Today while I was reading in the One Year Book of Hope (Nancy Guthrie) I was struck by a sentence or two. Like UPSIDE THE HEAD struck. It’s one of those times you think, “Wait, I know I’ve heard that before…or read that before…but…how did I not understand it until now??”
The light has gone on for me, for many reasons: the things I am learning about God since our recent family trauma, the ways that God has been waking my heart up by His grace in the last 10 months, and this whole Fearless Experiment trek of our dear friend, Lindsay.
Saying “yes” to God and trusting him in teeny and extravagant ways is something that’s been going on a lot around here. I am so grateful to be able to witness it (and experience it) because of Linz & co.’s transparency and letting others in on the changes happening, it’s beautiful! It’s just the beginning. Can you see how the fire of one person can help fuel and ignite the fire of many others?
God is changing us, helping us to experience fearless abandon. We say yes to Him and then leave the results to Him. It’s simple sounding, yet sometimes hard to do. I finally pulled the trigger on Sunday to build a little blog for moms (moms who ache) of prodigal, ill, or jailed children. I was SO AFRAID. I knew that God wanted me to, though. With a little fearless (or wreckless) abandon, I just stopped asking all the questions and set aside my pride, too. Some people do see moms like me as the leprous underbelly of society…or so my mind keeps trying to tell me. God knows me, though, and He created me to be more than a fearful follower.
But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” 1 Sam 15:22
To OBEY is better than any sacrifice. I’m learning so much more about what that really means. We don’t sacrifice animals today, but we can sacrifice time and resources to help others. Sometimes our sacrifice stems from obedience. Some things are easier than others to sacrifice.
Basically, saying yes to God, when He asks us to do something is far greater than the other things we may do-good things-for Him.
Like, if we ask one of our kids to please load the dishwasher because the kitchen is a mess and we’re about to have company and you need to run to the store…and instead she organizes her closet, vacuums her room, or sifts through drawers to find items to donate to the needy. She is doing great things, yet, not done the thing we needed her to do. We will be disappointed (or freaking out). What she’s done is really nice, but not what we needed from her.
How do we know what we’re supposed to do or what God wants from us? I believe it’s the Holy Spirit in us and by purposefully seeking God every day. We have His Holy Spirit within us!!! That is amazing! Other world religions, from all I know, are about following tenants…on your own. Our one, true God lives within us! That hit me upside my head this morning and I feel like I should have the boldness of a superhero! How often I doubt and cower like Clark Kent…meek and mild mannered. Where is my boldness? There is nothing I cannot do that He asks me to!
Christ lives in me!!! This flabby body is the container for God’s greatness on earth!!! Wow, it just really soaked in. I’ve known it for over 25 years, why has it taken so long for me to believe it and start acting like it?? I feel fearlessly abandoned…I am weak, but He is strong! Through Him I can do whatever He asks of me…GREAT things! His Spirit lives through us, so our gross human nature can die and we can live an entirely new way. What a gift. Why, oh why have I spent so much time trying to do it on my own?
It’s incredible that the God of the universe wants to use US in His plans to change the world. We are modern day disciples, spreading the truth of who He is! We can be fearless, for real!
Love what you say and how you say it: Here's to an epidemic of FEARLESS ABANDON and saying "YES!"
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