My Real Life

I haven't talked about my word of the year in a while.  BRAVE.  

I am still trying to walk out this word every day this year.  BRAVE.

From the physical to the spiritual to the emotional.  BRAVE.

How do I walk this path BRAVE and not lose who I am and what makes me, me?

I was reading in Colossians 3 this morning and boy was I encouraged.

1-2 So if you’re serious about living 

this new resurrection life with Christ, 

act like it. 

Pursue the things over which Christ presides. 

Don’t shuffle along, 

eyes to the ground, 

absorbed with the things right in front of you. 

Look up, 

and be alert to what is going on around Christ—

that’s where the action is. 

See things from his perspective.

3-4Your old life is dead. 

Your new life, 

which is your reallife—

even though invisible to spectators—

is with Christ in God. 

He is your life. 

When Christ (your real life, remember) 

shows up again on this earth, 

you’ll show up, too—

the real you, the glorious you. 

Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.-MSG

When I am walking, living this new life...the life BRAVE...I am living my REAL LIFE.

I am living the life that I was created to live.  My old, unnatural, dreamless life is dead.  I am a new creation, a new creature.  Looking up, walking with purposeful posture.  

Christian in black, I'm in the blue (red head)

I remember in high school a guy told me that when me and my older sister Christian walked in the school, we always looked like we were on a mission.  Backs straight, looking forward...like, "don't mess with me, cause I can take you."  This bothered me at first because it sounded like we were bullies or ready for a fight. The truth is, I was scared and very insecure.  But because we had the posture of purpose...(getting to class without being noticed), we were noticed.  He said that some were even afraid to approach us.

Now, that's the way I want the enemy to see me.  I don't want to be a passive, insecure Christian.  Living my life in fear and without purpose.  I have to bravely know who I am in Christ and who He is, period.  I want to be the REAL Me.  

It's much easier to walk this BRAVE path when I know who I am and whose on my side.  

Me and Henry

12-14So, chosen by God for this new life of love, 

dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: 

compassion, kindness, humility, 

quiet strength, discipline. 

Be even-tempered, 

content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. 

Forgive as quickly and completely 

as the Master forgave you. 

And regardless of what else you put on, 

wear love. 

It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. 

Never be without it.

15-17Let the peace of Christ 

keep you in tune with each other, 

in step with each other. 

None of this going off and doing your own thing. 

And cultivate thankfulness. 

Let the Word of Christ—

the Message—have the run of the house. 

Give it plenty of room in your lives. 

Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. 

And sing, sing your hearts out to God! 

Let every detail in your lives—

words, actions, whatever—

be done in the name of the 

Master, Jesus, 

thanking God the Father every step of the way.-MSG