Have you ever noticed how God always works "themes" into our lives? What a cool way to speak and dialog with God! He is doing it right now with me. I have asked God 2 questions lately.
1. Question of Anticipation: "What's Next?"
2. Question of Internalization: "What work do you want to do within me in order to do a work around me so that you can work through me so that I can live for you?"
The "themes" God has been showing me through these questions are "Risk-Taking" and "Quit Hiding." Kind of cool how both of these go hand in hand; If you take risks then you can't hide!
So once again, Prayers are intense and books keep popping up, blogs keep getting posted and guess what?... they are all about risking and getting out of your comfort zone. So I must respond to Christians latest 2 blog entries, Where are you? Where are you? Part II, which hit this "theme" in my life on the bullseye!!! Believe me, you want to read them so that you will Grab the Fruit from the trees God is giving you instead of hiding behind those trees!
CLOSE TO COMFORT, FAR FROM GOD?
Do you feel like God is far from you? Do you feel that maybe it is God who is the one hiding and not you? Let me offer you a suggestion...Take A Risk!
From my own life, whenever I have been living in the comfort zone, hiding away in my nice and cozy little niche, I have noticed that I have been far from God. Temptations are overpowering, disobedience and lack of discipline become the norm, and the excitement of life is no more than living the status quo. It may feel as though God is far from me, but the truth is, I am far from God because I am too close to comfort...
So how can you feel so close to God that your life goes from living at a snails pace to sprinting like a rabbit? The answer is simple yet challenging, easy yet dangerous, scary yet exciting...You need to take a risk or set some goals that are so freakin' BIG that there is no way they will be accomplished unless God intervenes!!!
I promise you this, if you will leave comfort behind and do something that is BIGGER than you, you will draw so close to God, He will draw so close to you, that the "light bulb" will come on and you will wonder what took you so long. Like Christian says, God is waiting for you to "EAT UP" all of life that He has in store for you, so quit hiding behind the trees and start stepping out on a limb, that is where all the fruit is!
NOTHING TO LOSE, EVERYTHING TO GAIN
To stay brief, let me just say this: Jesus has already won the victory for us, we have nothing to lose and yet everything to gain! We have to recondition our minds away from fear and towards faith...away from self-limitation and towards Christ-like imitation. We must go from a life of comfort to one of reckless abandon...
*We need to meditate & Focus on Blessings instead of zoning in on doubt and worry
*We need to quit listening to culture and their limits they impose on others
*We need to start listening to God and seeking Him through Prayer and Scripture Study.
NO SUBSTITUTES
Here is the thing...God wants you...He does not want a substitute. When David went to fight Goliath, Saul gave David his armor to wear...it did not fit!!! So David threw it aside, telling himself that it is God who has called me to take down this giant for my people, I will fight my way...the rest is history, David went out, gathered his stones, put them in his sling, slung it, down goes Goliath. Jesus did the same thing with our sin and evil. He answered God's call....no substitutes!!!
HIDE AND GO SEEK
You remember the famous game, "Hide and Go Seek." Listen, I am a seeker...I don't want to be the one hiding...
David did not hide. Jesus was exposed on the cross. Noah built in Ark when it was not raining. Peter got out of the boat with all the other disciples watching. Benaiah took down a lion in a pit on a snowy day while every one else was sipping hot chocolate in their safe little cozy rooms...Saul stayed under the tree while Jonathan got up and took action...
What about you? Will you come out from behind your tree? If you want to draw close to God and experience His power in your life then stop hiding and start risking. It's time time to be fruitful.
TIME TO INVEST
I want to talk some more about Nothing To Lose, Everything To Gain and how God will Bless us with much if He can trust us with a little....so sync in to the next post and get ready to "Invest" your life in Risk-Taking ways! Harooh!
