Now, Bible-literate people will look at "Jer178" and think either Jeremiah 17:8 or Jeremiah 1:7-8 (that's the common question). Both are great verses, but if you chose the latter, you are....correct! It says:
But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD.
I used to be shy around people. It was a self-centered shy: I wanted to be friendly so people would like me; but I felt like I could never come up with the right things to say. Looking back, I see I obsessed so much about how they would view me and think of me, that I basically paralyzed myself! Eventually, there was a time where I just avoided people as much as possible, thinking "Well, someday I'll grow out of this." I did, but not in the way I was envisioning.
Christ had mercy on me. He showed me that because I am His Child and Servant, He wants to work through my life to bless others. Choosing to hold myself back was as much sin as if I had spoken unkind words.
And so, slowly, I began reaching outside myself, pushing myself with the knowledge this was obedience to Christ. Still, there were many times I just didn't know what to say; often I would be reduced to almost tears when I felt I was fumbling and lurching through conversations. Again and again it drove me to Him, begging and pleading with Him to show me what to say, what to do. And you know what? Yes, that's right! He did and still does. Now, I'm not perfect. And I've discovered that I can never "outgrow" needing His wisdom. Because of Christ's sacrifice for me on the cross, I have the opportunity and blessing to be constantly on my knees before Him, continually asking Him to give me words to say...and they are always better than what I would have come up with myself.
All that to tell you why Jer. 1:7-8 is so important to me! The title's other half, Rebelutionary, comes from the Latin root...no, wait! It comes from the word Rebelution. Now, don't puzzle your brains over this one; you won't find it in a dictionary. And no, it isn't a misspelling either. This word was made by Alex and Brett Harris when they merged the words "rebel" and "revolution" to come up with a single word for this idea they had: The Rebelution, teenage rebellion against low expectations (I'm won't go into detail, so definitely check out the links for more info). So, a Rebelutionary is someone who has chosen to step up and say "I won't be tied down by low expectations; I will live my life to the uttermost for Christ." And there's the rub! Lots of young people are doing things above and beyond what others think of them; they are making a difference. But for Christ? Is their goal to glorify Him and point others to His saving grace? God alone knows their hearts.
That's why I have these two together. It reminds me, "Hey! You have a job in life. You are Christ's ambassador (2 Cor. 5:20). But you can't do this on your own. Christ is what makes the difference. He's the life, the energy, the strength, He is the ALL you need (Phil. 4:19)."
And that's why my name is...Jer178Rebelutionary.
Next up: Oh. Deary me....there's a lot of things I want to share with you all. How about a Website Highlite on...something that was/is a Hard Thing? Coming up in a week (or perhaps two)!
Love to all,
Ericka
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