Believe You are Becoming - Encouragement Café - January 1, 2016

Believe You Are Becoming

Café Menufor Friday, January 1, 2016

Today’s Special is:  Instead of Striving To Be Better

Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Luann Prater

Main Ingredient: 

Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

Matthew 4:19-20 NKJV

Entrée:

What is it about a New Year that stirs up change? 

For me, it's a time when I analyze what's right and what's 'not-so-right' in my life.  I consider the choices I've made that turned out great, then quickly feel compelled to regret the decisions that created bumps in the road.  I stack them up on a scale and see if they balance.  They never do.  Even if the mess ups were less, they seem to carry more weight when I layer guilt and shame on top of them.

It is at those moments, I'm tempted to set unrealistic goals for the new year. 

Help more.  Work less. Visit family.  Lose weight.  Save more.  Spend less.  And on, and on, and on.

Balance.  That's the key.  Right?

I'd like to propose something different this year. 

New Year Truths:

Balance is unrealistic. 

Bumps are lessons too.

Believe you are becoming.

I've been studying a guy who got it right.  Jesus. 

His life was not balanced by the standards of those around Him.  Oh, there were pockets of time spent with family and friends, but He dedicated a great deal of life talking with His Father.  Those moments seemed to steady Him for upcoming turmoil.

Jesus realized that every interruption, every temptation, every rejection was an opportunity to help others to grow their faith.  Our bumps along life's road can be mile markers of faith stretchers.

When Jesus called His disciples, He didn't ask them to get their act together.  Nope.  He said,

Follow Me and I will make you...

The making is up to Him, the believing is up to us.

This year, let's put down the scale and simply allow The One who chose YOU and ME to 'make us'.

Take Out:

Instead of balance, blanket our day in prayer.

Instead of regret when we hit a bump, mark it as a faith-stretcher.

Instead of striving to be better, believe you are becoming.

Dessert:

Dear Heavenly Father and our Creator, may we start this year fresh and without any regrets... believing we are becoming... allowing You to make us who You want us to be.  Equip us with and teach us as our faith in You grows deeper.  In Jesus’ Name We Pray, Amen.

© 2016 by Luann Prater.  All rights reserved.

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