Who am I?

What if I looked in the mirror and all I saw were my mistakes?
The gossip
My idolatry through choir
The way I tend to disrespect my family
My lack of a desire to serve people
My extensive lists of mistakes that just continues. On.And On.
Doesn't that suck?
But guess what? I am a new creation in Christ. By trusting and loving him, I can know and rest in the fact that, heck to the yes, I make mistakes, and I will never be perfect...But the point isn't..How many good works can I do to bring myself gratification. The idea is this.
Jesus went off and died for me, so that I could have a personal relationship with Him. But guess what? Every single good thing in my life, every single moment in which I draw near to his presence- that is NOT because of anything I have done. It's because of God's grace.
"It is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
Where does this leave me? I found myself coming home from camp asking myself that question...How am I supposed to please God, but at the same time remembering that it's not about what I do, it's about what he's done for me?
Tell people. Don't stop telling people what Christ has done in your life. Guys, if there's ONE THING I'm passionate about in my walk with Christ (besides the fact that he died for me), its this: Who in the world are we to keep this gift of salvation to ourself? God says that we are the light of the world, a city on a hill shall not be hidden.(matthew 5:14)  I means seriously. This gift God has given us- that allows us to have hope in the fact that we get to spend eternity with him- guys, it's called a gift for a reason. We did nothing to earn this salvation, and yet we keep it hidden as if it's a secret club! I'm guilty of this to the highest extent. I mean, look at the apostles. PETER was crucified upside-down, for Christ. Stephen was stoned for Christ. Almost all the other disciples died a martyrs death for Christ.  Christ calls us to live a life that is not of the world. There's no meeting in the middle! We were created in the image of God (UM HELLO? AWESOME!), and even though we are broken, sinful people we are called to be the aroma of Christ. Think about all the people that Jesus witnessed to in his short 33 years. Um..Wow. A LOT. This is gonna sound super bold...And I'm speaking for myself, also. But it's time for us to wake up, and to go out and live for the Lord. And guys, I'm not saying we all have to pack up and move to Africa. If anything, be bold thru your actions to start with. Don't drink at that party. Sit with that kid at the lunch table that doesn't seem to have any friends. Smile at someone in the hallway.I think the coolest thing in the world would be for someone who doesn't know the Lord  to look at a believer who truly lives out their faith through their actions and wonder..What do they have that I don't?   Maybe you feel like God has called you to be outwardly bold- to start a conversation with someone you've never met about the Lord-to walk up to that person in the hallway and ask if they need prayer. Both speak loudly in their own ways. But ask yourself- What will challenge my faith more?
I guess the last thing I know to say is this: Jesus Christ is chasing after every single one of you. He wants to know you, and he wants to be the only constant in your life. When you first get a taste of that love, of the joy that he offers in his presence...don't be afraid of telling other people about Him (I struggle with that daily). Instead find joy in the fact that there's someone out there that could find ultimate salvation through the way that Christ has chosen to use you. Will you let yourself be used?
Try reading Acts 4 if you wanna read more about being bold. It's great! Love you all!
Hannah B.