“Just do it”, “Get going!” These slogans command action. When I think
of these, I am reminded of what it was like to be in high school on my
wrestling team. I can remember the coach getting in my face when I
wasn’t pushing myself hard enough. He would motivate me to go beyond
what I thought I could handle. To push myself to a new level that I
never thought was possible. This and other events of my life have
shaped who I am today. Same story, different outlet.
Here I am in the Philippines on our last day of debrief and God decides
that He is going to reveal Himself to me in an even greater way than
before. You see, the Holy Spirit is my spiritual coach. Sure, he’s
not in my face all of the time, but he does push us to press into God a
lot more. He wants me to go a lot deeper and a lot further than I have
ever gone before. He wants me to be stretched. He wants me to grow.
Sometimes He does allow things in your life that you don’t think you
can handle, but you can. Any athlete can testify that there is always
a wall that is being broken. There is always a new peak. You are
constantly improving. The same is true in the spiritual.
As I’ve sat here thinking about what ministry has been for the past two
months and what it is going to be for the rest of my life, I can’t help
but think that I am in training (wrestling practice). God is saying
“Come on, you can do this” or “Just go for it!”, maybe even “Just do
it”. And that is where I am. I am doing it. I am committing to
pushing beyond that wall. I committing to going where he wants me to
go. To encourage the church. To feed the hungry. To aid the sick.
To pray for the lost. I do it because I want to be in the best
spiritual shape I can be so that I may win the race or match or game.
Whatever analogy you want to use, use it. I long for my generation to
get up and go. How many of us would just go if God asked us to? Leave
the comforts of home, family, and friends. Trade it in for a life that
could be dangerous, and one where you are living on your daily bread.
Can we be obedient to God if He called us? I know I wouldn’t have not
so long ago. I had too many things that I didn’t want to leave. There
are always reasons not to do something. You only need one reason to do
it. And that reason supersedes all others because it is being obedient
to God’s calling on your life.
So the challenge is this. Can we abandon everything? Can we stop
living with one foot at home and one foot in His will to do what he
wants? Are we willing to take risks? Are we willing to be broken for
the nations? Can we actually do something about it? The answer is
yes. And it starts with obedience. So as my wrestling coach and the
Holy Spirit have coached me, I say “Go for it!” Enough excuses, do you
want to grow? Do you want to reach that next level of competition (aka
spiritual warfare)? Then lets be broken. And let us allow God to use us fully.
Go for it!
Be blessed.
