#1 - How to Nourish Your Soul & Be Happy in the Lord - by Sarah Rexford

Hello dear reader! Welcome to the first installment of this new summer series How to Nourish Your Soul & Be Happy in the Lord. If you missed the introduction explaining its inspiration, be sure to check out last week’s post HERE.

Today’s guest author is Sarah Rexford. Sarah and I met through the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild over a year ago. Sarah just graduated college, juggles a zillion plates, and is an amazing writer. Through emails and following Sarah’s blog, I’ve been blessed by her contagious enthusiasm, honesty, and insight. I’m excited to share her words with you today and pray you are blessed, also!

How to Pursue a Bestselling Author

Honesty moment.

I’m not a guru when it comes to pursuing Jesus.

He pursued me. That’s the only reason we’re in a relationship today. But the more I pursue him with intention, without reserve, and with expectation, the deeper our relationship gets.

[bctt tweet=”Honesty moment: I’m not a guru when it comes to pursuing Jesus. He pursued me. That’s the only reason we’re in a relationship today. ~Sarah J. Rexford” username=”PearlNAllard”]

A few years ago I sat down with a bestselling author whose book had been on the New York Times list for 13 weeks. I was a college student who’d never been published…so I trusted her writing judgement. I knew her to be the better author.

Jesus Christ is a far better author than anyone on the Times list. Ironically, my pursuit of him often shows my belief that I am the better author.

To change this, I’ve worked at pursuing God in specific ways.

With Intention

Recently I read a blog post an entrepreneur wrote on prioritizing time. He said if you don’t accomplish your number one priority first, it’s not really your number one priority.

I thought, why not try it? I say God is my first priority, what if I decided to pursue him first? Before work, social media, and answering texts?

This looked like scheduling him as the first meeting of the day. A literal meeting:

Get ready for the day
Sit down for coffee

Like any real meeting, my phone is face down and silent, my focus on the one I’m meeting with. I’m meeting with God, after all.

Whatever it looks like for you, pursue him with intention. After all, he is the better author and deserves our pursuit!

Without Reserve

Celebrities are shamelessly pursued as bystanders hope for a quick selfie or autograph. Dignity is thrown to the ground as desire trumps. This should be even more true with Jesus because…

He doesn’t want our dignity.

He wants our hearts.

We show our naivety when we pretend Jesus doesn’t know what’s up in our life unless we tell him. We say we’re unsure how to talk to him or “it’s just such a small thing” and he wouldn’t care.

In reality we just don’t want to be honest.

I am brutally honest with God. He is brutally honest right back. It’s not always easy, and it’s taken practice. Thankfully his honesty means I get a fuller understanding of my wretchedness and the royalty he’s covered me with in love.

Throw your dignity aside. He’ll meet you in love every single time.

With Expectation

It’s easy for me to know God can accomplish anything. But I need to expect him to so I’m prepared when he works in ways I never dreamed he would.

This means I dream bigger, try harder, and work longer than some people. Sound arrogant?

[bctt tweet=”It’s easy for me to know God can accomplish anything, but I need to expect him to so I’m prepared when he works in ways I never dreamed. This means I dream bigger, try harder, and work longer. ~Sarah J. Rexford” username=”PearlNAllard”]

It’s just acting on the trust he willingly gives us all! It’s not me, it’s him.

Nothing in me doubts God will and can place me wherever he wants to. He has all the connections. So I work at the talents he’s given me with this truth in mind. I’m NOT perfect at this. But trust me, it’s been crazy watching him work. (That’s for a different blog!)

[bctt tweet=”God can and will place me wherever he wants to. He has all the connections. So I work at the talents he’s given me with this truth in mind. ~Sarah J. Rexford” username=”PearlNAllard”]

The more I acknowledge he’s the better author, the more I understand my part in his story. Consequently, the more fulfilled I am.

Go Live It

So to end…

Trust he’s the bestselling author.

Then act on this trust by pursuing him –

with intention,

without reserve,

with expectation.

Just like I was, you will be surprised where he leads you!

Sarah Rexford is a college graduate (Yay! Congrats Sarah!) and Marketing Content Writer who promotes organizations from nonprofits to branding companies. Currently she trains under a best-selling author as she works toward the publication of three books. On the weekends you can find her worship leading at Harvest Bible Chapel Spring Lake. She is from Grand Rapids, Michigan.