The power of overcoming our own inertia to move in the direction that we need to go can be overwhelming at times. I really believe that self-determination and will power can only take us so far. Sometimes we just get stuck period. The losses keep piling up and we don’t feel like we can break through our own reluctance. People talk about finding your “why” and I get it because at the end of the day, there has to be more of a purpose to keep us going forward.
I
can simply find it challenging to write something inspirational once a month
let alone those who are writing weekly or even daily! We sometimes think, well, my life is just not
that interesting and certainly not worth emulating. I think that is a real lie that we must
overcome and it goes beyond self-talk.
We need to hear from the Spirit of God and that takes time and it can’t
be rushed.
We all have many dreams and
aspirations when we are young, but sooner or later we realize we have no power
to accomplish them. We cannot do the
things we long to do, so our tendency is to think of our dreams and aspirations
as dead. But God comes to us and says to
us, “Arise from the dead…” When God sends His inspiration, it comes to us with
such miraculous power that we are able to “arise from the dead” and do the
impossible. Oswald Chambers
It
was so nice to go out for coffee with Joe this week and listen to him share his
story with me. We are all longing for
human interaction that isn’t just over zoom.
In complete honesty, he just shared how for so long he was just trying
to figure it out for himself and it has just got him completely nowhere. He said in essence, I give up and I don’t
want to go it alone. He spoke of the
heaviness of his heart and knew He needed supernatural help. He had a French Catholic background and
unfortunately a very bad experience in that environment that had caused him to
walk away. He was living at the Manor
and had often come to our services there.
He heard about Jesus, but never really acted on it. Well, on this day, everything changed. He affirmed His need for a relationship with
the Lord, he was done with religion. He
also has made it clear he wants to be baptized so that day is being
planned.
The
whole conversation reignited me as well because in my fumbling around, I had
forgotten what is and what has always been so close to my heart… leading people
one step closer to Jesus. It started
simply by just taking the initiative to go out for a coffee. Well, for Joe, that’s an iced capp, he’s
never like hot drinks…go figure!
God
gives us life, purpose and meaning as we move through the process of
overcoming. As we reach out in faith,
the Holy Spirit honors that desire and enables us with supernatural faith to
overcome the greatest of obstacles
We
were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as
Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk
in newness of life.
The
question for us as followers of Jesus is this.
Have
you gone through your own white funeral??
Have
I really come to the end of myself, my own will power and determination. As so many including Joe reflected, “Have I
reached rock bottom?” Do I realize just
how empty my own ability to figure it out has taken me? Am I ready to throw in the white towel? Have I slapped the mat and say, “I give up?”
is a lot easier to say than actually do.
Here’s
a prayer to help you go there.
Father,
give me the grace, perseverance, strength, humility to walk through my own
death to self and stay in the process of continual change. (The Bible calls
this sanctification) Teach me to learn
death to:
·
wanting approval
·
wanting to be liked by everyone
·
choosing resentment when things don’t go my way
·
wallowing in self pity
Father,
it’s my desire to live a new life, not a routine, not just stuck in the rut of
existing, fully living the life You desire for me! It is a life that I know is fresh, exciting
and filled with adventure. Thank you
Jesus for dying and living through me and Holy Spirit for leading and guiding
me every step of the way.
As
I prayed this prayer and reflected and journaled what I sensed in my spirit
that the Spirit of God was saying to me.
My response to hearing His still small voice…
God
, I don’t want status-quo. I do long for
adventure, new chapters with You.
I
know you do too so join me in praying through your own white funeral and
discovering supernatural life and initiative!
