As time draws near to the launch of the World Race (which is September 4th), I tend to find myself in a ‘spiritual waiting room.’ Accompanied by my thoughts, excitement, and expectations, I sit and wait for the moment I’m called to get up and start such life changing experience. It’s as if I’ve been preparing myself for this moment, for the moment I get to go, and tell the nations about Jesus. For the moment in which I find all my dependence in Him. It seems as if all my life events have been leading up to this opportunity, and that it’ll be my greatest form of evangelism. Such ideology, though seemingly pleasing in its commonness, is detrimental to our calling.
At some point in our Christian walk we’ve all thought this (or something along the lines of), “Alright. I think know who God is, I kinda know how He loves me, and I’m pretty sure I feel Him calling me to [insert conviction], but this [insert problem] won’t let me.” That right there is our ‘spiritual waiting room’. That’s where we sit and wait for such problem to be solved so that we may begin working on our conviction. We seem to express doubt as to what we want, or more importantly, what God wants. That must not be the case. We aren’t called to wait for big life events to follow our conviction, but rather follow our conviction before, during, and after those events. Our lives, as Christians, isn’t just an impotent await for prodigious opportunities to evangelize, pray, worship, or love, but to do such daily and with great enthusiasm.
You see, we’ve all conditioned ourselves to be comfortable in such ‘waiting room’, so much that we rarely realize it. Sometimes it doesn’t even come in the form of a ‘bad’ thing. For example: In preparation for The Race, I’ve forgotten that there are people around me that need prayer, that they need to hear The Gospel, or that some just need someone to talk to. I’ve been too consumed thinking about the future that the present has become somewhat insignificant. That is not the way we are called to live, and that is not the way I plan on living. I want God to be portrayed in my life in all its aspects.
I don’t know if you’re in a ‘waiting room’ in your life right now, but I ask for prayers. Prayers that God may break any boundary, apathy, or sin that may keep us from following our convictions. That His ever powerful love may empower us to live everyday effectively in His Word. And that we as a church may grow close to Him by doing so.
So, here’s to walking out of the waiting room and stepping into the real world. To turning “someday I will..” into “today I will.” To turning “I’m not ready” into “He makes me ready.” To making “tomorrows” into “todays.” To loving constantly. To preaching vividly. To praying continuously. To worshiping eternally. To speaking purely. To living devotedly. To forgiving abundantly. To thinking purely. To making those convictions a reality. To making Jesus a reality in our lives. To making God our strength. To relying on The Spirit for wisdom. To evangelizing. To living life to the full.
“But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:13-17)
In Christ,
Diego
