What are you living for?

Who are you? What are you living for? What do you seek to put your identity in? Acceptance? Comfort? Money? Husband/Wife? Job? Church? Kids? Family? Friends? What defines you? The Cross?

I went to a conference a week ago, and these where the questions discussed for much of it. What defines you? Being in my 20's and a people pleaser it is so easy for me to seek comfort in what 'man' thinks about me and base decisions on that. Being from a family of go-getters and high achievers, I seek to put my identity in what I have done, where I am going and what I am doing. As a teacher it is so easy to put my identity in how my students perform and their behavior. As a friend I struggle with wanting to be accepted and included. I want comfort. But the truth is all of these things will fail me. My identity has to be in the one who died on the cross to cover the sins I have committed in the past, present, and future. This is a daily struggle for me.

One of the things that was said that keeps ringing in my ears was, "You are made in God's image. And before you where born you had purpose. You are broken and Christ bought you broken, before you where born." Christ paid the price a long time ago. Do I live for His kingdom or my own?

I am challenged in this daily as I am in the classroom. It is so easy to get frustrated with my students when they don't act the way I want them to. It's easy to yell when they don't listen to my requests. It's easy to take their words to heart and become hurt when they are angry or challenge my authority. It is so easy to take their disrespect and performance and find my identity in that. But you see children are sinners just like you and me. They are seeking their identity in their peers, their performance, my words as a teacher, and even their success at not being successful. It is my job, in love, to speak words to them that challenge them to become better and know they are loved. I cannot change hearts, but I can tell them they are loved. My principal tells us all the time we need to tell students they are loved. At first I was taken aback by this. Tell students they are loved? Did a teacher ever tell me I was loved by him/her? No. But they didn't have to because I knew it at home. I tell my students they are loved. I don't do this because I love them but because God does. The only way I can love them is because Christ does and he loves me too. My prayer is that my student's hearts be transformed not by the knowledge of academics but by the knowledge that they have a greater purpose and are loved by an almighty father.

I am going to France in less than a month and a half. I am blessed to have raised $480. I have $2020 left to raise and I have no doubt God will provide in one form or another. I am so thankful for those that are praying. I know that God is moving in mighty ways in my life and in those around me. If you want to be apart of my prayer or financial team please contact me through email at annab7304@gmail.com

Prayer Requests:

* For my students and their parents to grow in a relationship together in Christ.
* For the next week to go smoothly. End of school!
* For my triathlon next weekend. My goal is to finish!
* For my friend's heart, and her wedding next weekend.
* For my France team, the details to work out and our finances. We have a ways to go in one month!
* For the people of France and the United States that are seeking their identity in everything but the Glory of God.

Thank you for your prayers and support. Let me know how I can pray for you.