Monday, October 1, 2012

October 1, 2012

Good morning all-

It's October 1st today and I'm on my way to Dallas.  I will be gone all week for work and I hope that I will have time to write but if not, please read one of the 214 posts previously written.  I'm sure you will find inspiration from God in any one of them.

Have you ever heard you put your time in the things that are most important to you?  Have you thought about what that is?  It may be a boyfriend, a spouse or your children.  It could be your work, school or any number of other activities.  At the end of your life, what do you want to be remembered for?  That's the question our pastor posed to a ton of college aged students.  Is what matters today going to matter tomorrow?

For me, what matters is growing my children into Godly men.  Working on my marriage so that I can be a help-mate to my spouse and finding Christ in everything I do.  I used to care about making money and climbing the corporate ladder.  If I had to work, that's what I wanted to do.  Now, I find myself contemplating what it would be like to visit Bible studies, stand in front of thousands of people or just walk along a street in Africa, talking to women about Christ. My heart yearns to speak about the God that loves me so and that loves all of us.  I can't always say I was in that place but through trials, battles, and surrender, I have come to the place where I want to speak about a God that ministers to my heart and that protects my soul.  I want to scream it from the rooftops.  I never liked rejection so it's taken me some time and a lot of work on God's part to get me to this place.  I'm thankful I'm there and I look forward to what He will do along the way.  I'm not going to push it; I'm going to let Him make it happen.  That's another place that He's changed my heart.  What mattered to me over the years was being a success and I knew I could do it.  Now, I look for Him to make me a success.  I can do nothing without Him, ever!

Whether you're young or old, you should yearn to be in Christ's presence.  You should make Him matter today.  If you only have a thimble of time for Him, He probably doesn't matter that much.  I used to use the excuse I was too busy with my family and job.  Funny how things change.  Now, I can't sleep past 5:30 and even though I want to sleep in, Jesus wakes me up and my day begins with Him.  There is comfort in starting my day with Jesus and knowing that I gave Him more than a passing thought.  I may not yet be a scholar but my love for Him has grown leaps and bounds over this last year.  I have found in Him a resting place and I want my family, my friends and all of you to find Him there too.  It's also been exciting as He has laid out other countries and tongues on my heart and I see people from all over the world coming to read this blog.  His blog.  That's another thing that has changed for me.  It used to matter that I got credit for everything.  Now, I give Him credit for all.  He is the author of this blog and He steers my fingers and my mind toward Him as I write.  These words may seem like there coming from me but they are His words, ministering to His people, uniting His bride.  Actually, I'm just an obedient vessel talking about a God that loves you and me.

I think over time we all change.  What mattered to us at 18 holds little weight at 46.  And I'm sure as I age and things change in my life, what mattered today will become a scattering of what will matter 20 years from now.  I hope that in that time I grow to love the Lord more, speak boldly about my Savior and loving everyone He brings in my path.  I hope that I get to watch a generation of men and women come before His throne and praise Him.  I hope that as each day passes I stay the course and love Jesus more and in the end, I hope I run the race well and like Paul, I will have changed my life and taken the focus off of me and onto Jesus!

That's what matters to me.  Take some time this week to think about what matters to you.  Get out of yourself and on your knees.  Ask Jesus what matters to Him.  He'll show you.  As I prayed to have a heart like His, He put the nations on my heart.  Not just the United States but every woman in every nation.  I'm really not that globally minded so imagine when my heart yearns to talk to people not just in the US but in the world.  That's Jesus!  His thoughts are not small ones.  Remember He came for you and me and that was thousands of years ago.  What mattered to Him was giving His life so that we could have eternal life with Him.   It definitely wasn't on His needs or desires or I guarantee you He would have run away.  That's what we do when the kitchen gets too hot.  Right?  So, surrender yourself today, quit making excuses and spread the gospel.   Jesus knows your schedule.  Ask Him to multiply your time and give it freely.  I am most blessed from 5:30 until 6:30 am.  Why?  Because I'm with Him, thinking about Him and wondering what He will do with my life.  I'm not perfect and often I have to repent.  That's even more of the blessing because I'm actually looking at myself and realizing that I can't  do anything without Him.  Have a wonderful day and I hope that this meeting will allow me to write.  It may be in the evening, so if you're used to getting on this blog in the morning, you may need to check it.  Otherwise, I would ask that you would pray that I would be successful this week and I will be praying for all of you.


Romans 8:34 NLT:

     Who then will condemn us?  No one-for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us.

Romans 8:37 NLT:

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 

My prayer today:

O, Lord, my Father, my Friend, I come before You praising Your Holy name.  Please place on our hearts Your desires and give us what matters to You  most.  Bring Your children together, in one accord, around the world, so that we might proclaim Your name.  We yearn to have a heart like Yours, that loves the lost and lonely.  We need You Lord to guide our every step and provide the purpose You have for our lives.  We ask that our desires would be pushed to the side so that we can see Yours. Make our way as we surrender to You.  You are our Lord and Savior.  You guide us and love us. You and only You sacrificed Your life so that we could be with You.  Our lives our not ours, so show us today our purpose.  I pray that we would look toward what matters to You, just like Paul did so many years ago.  Make us likeminded with You and fill us with Your Holy presence.  In Jesus name, AMEN

No comments:

Post a Comment