Issa inventory!

For the last couple of weeks, my church has been fasting for “the come up”. You know, asking God to show us and grow us in the areas of our lives where we need to come up. It’s been challenging and enlightening at the same time. Well today as I was waking up, I heard the words “cut off”. Yep, it’s okay to start getting nervous! It’s smack dab in the middle of the Lenten season so I guess it’s appropriate to look at the places, things, people, etc that are no longer adding value or causing harm to your life.

Let me pause here though before I go on. This is not an exercise in pettiness. I am not giving you permission to cut up because you haven’t been mature enough or bold enough to make a decision and stand by it. Nope, this is an opportunity to take inventory of your life and identify the leaks, excess, and lack. You know, the places where your joy and peace have been slowly draining out, the places where you have filled your hard places with overeating, overspending, and overfilling your calendar, and the places where you just don’t have anything left to give.

Here’s the thing with cutting off what is not good for you. It is not about the other person, the thing or the place. It is about you and your growth. It is about recognizing where you may have allowed access to your heart and spirit that should have been denied or limited a long time ago. It is about moving on from what is no longer helping you to advance. There are several places in the Bible that talk about pruning but the words of Jesus are the most profound to me. “He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.” (John‬ ‭15:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬) I would encourage you to read the whole chapter but my point is this.  The things that have to be cut off are not things you don’t care about or enjoy. Nope, they typically mean something to you. Notice that Jesus said that the Father cut off every branch of “mine” that didn’t produce fruit. They weren’t random branches, folks!  But they were the things that were no longer beneficial for growth. Today, it’s time to take stock and then take action. Whether it’s cutting off or cutting back…do it! It’s for your good!

Amen

What to do about change...

Change is inevitable. People will change, circumstances will change, even your mind will change. It is a part of life that is unavoidable and hard. I mean, what happens when something changes that you are used to having or happening? Do you throw a fit or throw in the towel? What is your response?

I have been tossing these thoughts around in my head over the last several weeks as I looked at my life. I have searched and searched for the most comforting answer and still been left without much comfort. And then, I was reminded of a verse that the church has completely worn out on the scale of churchiest phrases. But in it, I found a peace that I had not previously understood.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”(Hebrews‬ ‭13:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)‬‬

Take a minute with that! I mean, really take it in and SELAH. No matter what your bank account says, Jesus is the same! No matter what your marriage feels like today, Jesus is the same. No matter where you go, Jesus Christ is the same. Regardless of what happens to your routine, He is the SAME!  Come on! He is the same yesterday, today AND forever! So many times, this is where you miss it, you react with your emotions when God is trying to get you to see His consistency. He wants you to see that in a world that is constantly changing, you can count on Him to give you stability.  

Listen, change and I have been spending a lot of time together recently! However, this short and immensely powerful verse has shown me that I don’t have to worry. Why? Because regardless of how my plans, life, crew, etc. change, the God I serve doesn’t. Stop worrying about who or what comes and goes and put your trust in the One who promised to never leave or forsake you.

Amen

You sure?

Hello friends! As you can obviously tell, it is not Thursday!  I have had a long week of traveling, unexpected delays, and awkward security experiences. (Don’t ask!)  So yesterday was not working with me. However, as I lay on my bed last night, listening for God, I expected something deeply spiritual to revive me from the pit of “do nothing”. Instead, I heard “make your election sure.” Now, I’m a preacher so I have heard that phrase on countless occasions but I wasn’t quite sure what God was trying to tell me in that moment.  I know what I thought it meant but again my mind was not together. So I went to the scriptures, looking for clarity and found myself in the Amplified Version of 2 Peter 1:10 and it says,

“Therefore, believers, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you [be sure that your behavior reflects and confirms your relationship with God]; for by doing these things [actively developing these virtues], you will never stumble [in your spiritual growth and will live a life that leads others away from sin];”

 

It is tempting to make this scripture about your decision to accept the call of God on your life. I mean that is the churchiest way. However, today, I realized that it is more about representing the call well. You see, your flesh would say that God called you and you answered and that is enough. When in reality, your response is the key. God is not only looking for your yes but authenticity along with it.  Your decisions, behavior, and maturity should reflect who God is and what kind of relationship you have with Him. It is not enough to say, “I am chosen” without living a holy life that is pleasing to God. It is not enough to say “I am a minister” without studying to show yourself approved. It is definitely not enough to say “God called me” but you are unteachable and unreachable.

 

Listen! In these last and evil days, you have to make your election sure! You have to be willing to go the extra mile for God in your public AND private life. It is time out for a “church folk” mentality when God needs Christians. People are dying without salvation every day and it is not acceptable. It is time to live the life of love, grace and holiness that Christ exemplified so that the world can be won for the Kingdom. So…are you sure? If not, let’s go ahead and get to work!

Amen