Originally published Tuesday, 17 May 2016.
There is something about growing - about knowing that you are heading you're supposed to be going. About letting life's happenings naturally becoming learnings. About seeing progress. About getting a view.
I feel that way with God too. I want to grow so high with God, I get a view of all his glorious riches, right beyond the barrier of my mind, will and ways. I want to get to where he is.
All this makes me reflect:
Am I stagnating or progressing with God?
Am I growing or regressing?
What about you?
Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me. Mt. 12:30
Often, I am not working with God. I am working with myself, for myself and by myself. It's called Kelly Utopia where everything is structured, finite and detailed. God gets in at prayer times and at extreme moments of need. Beyond that, he mostly finds himself stuck beyond the glass barriers of my bubble. I hang the sign, "Keep out God. Only Kelly's Plans Allowed."
I want to grow contagious and unstoppable faith. Perhaps, this means it is time I consider what is hindering it...
7 Actions that Stifle Unstoppable Faith
1. An oblivious heart - If you think you've got it all together, guess what?! You don't.
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Ps. 139:23
2. A stubborn will - If you never confess, you will someday attest that your life feels in the boondocks and God's gone left you.
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Rev. 2:5
3. Over-working - If you get so busy doing, that you forget to see how God is loving, you will find yourself panting and out of breath with no energy left to go anywhere.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God... (Eph. 2:8)
4. Self-thoughts - If you are thinking of self, you can't be thinking of God. If you are in your ways, you can't be in his. But, if you communing with God, you are comingling with grace. This is where growth happens. It is also called prayer.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. James 4:8
5. Knowing what is wrong and doing it anyway - Enough said.
Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. Ja. 4:17
6. Succumbing to lies - If you let in anything but truth, you will live by lies. Who have you been listening to?
You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? Gal. 5:7
7. Getting proud - You can't let in, him whom you don't think you need.
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Prov. 11:2
Now, after looking at this list, if you are anything like me, your first inclination, might be to stare in the mirror and give yourself a quick backslap for messing up so much. For doing 6 out of the above seven things. For falling so short.
Shoulders slumped, you might feel that daddy doesn't really want you anymore. This brings us back to #6, because that is a lie. God loves us. God wants us. It is for this reason he gives us these truths, these guideposts that lead us to the right way. He wants us on his trail - with him - holding his hand. He wants us in step with him. He wants connection like we do. He wants our great faith to bring us somewhere great. He is for us (Ro. 8:31).
With this, I want to let go - to God, what I have done wrong and start afresh. Do you? For God says, our sins are lost, not to ever again be found. Pardoned, for, us, those he has saved. (Jer. 50:20)
This feels like a fresh breath of air delivered like a shot to my lungs.
And, just knowing this - it also feels like growth. It feels a lot like peering over the counter right into God's face.
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