Go

We should realize, and I know it is tough to realize, God has a mission and a call for you everyday. We need to learn to listen to his voice, but also let his light unto our feet lead us, his word. He has a specific call for us, yes, but he also has a general will for us as believers, and that is to “GO”. Go into the world and make disciples and to show people what God is all about, Loving God and Loving People. God wants you to get this in your head and heart, so you recognize this truth daily.

Life is not all about us and what God can do for us. We are to be agents of God’s grace and not just receivers of God’s grace anymore. We, believers, are the only hope of spreading the glory of God to the ends of the earth. You have it in you to change your city, to change the world. Believe, that if God put an inkling in your heart, that it isn’t to far fetched, that it isn’t to big of a dream. God put it there because, with his help, all things are possible. His ways are higher than your ways. I can guarantee that all of us, including me, have not even come close to what God is calling us to. Well, let me change that, I know a lot of Christians and Pastors and Missionaries, etc, are fulfilling their call in an excellent way, so props to them! But for the rest of us, we need to come to realize, that this is real, and the time is now. You may think you are not ready, you may be scared, but God is your strength, and God is with you!

Night Light

In life a lot of times it is hard to look ahead to see where we are going, and to see where God is calling us to be. I think a lot of times in this fast pace world, we are always in a hurry to get somewhere, to do something, to be someone. I know that this is the case for a lot of you, because it is the case with me too. We want our food fast, we want to get in and out of line fast at stores, when we are chasing a goal, we want to get there fast, and so on and so on. I think that that can be a problem sometimes. We need to learn to be patient and let God direct our steps and our lives on his time, not our own super fast pace timing that we think things should be.

Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path.”

God’s word is a lamp unto our feet. He guides us step by step of the way. He wants us to learn to trust in his timing and in his word. Although you may not be able to see way down the road, his word is a lamp unto our feet, he is guiding us with light as we follow him step by step. He is teaching us to take things one step at a time and not get a head of ourselves.

Psalms 37:23 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.”

2 Corinthians 5:7 “for we walk by faith, not by sight.”

We need to learn to let God’s word guide our steps and let his still small voice lead us. God may lead us in small steps, but that is the way he wants to. I’m not saying that He won’t take you somewhere at a fast pace ever, but in general we need to learn that not everything He is calling us to is going to happen instantly. It is a day by day process.

Matthew 6:34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Like I was saying take things step by step, day by day. If we are concerned about how is this going to happen, when is it going to happen, we will be overcome with worry and anxiety and feel like we are getting no where, but if we learn to trust his timing and that his word is a lamp to guide our path, then we will learn patience and how to “walk by faith” and take life one day at a time.

James 1:3 “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”

So in this fast pace world, where we are basically trained that we have to have things now, we need to relearn and retrain our minds and brains to think in line with God’s word and timing. Don’t conform to the world’s way of doing things, but be transformed by letting God renew your mind. This even can pertain to Credit Cards, we have to have something now, so we use money we don’t have. Instead we should save up so that we don’t owe anyone anything. But that is just one random example of how it can be practiced. I’m not saying don’t ever use them, but be smart and use wisdom 😉

So here is my challenge to you, learn to relearn that God’s timing for your plan isn’t always NOW. God has his own timing for his own reasons and purpose. The using of your faith helps build patience and character and trust and that could be why, you just don’t know, that is why it is called faith. I challenge you to start to walk by faith, use God’s word as a lamp and light for your path and journey, and don’t worry about how you are going to get where you are going, but do what you need to do today and daily. If God gave you a vision for tomorrow, take it step by step and day by day, Trust that he will get you there in his timing!

The Space Between

Today I want to look at each of our lives and I want us each to personally evaluate where we are on a spiritually maturity level. I want us to look at where we were, who we are, and where we think God wants us to be. I think that a lot of times we somehow always seem to forget that we are living for God, that we decided at one point to give our lives to God by accepting Jesus into our hearts. Most of us will remember to go to church every Sunday and we give God that day, but what about “the space between”. Have we really given our lives to God? A lot of times, we will trust God with eternity, but we will leave him out from now until then. We live life in this world for ourselves, kinda just doing our thing day by day, having good times, maybe not even doing anything wrong, but really not doing anything at all when it comes to living for God.

*Bible knowledge is not equivalent to spiritual maturity

There may be a lot of people who some may think are spiritually mature or spiritual giants, because we have seen them in church for years and maybe even decades, but this always isn’t the case. They may be, and they may know the Bible in and out, they may have the whole thing memorized, but bible knowledge does not equal spiritual maturity. Bible knowledge is definitely a great thing to have!! But God really calls us to give our lives to him completely, and that isn’t by knowing only, but buy being a doer. Obeying the word of God not because that is what saves you, because we are saved by grace through faith, but doing the word of God, because that is what his grace is all about. God doesn’t give us all these new rules like love your enemies, forgive those who persecute you, be humble just to have rules, but he is casting a vision for a life that is truly devoted to him. We should trust God not only with our eternity but with our lives and the space between(life here on earth). If you look in your heart of hearts, you know that God has a bigger plan for you! God has a life for you that he wants you to start living out, and his grace gives us the power to live a life stronger for him.

James 1:22 “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”

Basically, it’s not just about knowing what the bible says, it is about living a lifestyle of what God is calling us to.

Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”

Jesus is calling us out here. He is calling us to a closer walk with him and he is calling us to be doers of his word and true followers. I don’t think he had in mind for us when we gave our lives to him, that we would give our lives to him to trust him with eternity only, I think he was calling us to be true followers of his words, his example, and his call on our lives. He isn’t giving us all these “things” to just do and so we have rules, but he is giving them to us for vision and to learn and to grow spiritually. Someone can go to church their whole lives, but you never see them being a doer, that means the spiritual maturity level isn’t where it needs to be. But you can have someone who has gone to church their whole lives and you see them serve people where ever they can, they tell others about Jesus, they are living a lifestyle that coincides with God’s call to love people, they follow after God’s word with all their heart, and then we can see how they are a more balanced spiritually mature person.

This is my challenge to you today. Look and evaluate your life, where you came from, where you are and where you think God is calling you to be. Be totally honest with yourself in your heart. Maybe you have made great strides in what God is calling you to do, and maybe you have been stagnant for years and years. It is never to late to start following after God’s plan for your life. God is calling YOU, yes I am talking to YOU, to something great. He has a plan for your life and he wants to use you for his glory. Take this as a sign for you to get started. Ask God and yourself where God wants you to be and what steps you need to start getting there and to become more spiritually grown up and mature. It’s time to move past immaturity and being stagnant and to move into growing up spiritually by being a doer of his word, taking up your cross and following him. Giving up your life to truly serve him. Making Jesus not only your Savior, but your Lord! Maybe you need to start serving in your church or in your community as a first step. Maybe you need to start really seeking the life full of love that God talks about for your first step. Maybe you feel God is calling you on a mission trip, it will be different for every one of you, so ask God and let him speak to your heart on what steps to take to grow and to really give your life, not only in eternity, but here and now and the space in between.