#WeAreNotParalyzed 2018.01.25
Yesterday’s post was about how we are incapable of producing good fruits without God. I likened it to an illustration where we are paralyzed, and God is our friend who is strong, lives with us and is always there to help us. We then glorify Him thru relying upon Him, talking to (prayer) & thanking Him. Well, today’s post is going to try to go in the opposite direction.
How do you react when God acts you to step out of your comfort zone? Do something that goes directly against your fears or insecurities? When God asks you to take the path of Jonah and preach His Word, do you go to your "Ninevah", or do you take off running? Are you literally/mentally/emotionally/spiritually frozen in fear? There’s nothing wrong in answering with a response of fear, but we do need to remember:
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. | ||
Heb 11:6 |
Fear is the absence of faith. Faith is the proper response to fear. So, when we are trapped within our own fears, are we truly pleasing God? Hebrews 11:6 says that we are not. How can we please God with fear? God did not give us the spirit of fear, but of power, love & a sound mind (2 Timothy 2:7). God wants us to see past our faiths we can experience the good things that He has in store for us. This expands our faith. But fear prevents us "seeing" past our faith, and therefore it does not strengthen or grow.
Are you the type who sits back and watches others grow & collect the blessings that God’s given us? Only to become bitter & resentful, still sitting in our same place. God is always trying to take us places, but we need to learn to trust Him. Look back upon your time as a disciple:
Are you the same person today as you were when you came out of the baptismal waters?
Hopefully not.
Do you know scripture & biblical principle better than DAY #1 as a disciple?
Hopefully so.
Are you stronger\braver\happier\more in love with God since when you started?
Hopefully so.
These aren’t strengths or qualities that just happened overnight. They came about because God grew us in His way. We became better because we stopped listening to fear and gave into Him. I know that when I look back at my 9yrs, I am so much of a better, happier person, that I only regret not taking the chances that God’s asked of me, sooner! The formula is tested & true: He asks, I do, I grow, I win. period. When our time comes, and we stand before Him, how are. You seriously going to answer his question: "What did you do with the time I gave you?" "I kept myself within my comfort zone" is not even close to the answer that He’s expecting. He knows what your comfort level is, but He is trying to get us out of our comfort zone!
The thing that we need to remember is, when we try, we may probably fail. God knows this, but tells us to not focus on this - He wants us to focus on getting up, on us seeing Him with us, every time, when we fall and when we get up. He wants us to remember what we learn so we stop falling so much. He wants us to be ok with failing, because that will never go away.
