I’m 99.9999% sure I wrote this same sentence last year, but my all time favorite weekend of the year (outside of Christmas and my birthday) is FCA’s annual Girls Weekend of Champions. Us ladies get to gather together to sweat, laugh, cry, and learn about Jesus with one another. This year we had 144 (!!!!!!!!) student-athletes from all across the Greater St. Louis area join together for camp. It was, in short, the KEWLEST!
As a staff member for FCA, one of my camp follow up duties is to go over the evaluations that campers fill out (campers: aren’t you glad you didn’t write that Kayla was a big weirdo?)
On overwhelming amount of girls wrote about the impact Christ has had on their lives through the camp. I LOVE, LOVE getting to read those comments. Those notes that say, “I gave my life to Jesus for the first time at this camp,” or, “I had no idea what it looked like to play my sport to the glory of God and now I do!”
They fill my heart.
But, ladies, there’s something we need to follow up on.
You need to know that you do not have to work harder for the sake of Jesus.
So many wrote, “I just need to do better.” or, “I’m going to try harder to be a better Christian.”
I get it. I really do. As an athlete, recovering perfectionist, people-pleaser, etc. I get it.
It doesn’t make sense that we have a God that just asks us to be. To be still and know that HE is GOD. He doesn’t ask us to work really hard so that we can be better. He asks us to know that Jesus paid the price for our sins so that we don’t have to work. If God’s pleasure in my perfection were left up to me…man…I’d be a hot mess!
If there’s one thing I push back against the most, it’s the desire to be better so that God will love me more, accept me more, pour out more blessings upon me.
Hebrews 7 says that Jesus is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him and that He has no need to offer sacrifices daily since He did this once for all when he offered up Himself.
It doesn’t say that God only saves us partially based on Christ’s sacrifice and then the rest is provided by our works.
He doesn’t say that there is a need for longer quiet times, more Bible study groups to be a part of, better coffee to drink during your journaling time (although I do think I’m closer to God depending on how good the bean in my cup is…another time, Kayla…another time…).
Scripture says that Christ saved us to the uttermost once and for all by His sacrifice on the cross.
So, ladies (and gentlemen I guess, if you’re a guy and reading this…), stop trying to work harder for God’s love. Just be with Him for the sake of being with Him.
Know that you are loved and valued beyond comprehension simply because God says so.
Rest in that tonight, this week, this year. And let’s chat about it at Girls Weekend 2016 🙂
*also, check out The Dancers here to prepare for more epic FCA dance parties
Kayla Smith 