born to try

ever failed at something you wanted to do well?
remember the time you just wanted to fall into some hole in the floor and die?
that moment when people you know watched you mess up?
when you laughed but all you wanted to do was cry?
well, this song is for you.


born to try, delta goodrem

when we feel like we should give up and close our eyes and sleep for a hundred and fifty three days.
when you wonder why Jesus didn't sweep in and make you look good.

"Um, God? What happened to glorifying Yourself through me?"
I realize. God glorifying Himself through me doesn't mean He's going to make me look good. That'd be more like God glorifying me.
As much as I wish in this world that it did mean that -- what people think means so much to me, to us, doesn't it?

I don't want it to.

I opened my Bible this morning, praying for a verse.

My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.


God hears me. God hears me. He answers me. And He's telling me to love. Read this verse again. Oh, it speaks to me. Are you hearing this? It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. Love. Real, God-love.


And friends, once that's taken care of and we're no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we're bold and free before God! 


We're able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we're doing what he said, doing what pleases him.


Again, this is God's command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us.

dear Jesus,
no matter how many times i mess up,
say the wrong thing,
go the wrong way.
You love me.
and You wrap Your arms around me and take me back to You.

Oh, and also... check out Nobody's Perfect by Hannah Montana.
I'm totally serious. Listen to the lyrics; we're not perfect. We all make mistakes. We can't give up, though. 
dear Jesus... 
we can do anything through You. and that means get back up again, and follow You right on through the crowd and on our way.


And hey, learn to laugh at ourselves. Next time you're on stage singing half asleep because it's ten at night and you forget the words and make up the wrong ones and stop singing and stop playing and wonder, oh am I seriously just sitting here in front of all these people? It's all good. They don't really care.

I'm following Jesus. And life with Jesus, well, that's the greatest adventure.