What does it mean to love God?
It’s more than just obedience. When we truly love God, we are changed by His love. Why? Because we really encounter our own brokenness and realize-He loves us anyway. We can’t help but love Him and want to obey Him and let Him change us from the inside out.
Love Riot: A New Book About Loving God
Today on The Wilting Rose Project, we’re reviewing a brand new book for young people from Sara Barrat, young author and editor of TheRebelution.com. It’s called Love Riot, and it’s a call for teenagers to live with reckless abandon for Christ.
We love the chapter on our relationship with God, “Seeking Hard … Or Hardly Seeking?”
Listen to this quote: “When I take the time to quiet my spinning mind and focus on Jesus, I find a friendship unlike any other. And I know every second with Him is time well spent. I want to know Jesus, and the only way I’ll get to know Him is by spending time with Him. All my excuses vanish when I take time to seek hard after God.”
Do you feel listless when you hear the Word of God? Do you squirm in your seat when you’re convicted by a sermon? Do you want to use the time God has given you well, but don’t quite know where to start? Do you wish you could be like Elisabeth Elliot or Hudson Taylor?
If you said yes to any of these, there’s something more you need.
Do you long for a deeper relationship with God?
Satan disguises our longing for Jesus as many other distractions. He wants us to care more about music and pop culture than our Bibles. Or our friends. Or even good things, like hobbies or even pursuing our education can become an excuse. These prevent us from finally committing to the life Jesus calls us to live. We need to set any distractions aside and focus on our relationship with God.
This time is a strange place in our world. As Gabriella said last week, there are so many good opportunities available now, and it’s easy to be overwhelmed. It’s okay to rest and instead of signing up for everything, commit to pursuing Jesus.
If you hear the Father’s gentle whisper, telling you of His love and begging you to leave behind the siren song of lesser loves, dear Rose, heed Him!
Are you ready to commit? Are you ready to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?
Love Riot
We liked Love Riot and give it a solid five Roses! It’s a very practical book, filled with advice for strengthening your relationship with Christ. Sara says there are two things that help us grow in the Lord: passion and commitment. This is so true!
Sara shares convicting truth with gentleness and love for each young reader. We have no doubt she wishes she could sit beside each young person struggling to know how to follow God, and wrote this book so she could be a voice that inspires us to follow the Lord with all that is in us.
If you’d like to purchase it, you can do so here! This isn’t sponsored or an affiliate link. We just want Love Riot to bless you.
“I have one desire now–to live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all my energy and strength into it.” ~Elisabeth Elliot
Bethany’s name means “bright city on a hill.” This is her mission in life, to illuminate the beautiful things and shine God’s light where there was darkness. Bethany leads The Wilting Rose Project, a ministry of encouragement for young women who feel their struggles make them worthless. She writes tales inspired by her love of the forest, where she spends many of her mornings, soaking in the uniquely Minnesotan beauty. Her blog includes more personal documentation of her journey the last few years with Lyme disease and Toxic Mold illness and the journey of healing she is now on.
