Defin thyself.

Hello.

I've never been a huge drinker. I'll admit I've tried it a few times in my life. I can honestly say those experiences never really came with positive outcomes and ah yeah, just hasn’t really been my thing. Well yesterday was my birthday and I turned 21 (rather than exciting, it was quite possibly more depressing to know that I had to take the time to renew my license.)

I'm going to be brutally honest with you - and let down some of my pride....I was in the shower this morning pondering my life. I started to think about the words I’ve said over and over again. The words of oh, I don’t' drink.

But now I'm 21, and it's legal to have a couple of drinks if I want. I started to realize that throughout the years, somehow the words oh, I don't drink had given me some sort of power. A very negatively notated power. I used these words as a way to set myself above others. And this morning for a brief moment I found myself very sad that I had lost this power; this idea that I’m better than you because I don’t... (I know, I know, bear with me; this is a huge pride barrier being let down here). Then it hit me...my whole life I have often defined my "Christian" self by what I do and what I don't do.

But being a Christian isn’t about what I do, or what I don’t do. My faith, my relationship with Christ, is about the way I live; how I serve, how I help, how I work, how I study, how I talk, how I listen, and so very much more.

What we do doesn’t define us. It is only by the grace of God that we are called His children. So often, I find myself like the Pharisees, saying, “I don't do this. I don't do that. I don't break this law or that law,” or even yet, “I do this. I do that. I volunteer here, and I give my money there.” And I fail to live in the grace of God and to live as He has called me to live - and that is to love Him and to love one another as He loves me.

It’s not about what I do or don’t do. It’s not about legalism. It’s about grace...And in turning 21, I’m going to live in that grace.

Cheering you on as you live a life free from legalism.

May you find yourself living in His grace every moment of every day.

Kaylee