Don’t be Afraid

Don’t let fear keep you from doing what you know is right.

What’s Next?

“What’s your next step? I don’t know for sure, because for everyone it’s different, but I bet it involves choosing something that already lights you up. Something you already think is beautiful or lasting and meaningful. Pick something you aren’t just able to do; instead, pick something you feel like you were made to do and then do lots of that. You weren’t just an incredible idea that God never got around to making. The next step happened for the world when God dropped you on the planet. You’re here and I’m here. God decided to have us intersect history, not just at any time, but at this time. He made us to be good at a few things and bad at a couple others. He made us to love some things and not like others. Most of all, He made us to dream. We were meant to dream a lot. We’re not just a cosmic biology experiment that ended up working. We’re part of God’s much bigger plan for the whole world. Just like God’s Son arrived here, so did you. And after Jesus arrived, God whispered to all of humanity…”It’s your move.”” – Bob Goff, Love Does

Good Read Too

And still more from “Love Does” by Bob Goff:

“I used to think being loved was the greatest thing to think about, but now I know love is never satisfied just thinking about it.”

Love doesn’t work when we’re out to get it. It’s when we give it that we are fulfilled and in God’s upside down way of doing things, giving love sends it back to us.

Doing in Us

Romans 8:4,5

And now what the law code asked for but we couldn’t deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us. Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them–living and breathing God!

There’s Much to Do

We mustn’t make the mistake of thinking that because we can’t make God love us more by what we do for Him that there isn’t much to be done with Him, there is. Out of our intimate relationship with The Lord will come much direction. His leading results in miracles and changed lives that are unique and specially formed for their part in His plan. Seek Him with all you have today. Ask Him what He has in store for you to do together and do it no matter how hard it might be.

Being not Doing

Who are you is a much more important question than what do you do. We’re told that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control are the evidence we’ll see in those filled with God’s Spirit. Notice this is not a list of grand accomplishments. It’s not a list of tasks to be completed, books to have read or written nor is it an inventory of disciplines to have mastered. It’s about who you are in your heart and is completely reflected in how you treat those around you.

But what if I do it really well?

God doesn’t put more or less value on the quality of the things we try to do for Him. God’s definition of success is not the same as ours. Jesus is our example; draw close, listen well, then do. That will be successful.

God is doing something

Everywhere, all the time, God is up to something. But what is He going to achieve? His objective for us is completion. Not completion like “it’s finished” but completion in the sense of being made whole. He wants us to be whole, filled, and full.

Take a Break

Really, it’s okay. It’s actually an order. God created us to need rest. Not just sleep
but also what we call today, down time. The world with all of its technology
and distractions is stealing our rest. We may not always be working but we’re usually
doing. Sometimes we can even be inactive but feeling so guilty about it that it
is not restful. It’s so important to allow yourself and those around you to
rest.

With

God prefers that we go about our days doing everything with Him, not doing things for Him. We have an open invitation to join Him in what He’s up to at all times. Too often we go about our lives thinking we are doing what He wants when it’s really what He wanted yesterday but we’ve ran ahead with yesterday’s plan at the expense of what He wanted to share with us today.