A lasting high | Ethan Martinez

This is an old encouragement I wrote quite a few months ago to some friends… (some of whom are in this chat lol) but I believe the words and truths are applicable to us all :)

“I’ve spent alot of time this weekend praying about and considering how to share the words that have been on my heart. And while I’m almost certain that any words I conjure will fail me to some degree, I think a good start is to say how deeply and richly blessed my soul has been by spending even a few days worshiping our king alongside each of you. We’re all, each of us, broken, flawed people. But it is a true priveledge to be allowed to witness how Christ is moving in each of your lives in both the mighty and the small ways.

When I returned from my senior retreat, I wrote an article for the school paper called “descending the mountain” in which I challenged the student body to grasp firmly the ideals that we so loudly proclaimed a mere week before. Sadly, within a

month, life returned to normal. The pride, the gossip, the attitudes, the contentions- they slowly crept their way back into each of our lives. My classmates and I allowed them to creep back into our lives. And this, the sad reality of spiritual highs, is that they often fade away. But they don’t have to fade away. I’d like to share a few of the things that I wish I knew back then - encouragements that could have changed the trajectory of many lives of my classmates, and frankly, could have altered the course of my own life when I graduated high school had someone been real and raw and shared these with me.

Each one of you is a leader, in your own right. In your own spheres. Each of you has God given talents and gifts that run so deeply with potential, I don’t even think any of you even understand the impact they can have on the world around you. But they’re there. And the Holy Spirit is waiting each and every morning for you to present your lives as an offering to him so that he can use you for his glorious purposes on that campus, and in the lives of your families, and churches, and anything else you touch. Believe me, I know it’s not easy. I struggle every day to submit my desires and my will to that of King Jesus. But in the same way the Holy Spirit has challenged me to take the necesary steps towards obedience, I’d like to challenge you all in the same manner: Stop wasting time on the things that don’t matter. And I’m not just talking about sin. Time is a precious gift from our Father, and it’s something we take infinitely for granted. Every moment is an opportunity to grow closer to Jesus, and every interaction is an opportunity for us to show his love. Especially to those who we call Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

1 Peter 1:22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.“

Galatians 5:13: "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."

1 Thessalonians 5:11: "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."

Romans 12:10: "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."

And why is this so important?

Because in John 3:35, Jesus himself tells us that,“ This is how the world will know [we] are [His] disciples, by the way [we] love one another.”

Each of you, with your words, and your actions, can begin to create a culture where encouragement and service is the bar, not insults and passive consumption. And as an older brother in God’s family, I’m charging each of you with this. You are not too young to change a culture. And if 12 men could change the world by their obedience to Jesus, I have full confidence that 10 of you can radically impact the spaces God has placed you, together. But it requires sacrifice and bravery. It requires speaking out when something isn’t right, and even harder, it requires holding eachother accountable in love. Which leads me to my second point: Be real with eachother. You’d be surprised how powerful transparency is, especially with the people who actually walk life with you.

1 John 1:5-7 reminds us that,“ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.“ But this isn’t just for sin. Our christian walk isn’t designed to be defined by how much we do or don’t sin. Paul says that ”We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“ And he places other believes in our lives so that we can, as Hebrews 10:24 says,”[...] Consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.“ “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

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I’d like to close with one of my favorite passages in scripture:

Hebrews 12:1-3 ”Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.“

And that is my prayer for each and every one of you. That as you mature in your individual faiths, you’d learn to recognize the things that are holding you back from running fully, unrestrained, towards your King. I love each of you, not just as a fellow believer, but as individual friends. I want you to know that I’m rooting for you, and I am here to serve in any way I possibly can. May The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

In Christ Jesus.