Sustainable Faith

Conference is over, and everyone is riding on a high, much like that Youth Camp high we remember all too well. You’ve just spent several days surrounded by other believers, shoulder to shoulder, hands lifted in worship, and the presence of the Holy Spirit so tangible you feel like you could reach out and touch Him. You’ve fasted, prayed, fed on the Word of God, and now it’s done.

Like many youth campers, after taking that long bus ride home, you may be chasing the high, fearful you’ll wake up one morning only to find it is gone. You may be listening to worship music in the car, rising before your alarm goes off to dive in the Word, and surrounding yourself with those doing the same. If only you could keep the momentum going…

But that’s not always how real life works. We can’t live in a perpetual Conference bubble. It would be fantastic if we could, but then there wouldn’t be a need to have it again the very next year. Would there? No, it’s the Youth Camps and Conferences that revive the spirit within us. They aren’t meant to sustain us the whole year through. These events rekindle the flame, and we fan it by staying in the Word. They give us tools to navigate the bumpy roads, a map to point us in the right direction, and the fuel to get us to the next station.

That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [[a]with those of the elders at your ordination]. - 2 Timothy 1:6 AMPC

So in the words of Dr. Seuss, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” Take what you heard, felt, and learned, and carry it with you in your daily life. Share with others who couldn’t be there, and reflect with those who experienced it too. Put one foot in front of the other each and every day knowing that you don’t have to ride the high to have a relationship with Jesus. Just spend time with Him, like you would a friend.

JOURNAL: What is your biggest takeaway from Conference? What did God speak to you through the messages you heard?

PRAYER: God, thank You for providing opportunities for me to rekindle my relationship with You. It’s easy to grow distant with the busyness of life. Help me to glean what You would have me to take from this important time and implement those things into my life. I long to continue growing closer to You. Amen.

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