If the size of the vision for your life isn’t intimidating you,
do you believe God is who He says He is?
Ouch. Did that hurt a bit?
Ugh. I’m sorry. Kinda. I just hope it makes your heart pop out of your chest. I hope something comes to mind that sets your heart on fire to get up and run for it. If something doesn’t come to mind, get on your knees and give the Lord your “Yes”. Yes to whatever He desires for your life. Tell Him to show you. His desires for your life are so much bigger then anything you can imagine. I can assure you His desires aren’t “lame”. He created you and He put those desires deep in your soul so I promise you, you will not only love what He shows you, you will live for it. What do you live for now? Do you love it? If you do, can you imagine a love for something bigger than that? WOAH.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9
Before I gave my life up and surrendered to Jesus, I went back and forth between my own desires/ current lifestyle and the fear I had of what His desires for me could be. But that was silly… He knows me better than anyone. Fear is not a spirit of the Lord. I chose His desires and I haven’t feared or worried since. That’s not to boast, that’s where the Lord and I are in this thing together. I trust Him completely.
I’ve started reading a book lately that one of my amazing leaders recommended and it is speaking so closely to where my heart has been the last couple of months. Over and over in my head I’ve been wrestling with these thoughts: “It is human nature for us to want something more? Why don’t people expect more from their lives? Why don’t they give it a shot? The kids are saying “love your best life” these days right?” My mind has been racing about the very things this author wrote about and he has helped me comprehend these thoughts and put them into words much better then I ever could:
“If you’re like most Christians, audacity is not a word you use to describe your faith. Audacity, my dictionary says, makes regular people behave with “boldness or daring, especially with confident disregard for personal comfort [or] conventional thought.” And, if you think about it, confident disregard for the status quo is the essence of the gospel. It describes the radical path Christ’s life took on earth. It goes to the heart of what it means to live by faith.
Of course, every believer of Jesus has a measure of faith- it’s the prerequisite to salvation. But after that, if we are honest, we think of faith primarily in terms of spiritual thought or a comfortable feeling. We hope it’s enough to get us to heaven when we die. But in the meantime, it’s barely enough to keep us praying, giving, and going to the eleven o’clock service.
Let me ask you: does the brand of faith you live by produce the kinds of results in your life that you read about in biblical stories of men and women of faith?
Chances are, not even close. For most of us, this disparity is hard to live with. The chasm we see between our mundane spiritual experiences and the overcoming faith we read about in the accounts of biblical heroes is downright discouraging. It can create a heavy weight of condemnation and a sense of failure in our hearts. We can begin to feel like maybe our faith isn’t the real thing. Some believers I’ve known have gotten so tired of faking faith that they have just given up all together. (…)
Hebrews 11:6 “Without faith it is impossible to please God”.
It doesn’t get any plainer than that. Faith isn’t just a get out of Hell Free Card.
You’re about to discover that faith is not a drug to sedate you through a life you hate. Its a force to transport you to another realm of reality”
Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick – Go get a copy!
Yes that’s a MIC DROP!
I want to unwrap so much of this!
It doesn’t get any plainer than that. Faith is what knits our relationship with Jesus together. This is how He shows Himself to us if we allow Him to. Its not always rainbows and unicorns, but if we view Him as a good father we know that we will look back at those yucky moments and say “Thank you Father, I was crazy to think I had a better alternative”. Which brings me to the next thing. Listen to what your heart beats for. Its terrifying but put one foot in front of the other and start living for what you were made to. The prayer of travail speaks about our heart beating for what burdens His; so when your heart beats, that’s the burden He has given you. Burdens are beautiful. They give us a purpose. Our view of God is the most important thing about walking hand in hand with Him. How do you view Him? Is He a giver or a taker?
Do you ask and wait to receive or do you just receive what He has asked?
In case you were confused, He doesn’t need your prayers or faith to do His work. He can do whatever He wants when He wants. He wants you to lean back into His arms and trust in His perfect plan, whatever that may be. That’s faith folks. If you can do that you will see the “impossible”. The “impossible” may not be to raise the dead and heal the sick; the “impossible” for you may be that your child excels in school with a learning disability or you started that company you always dreamed of but don’t you dare. Don’t you dare pray for a dream you can accomplish. He wants more for you than something you can do on our own. That’s insulting and that is not a life lived by faith. Faith explores what revelation reveals. John 14. And a life lived by faith will blow your mind…
“He is not interested in your wants he is interested in your needs.” That’s annoying. That’s NOT biblical!!! Several times in the bible Jesus wants people to want
something. He never rebuked the disciples for craving greatness He just redefined it. We are born with desires that God gave us and sometimes people run to safety, killing that desire instead of living out their beautiful purposes. Breathe, smile take His hand and GO, He can’t wait to see you flourish.
“Whatever happens God is in control.” UGH. STUPID. This is us trying to redefine the sovereignty of God because this just blames him for whatever happens. He has a purpose and a plan but we are the deciding factor of how that pans out. There is an effect that we have on the unfolding of the will of God. His sovereignty includes your influence. He invited people to come into relationship so that what you dream and desire actually has an effect on the outcome. What’s more beautiful? 🙂
We need to read the bible for the first time again. I am wanting so much more of what He has to offer and its free… its already in me.
Its yours for the taking too.
Update for my sweet sweet support family:
After a week at “pre-launch” in Gainsville, GA with my Expedition family and a couple days in Atlanta for “launch, launch” with the other 200 and some crazy racers leaving this month and then saying good-bye to my favorite people in the world we are FINALLY hanging and sleeping in a US airport tonight for our 6 am flight to another airport in the US followed by another 9 hour layover in another US airport but taking in our last few hours on american soil… several flights, layovers and trains the next 48 hours but we are ready and so excited to get to sweet sweet Indo!
LOVE YOU!!!!!! (last selfie)
