Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop

If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God.

1 Peter 3: 13-18 (MSG)

As many of you know our annual youth camp, which was originally scheduled for Labor Day weekend, had to be rescheduled to November 8th-11th due to Hurricane Dorian. For some people, this may not be a big deal, but when you’ve poured your heart and soul into something, there’s nothing better than seeing it come to fruition on time. We went through a period of frustration and questioning why this happened but at the end of the day my prayer was “Lord, I believe but help my unbelief”. 

I know that this camp was born in God’s heart before we could even imagine it and that His timing and ways are ultimately better than anything we could ever imagine. So why was it so easy to crash when our human plans were changed? Probably because it was easier to focus on earthly things rather than heavenly ones. Because it’s easier to keep our eyes fixed on the present and not see the bigger picture. And because it is definitely easier to work by your own strength than rely on God’s. 

But guess what? The things that come the easiest are never the ones that are worth it. I love the way Peter encourages us to keep fighting the good fight in 1 Peter 3. He wants you to keep your eyes on God, your heart connected to the Spirit, and your soul in adoration before Christ. “If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped?”- His simple answer is “no”. When things around us seem to be crashing and become impossible, remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and we’re in this for the long run. Our prime example is Jesus; He was able to keep going despite every hater, obstacle, and challenge that came His way. Through it all, He was focused on the big picture and we should follow in His steps. 

Whatever situation you find yourself in today, keep going. With God by your side, you can’t be stopped! 

Ester Avero

M.A.D.E Co-Founder