finding security in christ, not things

I rummaged through the box labeled "bathroom stuff" for the third time after our move, still unable to find what I was looking for. I was in a new house, in a new city (even though I wasn't very far from my hometown), and I was in desperate need of finding what I needed - my brush.

I sat down on my half-made bed in my half-decorated room staring out into the mess of overflowing and unopened boxes and piles of clothes against the backdrop of empty walls. Suddenly, the 'cool' that I had so tactfully maintained during this whole transitional move began to unravel like a spool of thread rolling down a staircase. I realized right then and there that my frustration wasn't about my silly brush (although I still hoped to find it). It was about learning to cope with the surge of emotions that accompany any major life change: unstable, uncertain, unsettled. You name it, I was feeling it.

As a twenty-something with many life changes, you can probably relate. These, we are told, are some of our best years and yet they are often accompanied by major transitions as we move forward in establishing our place in the world: graduations, new jobs, opportunities, relationships, new apartments or houses and for some, even new roles and responsibilities as wives and moms. Exciting?Absolutely. But it doesn't mean the winds of change don't bring challenges along the way as we take steps to grow into the women God has called us to be.

So what are we to do when we find ourselves overwhelmed with emotions or overtaken by fears — trying to find comfort and security in things like big round brushes? We can take a step back, take in a deep breath and remind ourselves that in Christ, we are secure. There is no other thing or person besides Jesus who can bring the security, safety and stability that our hearts truly long for in this often chaotic world in which we live.

Whatever your surroundings are looking like this moment, know this:in Christ, you are secure. Daily meditating on and memorizing these truths can be the best way to keep the knowledge of this, close:

• I am a child of God (1 John 3:1-3)
• I am a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20)
• I am complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10)
• I am assured that all things work together for good (Romans 8:28)
• I cannot be separated from the love of God (Romans 8:35-39)
• I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected (Philippians 1:6)
• I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)
• I have been chosen and appointed by God to bear fruit (John 15:16)
• I can find grace and mercy to help in my time of need (Hebrews 4:16)
• I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13)

Let the truth of who you are in Christ dwell in you richly until it renews your mind and penetrates every fiber of your being. You are secure in Christ!

From my heart to yours.

Meghan