Episode 163

TODAY’S READING:

Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood.

Isaiah 54:4

 

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday! I went to sleep pretty late last night watching The Clone Wars series on Disney+ because, well, I am a horrible Star Wars fan.

 

Let me explain; I love love love Star Wars, my room decor is Star Wars – but classy because I am an adult. I love to go to Disney World and spend hours in the new Star Wars land they built. Needless to say, it was one of the first movies I saw and truly loved. I defend all of the trilogies, even the last ones that people love to rag on. But when I say I am a huge Star Wars fan, people always ask, have you seen the Clone Wars? The answer is always no.

 

It makes me feel as if I am a fraud, and I don’t truly know everything about the universe. It reminds me of people who love Jesus, and then others always have that follow-up question, have you read this story in the Bible? There should be no shame in your walk with Christ.

 

The same way you can be a fan of the Star Wars franchise without reading and watching every text created, you can have a personal relationship with Christ without having read the Bible in its entirety.

 

I personally haven’t read the full bible, cover to cover, and I told myself for many years that I would never be capable of something like this. I told myself that because I hadn’t read the Bible cover to cover, I wasn’t eligible to share my testimony or my prayers.

 

That ideology is crippling and shameful. Just like I am now beginning to watch the clone wars, I, too, am reading more of the Bible. Some things are starting to make more sense. As I continue watching the show, I can take note of the references I have seen in other movies or series. The same thing will happen as you read your Bible. A lot of the love and faith you’ve encountered in your walk with Christ will make a lot more sense as we start reading the full story.

 

Just like those that have only seen one movie and love the movies, you could be a person who’s read one verse, encountered Jesus one time, and still love Him. The beauty of our relationship with Jesus is that after we encounter Him, we begin a journey of a lifetime, learning more about Him. Reading more of the Bible, learning to surrender, learning to lean into our faith. Don’t diminish your love for Jesus because you’ve only recently started to get to know Him. Don’t diminish your love for Him even if you’ve known Him all of your life but never got around to reading the full Bible.

 

Our takeaway today is to remember to throw away the shame. Jesus died for that. Walk around and be bold in your faith. Share your testimony and your love, and remind yourself that you are also continuing to go deeper into a relationship with Christ. We’ve all been given the instructions to spread the light of the gospel to those around us. Mark 13:10 says For the Good News must first be preached to all nations.

 

I hope you feel encouraged to do so.

 

PRAYER

Jesus, thank you for the beautiful day ahead of us. Thank you for walking deeper into a relationship with us every single day. We are honored to do life with you. Give us the strength to rid of any shame we may carry. Give us the strength to share your love with others, no matter how long it’s been since we’ve encountered you. It is with everything in us that we love you. In your holy name, we pray, Amen!