Walk With Me

Have you ever seen someone from afar and watched how they interact with people and think, “I want to know that person.” I have. And it’s typically at church that I find those people. What draws me to them? You can see their heart through their body language.

I have been thinking a lot lately about how to do one simple thing more often and that is smile. I am guilty of not smiling enough, and one thing that shows joy is smiling. Where does joy come from? The Lord. So what does this say about my heart? Well, I’m not going to sit here and say I’m not a joyous person because I try to be. But I will say I do not wake up every day with the mindset of, “this is a day the Lord has made.” That verse comes to mind when thinking about being joyful but also Mark 12:30-31, “And you shall love the Lord God with all your heart and of all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” I touched on “loving God with all your mind” yesterday but I want to discuss “loving your God with all your heart” today.

Joy comes from the Lord, we know that. But how do we remain joyful in our everyday lives when things keep happening. How do you keep that smile on your face? I think the biggest part of what keeps us smiling is our love. Love your God and love your neighbor. These are the commandments Jesus gives us above the others. These are the most important because through these, the rest follows. If we are so occupied with loving God, we have our eyes fixated on His glory, joy will come naturally. And what comes from joy? SMILING. Be that light that others will see and be drawn to. Imagine what would happen if you remained that joyous person you are at church in your workplace? How many people would be drawn to gravitate toward you like a plant gravitating to the sun for life?

There are so many people in this world looking for sunlight to live. All they see around them is darkness. If you watched Erika Kirk’s message 2 days after her husband was shot and killed, you could see the joy she had, despite her immense grief, because of her love for God. I think many of us looked at her that night and thought, “How do I have strength and love like that?” I want to encourage you all, as I’m encouraging myself, to intentionally smile more this week. I want to know what happens when I show my pearly whites more to my neighbors. Love your God with all your heart by loving your neighbors. Have joy in the Lord. Have contagious faith. Be a person a stranger would want to come up to and talk. Lead with your heart.

With love,

Courtney McKean

Hello friends and family,

I hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday and getting some rest before the next week starts. As I think many of us have, I have had a lot on my heart this week. God is really stirring things up in me, and I want to share it. In light of what has happened with Charlie Kirk, my heart’s desire right now is to encourage all of us to come together and support each other through prayer and devotion. I am starting this blog to share with my friends and family in hopes of being part of a change in our community and culture. I want to thank everyone in advance for taking time to read this, and please feel free to share it with your friends if you feel led.

As some of you know, I have recently enrolled in Luther Rice College and Seminary to pursue a career in missions. This blog is also to help prepare me to share my faith full time by writing about it regularly to more eyes than just my personal journal. As I learn and discover more about the Lord through books I read, I’m excited to share with you so we can continue on this journey of “loving God with our minds” together.

That is actually where I want to start this blog. Currently I am reading a book for my Philosophy class called “Love Your God with All Your Mind” by JP Moreland. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in growing in their faith by growing in knowledge. One quote that I have hung onto in the book is, “According to the Bible, developing a Christian mind is part of the very essence of discipleship unto the Lord Jesus.” I have been convicted of not using the greatest source God gave me when He perfectly connected my brain to my body to be filled with knowledge of my Father. There are a couple of ways we can look at this but the biggest questions I’ve been asking myself are, “What am I filling my mind with?” and “How am I using my mind?”

In the book, Moreland mentions a bible study. After reading a passage of scripture, the question was asked, “what does this passage mean to me?” While there doesn’t sound to be anything wrong with that question, Moreland points out the question that should be asked prior and that is, “what does the passage say and why do I think my interpretation is correct?” This causes us to get away with believing our first impressions and not getting into the nitty gritty of the text. That is why Bible studies and Sunday school classes are so important. Those times allow us to come together as groups and discuss a passage to challenge our minds to see and understand the scripture from different perspectives.

I want to end with this: are you intentionally growing your Christian mind and, in turn, increasing your faith? Are you able to back up your beliefs, opinions, and morals with scripture? When I think about Charlie Kirk and the legacy he left, I think about how all he wanted to do was inform young people (and old) about the issues of the world and how to improve them by aligning them with the Word of God. He had filled his mind with so much knowledge of scripture which, in turn, increased his faith, which then gave him the confidence and courage to stand up in front of non-believers and tell them what was biblical and what was not. I can’t imagine continuing to live my life the same way after his assassination. I have a new light burning inside me now and I pray you do to. If someone asks you about Charlie Kirk this week, use his name as a chance to tell someone about Jesus. I pray you feel something shifting in the air and are prepared to put on the armor of God and fight.

I will be praying for you all as we go into this week. I am here for you as a sister in Christ, and I am praying that this is a time where Christians can come together, strengthen our backs, and “flex” to “make Heaven crowded.”

Thank you!

Courtney McKean