"To Live a Life of Hallelujah"
- Dec 2, 2016
- 3 min read
\ˌha-lə-ˈlü-yə\
Praise ye the Lord; an utterance of the word as an expression of worship or rejoicing; a musical composition wholly or principally based upon the word
Hallelujah is possibly one of my favorite words in the English language. I don't know what it is, exactly. There's just something about the word, any time it is spoken, any time it is sung, that is overwhelmingly comforting to me. The definition literally means "praise God". That, to me, is a phrase I've been actively meditating on recently and a lifestyle I've been working on living out.
I'm not usually one to do this. I guess you could say I'm not known for my vulnerability, but I'm working on it. This past semester I've had some key people in my life who have been persistently encouraging and motivating me to be a better me. From all of this has come to a theme I shared with them (and now whoever's reading this) that I hold myself to.
I want to live a life of hallelujah-
a life in constant praise of The Lord regardless of situations or circumstances
a life that reflects an endless joy fueled fully to be enthralled by Jesus Christ
a life in pursuit of perpetual peace only attainable through the presence of God
Recently I've found myself syncing my mental, emotional, and physical peace with the rise and fall of my circumstance which has, without fail, lead to disappointment. I've had a couple "check yo self before you wreck yo self" moments, only to be reminded that peace is not this arranged set of perfectly placed situations, but it's a position of my heart. It's tempting to believe that peace lies just around the corner of success and simplicity-
"When this week is over..." "When I know they're okay..."
"When this friendship is stronger... "When this relationship works out..." ...that's when I'll find peace
False.
I learned the hard way that I will find peace when I put my hallelujah in my Heavenly Father rather than in people, positions, or possessions.
I'm at this point now in the semester where there is nothing I need more desperately than Jesus.
I've had some really, really wonderful times this semester and have been extremely blessed by my friends and professors. On the contrary, I've had some really, really difficult times where I've struggled with what the most mature and wise decision to make is which has left me exhausted. After a lot of prayer, I came to the conclusion that I can only control myself and my attitude. As much of a standard that I hold myself to, I will always fail myself, I will fail others... But the constant in my life will always be Christ.
I read this quote the other day that said, "Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything." I couldn't help but find it so true, given past and present circumstances. As much as I can get caught up in myself, I want to live with the constant reminder that through Jesus, I will offer a sacrifice of hallelujah (Hebrews 13:15), taking each day for what it is, more than just "stepping stones" but opportunities to live out the fruits of the spirit whatever that looks like-
To live a life of hallelujah...
My broken hallelujah My tired hallelujah My excited hallelujah My shaken hallelujah My stressed hallelujah My happy hallelujah My confused hallelujah My humbled hallelujah
Let every breath I breathe be hallelujah
This has been one of my favorite songs as of recently...
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