“Into the light” -Using our knowledge-

Hey you all I just got back from 5 weeks straight at camp and figured I had enough time to sit down and write about something that has been on my mind since I got home. Hope you have all been having a good summer!

Skylar
 
-Putting it into action-

So being away from home and at camp for 5 weeks was amazing. I met so many new people and was involved in some cool things. During these couple weeks God used not only me, but other people with me to speak to kids and even adults through a drama group I started with some friends called “Mirror Image”. It was an amazing experience and we hope to continue to preform skits with a christian moral in them for a long time.
One of the many things I love about camp is that I’m surrounded by people I love and care about and vise versa. I feel very safe spiritually at camp because of all my fellow Christians around me and with them there I don’t feel as threatened by our everyday society crushing down on me and my friends. I always learn a lot during the different camp sessions that I attend and after I leave every year I am inspired, encouraged and challenged to change….however that inspiration, encouragement and desire to change usually doesn’t last long and after I get home I find myself back in the same old routine and being attacked by the world.
So this year I thought to myself I wonder how many people like me walk away from an inspiring moment in life wanting to change wanting to do something different from what they are doing right now, but then the next morning they wake up and the daily routine hits before they can think about the changes they want to make.
So this is an encouragement to you (Mostly to my fellow campers) to encourage you in a way to take all the knowledge from camp, church and youth group and put it to work.

“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”

-James 2:14-17
When I learn something I like to put what I have learned to use and not just let it sit in my head taking up space…At the beginning of this year I felt inspired by God (through a friend) to start writing this devotional every week. And so even though it has been hard at times I have stuck to it and it has not only encouraged others, but it has encouraged me as well. Taking that inspiration and that opportunity has lead me to have some good discussions and give other people incite or thoughts on certain subjects that they needed. It has given me the confidence in myself to lead devotionals in front of people and even have the privilege of doing the sermon on Sunday morning. I have felt myself grow through those different opportunities. It has been amazing to have the opportunity to write these and have this impact. By doing this it has given me an outlet that I can put all my biblical knowledge to work through and even strengthen and build on what I know.

I love using my knowledge and I love being apart of people lives and providing them something that they can grow from or take something from…..but to me this is all for vain if people read this and don’t do anything with it. Why do we go to church/youth group/camp if we walk away effected, but unwilling to make the changes we need to make. Do we go because it’s fun….sure, but is that all? We can be effected by something emotionally physically or spiritually, but what do we do with that? If we just experience it and never put our knowledge or our capabilities to use then we are just like the musician who has talent and capability and the instrument, but doesn’t play. Or the musician want to be who has the guitar, the book and is all ready to start, but never commits fully through the challenging part of learning and practice So all that being said I want to say this.

Going to church and youth group and camp all provided access to information about our savior and gives us the knowledge we need to develop a relationship with God or grow in the one we have. It not only offers us more, but nourishes what we have. We are given the chance to further our knowledge of God, but do we take it? Or do we listen nod our heads laugh at the jokes and go party on Friday nights…..What I’m trying to get at is you need to use what you are capable of doing and put it to work for God’s glory. We need to stop just listening and not applying the knowledge that is put out in front of us to our lives. This is a daily commitment that we have to make not only to ourselves/others, but to God.

Even as kids we are capable of really using the knowledge we are given and taught. We can do so much with our lives and through our lives we can effect others. Even adults can learn from us when they listen or observe enough.

We all have our different ideals and based on our ideals we have certain intentions or plans to accomplish them, but our actions are what really show what were doing. Intending to do something and doing it are two different things. We need to set an ideal, have good intentions and then fallow through with our intentions and turn them into our actions so we can reach the ideal that we striving for.

“The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal you enthrone in your heart – this you will build your life on, and this you will become “

- James Lane Allen

So my challenge to you is to get out there and run the race. Don’t get discouraged when things look hard or you don’t want to change. Sure it’s hard, sure we have to give up things we may enjoy (but aren’t good for us), but that’s what we are committing to when we accept Christ as our savior and live all out for Him right?

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
                      – Hebrews 12:1-3
- Sky

Any thoughts, additions, or comments…..please reply