"I can't do this. I'm just going to stay here until the end."
My response, "No pain, no gain my friend."
Yesterday as I watched my friend go through therapy I prayed and prayed for her to have strength. As I reflected back on this time, I thought about how we, as believers, stop when we begin to feel uncomfortable with what God puts before us. We sometimes feel inadequate so we stop. Or sometimes He asks us to do something we would never imagine doing on our own so we refuse to follow His will. I know I have missed many opportunities over the years that He put before me. I strive hard to not do that anymore. I want to bless Him as He blesses me through others. The only way to do that is to be prayed up so I can not only hear His Voice but follow it. I wish more believers would get to the point in life where they give up self and take on being Christ-like. As I said a couple weeks ago in my sermon, if this were the case we would see love instead of hate; people giving freely instead of living selfishly; people praying for people right when an opportunity arises instead of saying 'I'll pray for you' and walking away. Families would live in harmony and married couples would be reconciled. It would not be a perfect world because that will only be when we go 'home' with Jesus. But it would be a different world. This morning God has the song "Different" going through my head again. I do want to be "Different" because I know that is what I am called to be. If I live as everyone else in this world, I am not living as Jesus intended. If I didn't think of others before myself, I wouldn't be who He has called me to be. My brain is struggling right now with everything going on but I am staying in my Father's arms because I know He has everything under control. He knows the outcome of every situation in my little world. Woo hoo! That is such a relief to this once list-maker, worrier! I am so blessed by where He has brought me from in my spiritual life. Death to life. Darkness to light. All along the way He has been with me, encouraging me, loving on me, and giving me direction. There is just no better place to be living than in His will.
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the smile that beamed on my friend's face yesterday when I walked in. Thank You for the ways You worked in and through me yesterday with her, the therapist, the nurses, the children/teens last night...oh my am I blessed. Father, cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. I pray all of my actions, words, and my attitude will be filled with You today. Make me "Different" so people will see You through me. Lord, I prayed throughout the night for so many different people with physical needs. May their physical needs take their spiritual lives deeper. I also am praying for those going to the Awakening in Texas to be filled with overflowing of the Holy Spirit. I pray that filling will not just be for their time there but most importantly for them to share it with them wherever they go. I pray blessings upon Corey and Beth; Rob; Rhonda; Brother Dan; Dana; Stuart; and Hal as they minister. I pray they will also be ministered to. May we all be made "Different" through the Holy Spirit! Thank You Jesus for being My Strength! Amen.
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