare a restoration and follow God’s plans for you no matter how scary they might be this summer. I pray that you will praise him in advance for the blessings, big or small, that come will come your way.

Restoration is not a waterfall in paradise, it is rebuilding after a wrecking ball has decimated a building. It is rewiring. It is not easy but it is not scary. That is something I have to keep on reminding myself. Fear is not from God. It is not easy but neither is the life we are called to live. It gets hard to remember the voice of God in strobe lights and bass but God won’t relent. To achieve restoration you must be willing to be reckless for God. We are the reckless generation, haven’t you seen the media? It is so easy to be reckless, but are you willing to be a little more reckless? Are you willing to follow Him where ever he takes you? (Abraham & Ruth) Are you willing to praise Him in times of trouble? (Job) Are you willing to not do what your friends do? (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego)  Are you will to have unwavering faith? (Daniel) Being reckless isn’t anything new. How reckless will you be for restoration? There’s a fast I’m gonna do in a couple weeks. Join me if you’re ready to be reckless.

It is easy to feel defeated. It is easy to sit in the dust of failed attempts at reaching a dream or love. It is easy to settle for something. But God is stirring you to reach for excellence, to not walk out on the divine appointment he has set up for your life. He is a God that can bring you beauty from ashes.He is the God that can bring you the spirit wind to a valley of dry bones. He chose you.

 

 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” John 15:16

Please pray, comment, subscribe, share on facebook or twitter, and stay reckless lovelies.