$15,000 Bible
If you don't want to read the entire thing that's fine. In a nutshell: 31,000 people from all across America joined together to rewrite the entire bible verse by verse... by hand. The project took 9 months, 22,579 miles, and went through 90 cities. The finished book sold for $15,000 and the proceeds were donated to Biblica (A society that translates and distributes the bible)
Okay, no big deal right? A couple thousand people took maybe 2 minutes out of their days to pause and copy down a sentence or two from the bible. Maybe to a nonbeliever this act may seem mediocre. I mean, 31,000 people could very well join together and copy down the dictionary and sell it for $15,000 and have the hold the same significance right? wrong.
There is something much deeper and eternal when believers join in Christ. This is beautiful. The act of writing down a verse may seem so insignificant, but when they're all put together it made the Holiest of Holy books-- the bible. In this way, we must be unified to make the holiest of holy bonds and relationships with one another. Unless we understand the incomparable beauty of being unified in Christ, we will NEVER learn to love one another but we must also love in order to be unified.
But do we really understand what love is?
Is it the warm fuzzy feeling you get when you find out that someone likes you?
Is it the "laugh until you cry" moments with friends?
Is it the tears we shed when we lose someone that we "love"?
Is it the anger or jealousy we feel when we feel as though we are losing love?
Is it the strong emotions?
Is if the feeling of complacency and self-gratification when we feel loved?
I'm pretty sure a lot of us often forgets the meaning of love. When love is put into the context of our lives we often forget the real meaning... the Christlike love that God desires, demands, asks, and pleads for us to have for one another.
"1If I speak in the tonguesa]">[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,b]">[b] but have not love, I gain nothing."4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 1
And through this that love we gain unity with fellow believers to do the will of God... as a body of Christ. As one.
"11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
Ephesians 4:11
Bible Across America is only a small representation of the potential works that we as Christians are able to achieve through unity in Christ--through love. It represents the eternal relationships that we share as Christians. How awesome and wondrous that is! Christians are able to keep relationships with one another when it is Christ centered. We must remember that no matter how close your buddies are, how much fun you have, or how much "they have your back" through everything in the end it'll perish. It will disappear as if it never existed.
Unless we keep our relationships Christ centered, there is no faith, no hope, no love. Choose your friends wisely and if your friends do not know Christ.. pray for them! Be an encouragement and an example to them. Do not conform to their ways but set yourself apart. It is through Christ that we learn to love and we ought to constantly remind ourselves of His undying, unending, steady, and unconditional love. It is what gets me through my day and it is what brings me rest when I lay down to sleep. The assurance of His love for me. I sincerely hope that you are keeping yourself sensitive to that. Don't be hardened by this world. Sometimes, trying to be tough on your own is actually your greatest weakness. We are helpless without Him.
This is such a long entry but I felt like I needed to share that before I forgot. Life is hectic! College applications are slowly coming to an end but I know that school work never ends and I am such a multi tasker that I hate being idle. Even though I complain about my workload... I have this secret inner joy when I'm productive and busy. Sick, I know haha. But you know what? I do not do it for myself or my own glory... at the end of the day I just hope that all that I am doing will one day glorify God. Even when I'm laying face down on my desk at 2 AM breaking a cold sweat because I'm completely stressed out, I find myself in the arms of God. I know that being a student right now is His will for me so I'll do it in the very best way that I can. I'm not sure how quite yet... but I'm assured that God will show me a plan and I'll use my acquired talents and skills to further Him.
Let us always be reminded of His love and find unity with one another within the arms of God.
I encourage you to give up. Yes, give up. Give up and give it to God.
-Gina
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