Just Do It... by D. Andrews
Good Morning Ladies (and few gents),
Today’s devotion included below “Just Do It” is a reminder from GiG Arlene that, “…when God asks us to do something, let’s just do it. No complaining. No fits. No whining. May we joyfully serve Jesus. He’s a master who’s given us His all.”
GiG, I’d like to end this week with a “Just Do It” mindset. That’s with a passion and purpose for truth and intentionality for helping hurting people.
Sometimes we don’t even have to walk outside our homes to encounter the walking wounded. OUCH or Amen!
We have a society of young people lost in the sauce, sipping on lies, doubt, devastation, and destruction. They are looking and longing for belonging, acceptance, without fear from all the wrong places. I hope you catch what God is tossing our way this week. He desires for us to experience both spiritual health and emotional health that will fuel our lives and our passions for all things Jesus. Yes, it’s important we learn to love God, but the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes claim they did and we can read what Jesus said about that (Luke 11:37–54; Matthew 23:1–39; Mark 12:35–40 and Luke 20:45–47). So it’s equally important that we learn to love others too and that’s what Jesus modeled.
I recently shared a quote with my son by an American Trappist monk, Thomas Merton that continues to impact my life some many years later after reading it. I believe it’s worth sharing with you too.
“Every moment and every event of every man’s life on earth plants something in his soul. For just as the wind carries thousands of winged seeds so each moment brings with it germs of spiritual vitality that come to rest imperceptibly in the minds and wills of men. Most of these unnumbered seeds perish and are lost, because men are not prepared to receive them: for such seeds as these cannot spring up anywhere except in the good soil of freedom, spontaneity, and love.”
That’s referencing within real, authentic love, God’s unconditional love—unconditional, unmerited, unearned, undeserved.
GiG, in Christian homes, Christian schools, and Christian environments across the country there are wounded and hurting people busily doing for God instead of being with God, and fully surrendering to God. They are working for something they may never obtain because they’re going about it the wrong way. However, God is God and even in the messiness of life, when we’re going in the wrong direction or going about life oblivious to Him, He’s still present. And not only is He present, He’s fighting for us.
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14 NIV
Ponder this; with all that was going on in Exodus, Moses had a positive attitude! When it looked as if the Israelite nation was trapped, Moses called upon God to intervene. Although we’re not being chased by an army, we may still feel trapped in our circumstances. Instead of giving in to doubt or despair, we should adopt Moses’ attitude to “stand firm and …see the deliverance the Lord will bring.” While all the while reminding ourselves that the timetable we’re under is God’s and not ours. OUCH or Amen!
GiG, I’d like to end with this one point. I learned some time ago. The close cousin to “being still” is “surrendering.” Remember what God says in Psalm 23:2 NKJV, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures;” other translations say “lets me” instead of “makes me.” I admit I can be strong willed sometimes and God allows circumstances and situations into my life to make me lie down. Often it’s when I falsely believe, “I got this.” “I can do stuff on my own,” So God calls me to account for my whereabouts and He makes me see He is God and I am not. OUCH!
Maybe this has been your experience too. If so, I feel you. But I often say; when I lose to God I really win. That still small voice quits asking me, “So how’s that working for you?”
GiG, there are lots of things in life we can “fake it to we make it” authentic Christianity, a right relationship with and in Jesus is not one of them. Cultural Christianity, as C.S. Lewis named it, leads us to believe the lie that we can. Satan wants us to believe that our works cause us to escape the death camp, and tricks us into living the labor camp mentality busy, busier, and busiest is what Jesus wants for and from us. All lies from the father of lies.
May we be encouraged to find wholeness and healing in the contemplative traditions of our church forefathers—Sabbath rest, silence, and solitude. Yes, I’m talking intentional inactivity so we can meet with God, be with God, and hear from God.
God’s Got It…so we can GROW—Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. Carl Bard
Have a “Thankful” Thursday, February 21, 2019—Jesus gave all; all to Him we owe. So let’s not neglect our spiritual health (loving God) and emotional health (loving others)
Called to serve and encouraging others to thrive,
DEA: Embracing a Work-Hard, Rest-Well Life and Loving My Priorities, Loving My Life
