Or at least that’s what I’ve been telling myself ever since I learned how to play a sport for Jesus. It’s crazy to think that in all we do, we’re supposed to glorify the Lord. I don’t know about you, but eating breakfast never seemed to be the first thing on His ‘to-do’ list for us. However, we’re supposed to think in that way. Giving yourself a twinkie to glorify the Lord for your breakfast? I think not, how about some eggs and bacon and maybe even a bagel or biscuit. Feeding our bodies to benefit them is how we’re supposed to treat them.
You see, I’ve had a few conversations lately where my heart is broken and my passion is inflamed. It’s on the topic of God being glorified for the things that we do, related to where even is God in the things that we do and the areas that we struggle in. It’s hard to credit something or someone that’s not there present or contributing in any way (can I get an amen to group projects and those few “contributors”). It’s irritating to us because we put in the hard work day in and day out, we double check things before submitting, we practice for hours and hours, we catch ourselves from saying what’s wrong and instead replace it with what’s right. I’ll be honest, at times it’s hard to credit those who even do help because we want to believe that we did it on our own. When it comes to God, sadly we’re no different.
Check it out, we always say that The Lord is in ‘control’ correct? Then that must mean He is the one who orchestrates everything… to orchestrate means to “arrange or direct the elements of (a situation) to produce a desired effect, especially surreptitiously” (by Google’s terminology). Therefore, if He is orchestrating our situations (life) He is merely just directing elements in order to produce the desired effect, it’s still up to us to do ‘it’ correctly. But we don’t see it like that most of the time. If we’re just playing our music and we’re doing it well, we usually just credit ourselves. We spend hours practicing and use OUR own ears and OUR own rhythm… who else should you credit?
It’s crazy and it’s hard, but if you break it down there was a day where the Lord put a passion in your soul towards music. He orchestrated someone to be influential consciously or subconsciously in your life to promote the desire of music. Maybe you met that desire from escaping abuse and you found your self-worth in it. You see, God WAS there when all these years you’ve just been running. Maybe you have so much passion and love in your life, God gave you the music as a channel to spread and share that love and joy. To God be the Glory…
Okay okay — you may or you may not be getting the point. But maybe now you’re asking WHY you haven’t heard or seen Him, or HOW is it even possible for Him to be that much in ‘control’ of so many people. Well, again I want to stress that He orchestrates our lives, He doesn’t dictate it. We’re told to “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves” in 1 Peter 2:16. Hold up – I know what you’re thinking. SLAVES?! We fought many years to abolish slavery and now the only slavery we ever hear about now is sex slavery on the other side of the world – so signing up to be a slave of any type to anyone, I’ll pass.
But I urge you to wait a moment, you’ve already read 633 words you might as well keep going.
To be a slave by Google definition is to be a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them. But to be told to live AS God’s slave, without actually being a slave, means to choose to BELONG TO Jesus and choose to obey Him. Remember those times when you saw that the dishes needed to be done while you were having a snack and you told yourself, hey I’ll do those dishes after I finish my chips and salsa. But then right before you finish the salsa and you’re watching the last two minutes of your full house episode and your dad walks in. He quickly, but firmly demands that you do the dishes as he’s in disbelief that you haven’t done them yet. You went from a proactive mind of choosing to serve, to an unmotivated, irritated, and an undesired mind that was now forced to serve. The heart of the matter changes by the demand of the ‘owner’ or in our perspectives the leader.
God gives us an abundant amount of Grace to CHOOSE to be a servant throughout life, so that we can do it in our joyous of hearts. Doing chores was never the issue growing up, the demand was. Being able to see when He’s just ‘sitting back’ and allowing us to choose is sometimes the hard part, and at times, is the part where we see Him go camouflage on us. When in fact, He’s at the battle grounds front line and in charge of the calls. The question to ask isn’t where is He or where was He, the question to ask is where was I, was I listening?
God being in control is what this World Race means to me. Not only am I going in blindly and praying I can trust Him deeper than ever before, but I’ve already been proven of His power and His orchestration through this fundraising process thus far. God led me here through a connection I would have never believed in High School. God has provided financially as I would have never fathomed to the point where I’m not stressed at all, just anxious to see how He is going to continue this process and how exactly He is going to lay it out. He is proving every doubt wrong whether it has been mine or those around me. TO GOD BE THE GLORY – and here’s to US to see it, show it, and spread it.
God Bless xoxo
