You are Seen, Known, and Loved: Preparing for the Influence Conference

Tomorrow, I’m leaving for The Influence Conference, a gathering of some of my favorite ladies all in one place. These are women whose hearts long for Jesus, whose minds are whip-smart, whose hands are creative, whose lives overflow with love. We’re all broken and wounded; we’re all walking our own roads with the Lord. But these women inspire me in their desire to make much of Jesus with whatever it is they’ve been given on this earth.

I’ve realized, though, with all of the buzz that starts humming before a conference, how easy it is to look to an event–a weekend, a conference, a worship service–to excite us or bring us hope. How easy it is to bind up our emotions in something–anything–that’s different from our normal, everyday lives.

This isn’t all bad; I think the Lord knows and understands the beauty of events like this, where we have the chance to connect with other believers who we don’t usually see, where we have the opportunity to be completely focused on him and others without the daily stressors of life. Events, especially spiritual events, are wonderful. But they’re not at the core of the Christian life. For many of our brothers and sisters around the world, they will never have the luxury of attending a conference or even a weekly worship service.

It’s humbling to think about.

And yet, it can also point me to the majesty and beauty of these everyday lives that we are living. Because what’s available to all of us, anywhere in the world, is the presence, salvation, and love of Christ.

Really, it doesn’t actually matter if we’re at an incredible conference or not. It doesn’t matter if you’re working all weekend or if you’re feeling lonely on the couch. It doesn’t matter if your life is thrilling or mundane. All that matters is that the Loving God of the universe sees you and knows you–and you have attention from the King of Kings. You’re not going to miss out on His absolute best for you if you’re walking in step with him, whether you’re worshiping at a conference, finishing the laundry, or completing an assignment. You’ve got the most famous person in the world with His eyes locked on you–and those eyes are full of love. 

Yes, Jesus loves you. It’s a children’s song and it’s also the deepest truth in the universe: you are loved by Him and he died to save your life from sin and rose again to secure your eternal life with him. That is holiness and majesty in the middle of our everyday lives. That is the best news in the world.

So if you’re feeling left out this week–from a conference, from an experience, from a relationship, from a job, remember that God is with you and for you, right where you are. Breathe that in, and then live it out. You are loved.