Why are you reading this blog? How often do you read this thing? Does it help you? Maybe you get wisdom or joy from it. I hope you do because a big reason why this blog exists is because there is a good amount of people who believe that it will make an impact in YOUR life.
To be up front and frank, I have no credentials to write on this Newsong blog. I didn’t even know this thing existed until recently and I’ve been going to this church for twenty-one years. To make matters worse, I didn’t pass most (if not all) of my English classes. I wrote “gonna” in one of my essays because I thought it was a word…in high school. Are you convinced I’m ill-equipped yet? I share this to remind you how the people that get put in charge of stuff, even something as small as this blog, are no different or better than you.
I don’t have much to share that I haven’t already shared a million times. Don’t get me wrong; I can (and do) share stories all day. Ask my sister who pretends to fall asleep “every time I start my ninth story in a row,” but I’d rather talk to you about something I think is more important. I believe I’m here to remind you that you have a story to share. Yes, YOU have a story to share. YOU have wisdom to give. YOU have a voice.
I’m a pastor’s daughter with a dad that is ridiculously awe-inspiring to many people, but he’ll be the first to say that my family and I have our fair share of personal problems. I’m not talking about how Christians say, “Hey, I’m broken just like you” kind of problems. More like, “I have a mental illness and take meds for it” kind of problems. Sometimes I don’t feel like I have the right to be in this family, but the reality is, my problems don’t take away the fact that God calls us to do things for Him. It’s strange, unusual, and doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. It doesn’t make sense that hundreds of people come to church on Sunday to listen to ONE man or woman who they don’t really know, yet here we are. It’s truly amazing that we can actually view pastors and public speakers as important and perfect yet think so little of ourselves.
A huge reason why God has chosen certain men and women as leaders is to remind us that we have something to give too. So if you haven’t been reminded of that lately, I just did it; now you have no excuse. YOU have something to give. What is it?
I pray that you know how significant you are. I pray that you rise to the occasion and take your rightful place as a person that God made for this moment. For some of you, that means: YOU write the blog next time!
“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” -Esther 4:14
Karis Gibbons is one of the pastors for Newsong Youth. You can follow her on Instagram @karisgibbons.
