**This is a life movement that I hope you will join me and other young adult women in RISING UP! and making Jesus famous in our life — in 2012. Here is the string of posts on this topic.

 

I am the type of writer who loves a good !!! or :) :) or even !?! to end my sentences. Unfortunately this isn’t an accepted practice in writing a book so I had to limit myself to only a handful of exclamation points in my book, Stress Point. But this doesn’t mean that I can’t live my life with a ton of !!!.

The other night at our young adult group our leader Ryan started out our evening of prayer with a wild concept. He had us all drum up feelings of actual excitement and expectation of the presence of Jesus in the room. We all closed our eyes and imagined that our prayer and worship  would rip open an unseen element and that the actual kingdom of Heaven would come down on this room. As he described this reality that might catch many off guard, Ryan raised his voice in excitement, thus bringing up the energy level in the room. This static electricity, if you will, spread in each of our hearts and an eruption of clapping, yelling and praising literally raised the roof off the room and welcomed in the overwhelming presence and glory of the Lord.

Oh how I want to live an exclamation point faith every day. Oh how I want my heart to skip a beat every morning in expectation of how Jesus will move in my life that day. This is the essence of our life movement of RISING UP! and making Jesus famous in our life.

It is an attitude.

 

 

Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert. Whether or not you enjoy sharing your faith. Whether or not you worry about what people will think of you if you even whisper the name of Jesus.

 

RISING UP! starts with an exclamation point attitude. In fact, the Bible commands this kind of attitude:

 

One generation shall commend your works to another,

and shall declare your mighty acts.

On the glorious splendor of your majesty,

and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,

and I will declare your greatness.

They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness

and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. {Psalm 145:5-7}

 

This doesn’t mean we must go around every day clapping and yelling about the Lord. But what it does mean is that even in tough life situations, our faith in Him is front and center and we express how He is moving to those around us. By simply doing life with Christ front and center, we make Him famous to those around us at school, at work and in our families.

 

Get excited about your King, Jesus.

If you’ve searched your heart while reading this and come up dry –– no exclamation point to drum up, please hear me say: Ask for it. God is the author and perfecter of our emotions. All we have to do is come to Him with an honest heart open to Him giving us the excitement for His glory that we lack. Below is a four minute clip of a message I gave about filling up on God, He is more than enough. I think it applies to our quest to RISE UP! with excitement.

 

I’m not finish addressing what it means to make Jesus famous in our life when we RISE UP! but I wanted to get a conversation started about the exclamation point attitude. I would love for you to think about what is going on in your life right now. What is your attitude about it –– even if life is screwy and hard right now. How can you live out this season with an exclamation point attitude so that others see Jesus through the drama?

 

Leave a comment and let’s encourage each other…