No Substitute

Focus Scriptures: John 14:6, Isaiah 43:10-11, Isaiah 40:28, 1 Samuel 2:2

A few days ago my daughter told my husband and I that she’s had a substitute in her math class this past week, and that this particular substitute isn’t actually teaching them anything. He’s giving them the work but not instructing on the how or the what, which is causing her to fall behind. From what it sounds like, he's there to simply be there but offer nothing of real value to the students. While a substitute is technically still a teacher, they’re not the real one. They’re going to give substitutional effort and care. Substitutional help and instruction. They’re not meant to last, they’re temporary. They’re never going to be the real Teacher.

I remember when I was in school and realizing that there are two types of students. One that loves when a substitute is there because you know nothing was going to get done in class that day. And one that hated it because they knew nothing would get done in class that day…I was the former lol I was one who was satisfied with having a “fake” teacher, no offense to substitute teachers at all btw. But that’s how I viewed it when I was younger. I was fine with the temporary one. I was fine with the one that would eventually leave after a certain amount of days.

I can honestly say this was me at a younger time in my walk with the Lord. I ran to all the substitutes and it didn’t matter if they didn’t truly satisfy me eternally. I just kept finding different ones. I ran from the real One until I grew tired of all the substitutes leaving me.

There’s a worship song that says, “Even the best of the best thing is counterfeit compared to you.” And the chorus says, “I’m returning to the place where my heart burns for You. And there’s no substitute, my heart burns, my heart burns for you.” I’m a worshiper so you’ll hear a lot of worship song references fyi But every other thing that we try to seek truth from, or help from, or direction from that isn’t Him is a substitute. He is the only one true living God. There’s a reason why Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” There isn’t in any other that you can find what He offers. He is the all in all. Don’t you want something that lasts? Don’t you want something that’s real?

He loves you so much and He is so kind to wait for you to stop being fine with substitutes. He’s waiting for you to finally desire the real thing. To trade in the substitutional for the eternal. 

As Always, 

Be pretty. Be you.

You are so eternally loved