I've had many, many moments in my life where my ambition precedes listening to the voice of God. Whenever this happens, I find myself unsettled in my heart after awhile and I run to the presence of God asking Him what's going on.
Recently, after running to His presence and spending some time with Him, I had a moment where I felt God ask me to not do something I was planning to do. What He was asking didn't make sense to me. All the sudden this emotion welled up inside of me and I cried out to God, tears streaming down my face, "Is this really you? Or do I just think this is You like I've experienced time and time again, suffering unnecessarily thinking I'm being obedient? I don't want to be teased. I want to know this is You. You know that if You ask, I will do it. My heart is to live fully for You, holding nothing back. Show me it's really You!" Shortly after, He led me to Romans 12. He began walking me through the chapter and reminding my heart about the things that really matter, the things that I'm made for. I'm a member of the body of Christ--I'm not just an independent unit that is called to enjoy this life in the ways I feel I want to until I die. Certainly, I believe that Christ has a plan that includes so much joy and fulfillment in front of me, but I am not the author of what that plan looks like. It's tempting to fill your life with a lot of good things. It's tempting to seek after accomplishments and accolades, it's tempting to build a life off of a talent you think belongs to you. 1 Corinthians 4:7 says, "For who regards you as superior or what sets you apart as special? What do you have that you did not receive [from another]? And if in fact you received it [from God or someone else], why do you boast as if you had not received it [but had gained it by yourself]?" My life isn't for me. My life isn't from me. My life is for Jesus and it came from God Himself. True life is found in the Father, eternal life. He is the one who knows the plans He has for me (Jeremiah 29:11), He is the one who is the author of hope, He is the one who wrote about my life and every single part of it before any part of it ever came into existence (Psalm 139:16). So as I cried, I surrendered and gave God my "yes". There's a lot of ambitious people out there. Ambition isn't inherently evil, but passion apart from your eternal destiny can wreak havoc on your soul and detach you from your eternal destiny in Christ. Sometimes, doing the things that don't make sense are some of the greatest experiences you'll have because they're attached to God. All He wants is us. Total surrender. And today, I'm giving Him that because hearing Him and risking with Him is way better than what any ambition of my own could ever get me.
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AuthorIf you want real talk, you came to the right page. Janelle will be straight forward and down to earth discussing topics with you from her heart. ReadYou will find topics regarding culture, sex, hardships, nuggets of hope, and love presented in a direct yet encouraging way. Be blessed Archives
June 2024
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