In my last blog, I wrote a list of things I learned in Malaysia that I am now able to take into this month. I promised to write a blog on the last few points I made so here it goes, starting with #3…
#3- Everything I have been through up to this point has given me roots
#4 – How God sees my “enemies” (for lack of a better word).
#5 – Prayer truly is powerful.
#6 – The laying down of my pride.
#7 – We must seek the heart of people before we see what they produce.
#8 – Taking captive every thought in order to choose God over your feelings.
Number 3: roots. They spread out far beneath the soil and create a firm foundation. Though only baby growth happens on the top of the soil as it produces a flower or plant, the root system is deep and wide.
As my new friend Bekah described this vision to me, she looked me in the eyes with affirmation from the Holy Spirit: “God wants you to know that you have a firm foundation already in whatever it is He wants you to do. You are ready. You have a strong root system, yet your growth on the top will happen slowly and over time to produce the full flower.”
I am not supposed to see the full picture yet, but how beautiful is it to rest assured that our lives have produced a foundation in so many things?
This does not just apply to me, it applies to all of you as well. Everything we have been through in life is not meant to produce shame, but a solid foundation of learned lessons and Christ-like construction to our house that He dwells. How beautiful that we all have the opportunity to build and not sit in an empty lot, overgrown with weeds and grass? We get to build, grow, and learn the whole time. I no longer feel shame about the weeds I had to pull or the grass I had to cut, because it led me to a constructed house, a shelter that the Lord cares for and tends.
This next section, I am going to combine #4-#6:
#4 – How God sees my “enemies” (for lack of a better word).
#5 – Prayer truly is powerful.
#6 – The laying down of my pride.
Last month, the Lord asked me to pray for my enemies. I had felt a strong pull toward forgiveness for them.
It has been a month since I started this and I must say, I realize now how necessary it is in our walks as Christians. Friends, this goes beyond forgiveness and “doing the right thing.” In praying for our enemies, we are actually proclaiming God’s strength and Sovereignty over their lives and ours, and we are believing He can do impossible things. We are believing that He WILL do impossible things. We proclaim His love for others and His willingness to change hearts and make them whole. We speak a belief into ourselves that we have found peace with Jesus and that we truly desire others to have this peace. We proclaim peace and promised order that Jesus WILL righteously have in the end. We also proclaim His goodness in our own lives, for there is a reason we believe these things. Not only that, but now we truly abide by the command of Jesus when he says:
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27-28
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.” Romans 12:14
Blessing someone can simply be a soft spoken “Lord, please bless them.” That’s it. You don’t have to have fancy words. Heck, you don’t even have to mean it. Just obey and lay down your pride for a moment to speak blessing over your enemies. James is very adamant about words having the power of life and death. In fact, much of the Bible speaks about the power of the tongue. If you act in obedience by speaking a blessing upon your enemy’s lives, you will eventually mean it, which leads to an even deeper sense of forgiveness than you even knew you were capable of.
Ask yourself this question:
Do I truly want people to experience love, joy, and peace that I get from Jesus or would I rather them repayment for what they have done?
Why am I a missionary if I want the latter? Why are we a church inviting people in if we want the latter? John 15:13 says this: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Laying down our lives is more than an act of death. Jesus laid down more than his life. He laid down his Kingship, his perfection, his knowledge, his power, his dominion…. I could go on and on. It is absolutely crucial that we lay down our pride in these situations, no matter how much you desire your enemies to see things the way you see them.
It’s easy to spend a week in anger or bitterness wishing this person would have treated you right, or saying “that’s not fair,” or “Why can’t they see things the way I see them?” Sadly, you have missed out on loving yourself and that other person. With these thoughts, you are not recognizing the person Jesus created you to be and you are not choosing to press into the dominion he has in the other person’s life as well. You are simply wasting time. I don’t say this to put you down, I say this for you to learn from my mistakes. I have spent way too many years angry and allowing other’s opinions to weigh on who I am in Christ. It left me absolutely beat up in battle and my recovery time has taken longer than it could have.
Friends, ask the Lord to show you how to lay down your pride. Begin by praying a blessing over your enemy and keep it simple. I trust you will eventually find yourself praying for their entire life to be a vessel for the Lord because he will give you his heart of compassion toward them. Here’s the kicker though… You must lay down your pride one more time and ask for him to give you compassion. It’s so worth it, guys. Really, it is! Which leads me (out of order) to #5:
Prayer works!!!!
This may seem like a “duh” statement or a Sunday school answer, but I have seen the fruit. On the Race, I have seen prayers come to fruition after 7 years of faithfulness (and at times unfaithfulness). I have seen people healed not just physically, but in spirit and soul. Our last week at PenHOP, we did a prayer walk. My teammate, Ally and I walked to some food stands and heard screaming as soon as we stepped foot in there. A snake was literally fleeing the scene. It slithered in a mad dash toward us and lifted his head right at my feet as I stood staring into its beady eyes. It didn’t even touch me, it fled the scene.
The serpents even flee, ya’ll.
When I was sick for 6 weeks, we prayed over my body. I refrained from getting pneumonia and my body was working normally even though I was on extra strong antibiotics for three weeks. That doesn’t just happen in foreign countries. This month, we as a team have prayed and talked about working out together and God has given us the opportunity like we never expected. Not only do I see a difference in my physical life, but also in my spirit. Praying the Holy Spirit’s peace and dominion of Jesus into the temples I see on the streets has reminded me every single time that Jesus is in control. It gives me the hope that produces joy, and the joy that produces hope. We are promised this hope will never disappoint. It quiets my soul and gives me a heart of agreement with Jesus.
My prayer for you is to be whole and at peace in your life. My prayer is that you step out in courage to bless your enemies. The true enemy is not going to like it. He will put thoughts in your head such as:
“But what they did to me was really really wrong.”
“I can’t forgive them or they will win.”
“I want them to suffer.”
“If I pray for them, God might bless them more than they deserve (or even more than me).”
The enemy will make you focus on yourself to distract you from the bigger picture of Christ. If you are focused on yourself in these situations, there is an area that you are not at peace. You are tempted to despair so that you are distracted by trying to make it right by yourself. You are hooked on finding the magic fix that you would no longer feel remorse. Then, maybe then you can begin praying when you find the fix (which will take so much longer in this situation). We cannot do things when we feel like it, or else we would never get anything done. Your flesh will make you focus on feelings, your Christ will make you focus above (on everything else outside of yourself). The enemy will take every opportunity to steal your joy and your delight by making you look at everything that is not heavenly, peaceful, and loving. Remember, this is not a battle of flesh, but of the heavens (which is why it can be so dangerous to become focused on the self rather than the heavenly things).
Life is hurtful. Life is hard. These are hard facts, guys. Life just really stinks sometimes. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to do everything you can to avoid the parts that are difficult or will you take a leap of faith and begin praying peace into the things that are not peaceful? Will you believe in the power of Jesus and pray against the things that are hard and ask Jesus to speak life there? Will you declare who he is and stand up as a soldier for God as you go into the war?Will you believe that every knee will bow and every tongue confess He is Lord? (Philippians 2:10, Romans 14:11, Ephesians 1:10, Revelation 5:13, and many more places).
Finally, I leave you with this beautiful C.S. Lewis quote:
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” Don’t worry, #7 and #8 are still coming. Keep loving, Keep fighting, Murby
