Student Leaders

by Mia Carrasco

A few weeks ago, I heard a great sermon. The message was all about glorifying God and his Kingdom. I’ve heard at least 5 different sermons about the importance of glorifying God, so when the pastor started to talk, I was ready to zone out. But, one phrase caught my attention:

“I’m scared that there will be books that aren’t written, or songs that aren’t sung because we are too complacent to step out of our boundaries.”

I think that people often shy away from creating. I shy away from creating. Whether it’s songs, paintings, or writing blogs, we shy away because we fear failure. Or we fear that our thoughts and experiences will bring nothing and do nothing to enrich the world. I fear that if I create something and it is not an immediate success that I’ve somehow failed.

When I heard the pastor say this, I was shaken up. I was called out, not only by my pastor but also by the Holy Spirit. Am I not writing, creating, or sharing my experience because I am instead seeking comfort? I often find myself scared to step outside of my tiny box. The box that keeps me safe and comfortable. Isn’t it crazy though, that God has created a chance for us to live without boxes that trap us into believing that our art, our words, and our crafts aren’t good enough? We have the freedom to create. The freedom to succeed, the freedom to fail, and the freedom to try again.

This is made clear for us in the Bible, in John 8:36. It states, “So if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.” Isn’t that such an amazing promise? A promise of freedom. Freedom to learn, to experience, to share about God and who He has made us to be.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” - (1 Peter 4:10)

I think it’s important that as a servant of Christ and His Kingdom, I remind myself of my freedom in Christ. I believe that when I forget this, I fail to give my all to Christ. This is because my talents and my abilities are Christ-given gifts. These gifts were created by God and given to me by God to serve God. The fact that our gifts are from God is shared in 1 Peter 4:10, it reads “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” When I allow myself to fall into a slump, where I do not create art or write for the glory of God, I fail to give my all to him.

I would be lying if I said I give 100% to God 100% of the time. I don’t, I’m human. However, the phrase my pastor shared reminds me that I should not be acting out of fear of failure or out of complacency, but that I should instead be acting out of the freedom I have in Christ!