choosing what is better

I think it is hard to be a teenage girl in the world in this day and age. There is so much to worry about; boys, make up, hair, what to wear, friends... Some days I just wish that I could be a guy for a change. But I've realized that it's not only girls who struggle with conforming to the ways of the world, guys do it too. Last night at church the sermon was over wanting the glory of man over the glory of God. How messed up is that? We reject God's glory, so we can receive the glory of man? That just doesn't make sense. Yet, it is true. We sit here and make all of our choices off of what others will think of us, in fear that we will be rejected. Recently, I've realized that it shouldn't matter how many followers we have on twitter or how many instagram likes we get on a picture, because that is what man adores and loves. What does God love? In Luke chapter 10, verses 38-42 are the story of how Martha and Mary, two sisters, opened up their home to Jesus. " 'Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed- or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.' " Luke 10:41-42. I think that in this day and age it shouldn't matter if we have make up on or not. It shouldn't matter if we look cute everyday. It shouldn't matter what car we drive. Because all of that is materialistic, the nicer the items, the more glory we receive from man. But, when we put all of that aside, we receive the glory of God. We need to start waking up every morning ready to choose what is better. We need to go through everyday deciding whether or not we want glory from man or glory from God. I know that it may seem like glory from man is so much better than the glory of God, but at the end of the day, glory from man fades away and does not last. The glory of God? Now that's a whole different story. When I walk hand in hand with the Lord everyday, yes I mess up and I fail, and I am tempted and I want to make stupid choices, but does that mean I should? No. It means that I am human. But every time I turn down a temptation or every time I refrain from cussing or flipping someone off, God rewards me with something so much better. The small reward may not come now, but it will come later, in God's perfect timing.

I think for the longest time I had thought that I was taking the right path, that I was choosing God, and that I was actively pursuing a friendship with Him. Reality slapped me in the face the past couple of days and has shown me that I'm really not the person I would like others to see me. Yes, I made mistakes and I have messed up, but at the end of the day, at the end of my weekend, I had seen God completely change my heart. He had taken everything I thought I wanted and put Himself where all my want was. He had taken all my worries, doubts, and fears out of my life because He had seen that I had wanted to walk hand in hand with Him again. It turns out, that God did exactly that. I woke up this morning ready to face school with a joyful and sill attitude, all with God by my side. And I did it. Sure, I wasn't the best I could be, but God is showing me that He has forgiven me, now all I have to do is forgive myself. From this last weekend, I think I have realized that God did set my heart free. And in that God lifted the burden of my constant sadness and anger, and in turn for sadness and anger, God had replaced it with JOY and LAUGHTER and FORGIVENESS. This past Saturday night, God had really shown me the whole day that He brings joy in pain, laughter in tears, and forgiveness in anger. Saturday night was one of the best nights I've had in such a long time. The Lord is good my friends. He really is. The Lord has shown me what is better, and I have chosen it. And it won't be taken from me.