Submit. Remember. Do. Claim. Go. Listen. See. Walk. Run. Put on. Come. Love. Imitate. Forgive. Tell. Serve. Notice. Stand. Seek. Praise. Worship. Pray. Cling. Pursue. Study. Teach. Follow. Believe. Trust. Rest. Offer. Keep. Lift up. Sow. Choose. Rejoice. Grieve. Boast. Fear. Control. Look.
These words have been been dancing around in my heart all week. Over the last few days I have sensed the Lord saying that following Him takes action. That may seem oversimplified...but He does say to have "childlike faith". These words all take action on our part. These words are all parts of scriptures where God is asking or telling us how to live.
It takes action on our part to submit.
It takes action on our part to listen.
It takes action on our part to worship or praise or pray or study...
I have been drawn to a few scriptures this week that have been examples of how we must be part of the process to live the life of a believer.
"So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law." Galatians 5:1
Christ set us free. He took action...He walked to the cross, died a painful death, and lives in us through the Holy Spirit. We are "truly" set free. The rest of the scripture says "now make sure that you stay free". That takes action on our part. We have to submit our lives to Him not just in words, but in action. We have to be intentional. We have to pray, study, stand firm, walk, listen. We can't just sit back and live the same way and expect to "stay free". Every day we have to purposely submit, purposely pray, purposely have faith.
"Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives." Galatians 5:25 We have to follow. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit. It lives in us. But we have to choose to follow. Choosing takes action.
"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." Matthew 6:33 Seek. Live righteously. Those things take action on our part.
Our relationship with God requires us to do something, to sacrifice, to continually take action. God loves...God forgives...God rescues...God restores...God gives grace and mercy. We receive from Him all the time. But for us to produce fruit, build the kingdom, love our neighbor, and be lights for the world we have to do something.
We are called to action.
This week God is calling me to trust Him. In order to do that I have to make a choice to trust Him.
In the last four working days, I have had to give up four substitute jobs. I have been praying to get jobs....for work to come in. I haven't understood why in the past few days I have gotten those jobs...God has faithfully provided jobs, but I have had to say no because of sick kids or a prior commitment. This morning I wanted to just cry. I said that I didn't understand. I pouted and worried and felt anxiety. But then God reminded me that He is calling me to action. Today I am called to trust Him. I am called to listen. I am called to submit my finances to Him. I am called to believe.
Today I don't feel like eating or taking care of my body. But Paul says in Romans 12:1 "I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will find acceptable." I am called to take action by feeding and nourishing my body, so that I can serve God in the way he intended me to. I must eat. I must not hate my body. I must submit who I am to God and not let the world define me. That will take action on my part.
What is God calling you to do today? What action must you take?
Submit. Remember. Do. Claim. Go. Listen. See. Walk. Run. Put on. Come. Love. Imitate. Forgive. Tell. Serve. Notice. Stand. Seek. Praise. Worship. Pray. Cling. Pursue. Study. Teach. Follow. Believe. Trust. Rest. Offer. Keep. Lift up. Sow. Choose. Rejoice. Grieve. Boast. Fear. Control. Look.
We are not just receivers...we are action takers...servants...people who walk...listen...love...tell...
In love, Teresa
God is calling me to do things too that in my flesh don't make sense, but I need to stop figuring things out on my own and the way I think it should go. I heard this once.....That God doesn't just want to be at the top of the list, He wants to be the list. To be honest I struggle with thinking that as long as I have Him at the top of my list it's good enough, but in reality He is so saying to me that Him being the whole list is enough.
ReplyDeleteLove you.