Hakuna Matata...

...it means no worries for the rest of your days.

Have you ever had one of those moments where you just KNOW God is speaking to you? It's almost as if your heart sprouts little ears...or something. Because when God speaks to you, it doesn't come to your ears (not mine, anwyay...). It comes to your heart. And ohhh it just sounds like the most beautiful song. One that warms you and sends tingles all throughout your body. One that brings a huge, ridiculous smile to your face. Anyway, I had one of those moments tonight. Actually, I had several of those moments tonight. God just spoke right to my heart and swept me off my feet.

I went to "College Group" at my friend Hannah's church tonight, and the talk was just wonderful. The Lord knew just what to say to bring joy and peace to my heart. Brian, the speaker, talked about trusting in the Lord and not worrying. That is, we are to trust Him completely and never worry about anything. At all. Ever. Yeah...easier said than done I think. But hear me out. What Brian said tonight was just so beautiful and it really touched my heart. He referenced Matthew 6:25-34, which (among other great things) says this: "'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. [...] All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.'" So to summarize that: Don't worry. Seek His kingdom. He will give us everything we need.

Another thing Brian said that I loved was this: "Worrying is as bad as swearing." When he first said that, I thought, "Well...I don't swear, so what relevance does that have to my life?" Brian clarified what he meant by adding, "Swearing is taking God's name in vain. Worrying is taking God's promises in vain." Hmmm...something to think about. As far as His name goes...any time I misuse God's name (not in the context of prayer or worship), I am taking it in vain. I am stomping on a name that is above every name. And for his promises...any time I tell God that I have my life under control, I am taking His promise in vain. Any time I worry about school, relationships, work, or any other aspect of my life, I am taking His promise in vain. God says, "For I know well the plans I have in mind for you [...] plans to give you a future full of hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). By worrying about these plans (having anxiety or trying to figure them out without prayer), I am pretty much slapping God in the face. He made a promise to me...I need to have peace with that and accept it!

One last thing: the fruits of the Spirit. Every time I read this passage in Galatians, I picture each word on a different piece of fruit. In my head I see an apple, orange, banana, pear, grape(s), peach, watermelon, pineapple, and a strawberry. On each piece of fruit there is one word written. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). Can you picture each of those fruits? I love reading this. I love picturing myself as someone who has all of those characteristics. I also love knowing that with God's help, I can be that person I imagine. It will be difficult, yes, and I know I will struggle with some fruits more than others. But God calls us to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. I had a sense from the Lord tonight that He wanted me to try living out one fruit at a time. I don't know how long I would need to practice each fruit, but I like the concept of trying one at a time, rather than all of them. Maybe I could do one fruit each week (that would be a total of 9 weeks)? Please let me know if you have any suggestions, and please pray that this little mission goes well.


Lord, thank You so much for speaking to my heart tonight. You always know just what to say. You make my heart smile. You make my spirit dance. You make my soul hungry for more of your grace. I want to be like You, God. Change my heart and my mind. Be the focus of every day, every hour, every minute, and every second of my life. Amen.