Life Inspired

While driving into work the past few days, I've been hit with a series of questions/desires that I just can't seem to get off my mind. The questions only got deeper as I went through my work day and listened to one of the recent sermon series at LifeChurch.tv. A guest speaker from Hillsong Church in Australia, literally shook me to my core, to the point where I feel like I can do nothing until I'm living the life that Christ has called me to.

The question that keeps arising is, "what am I doing here?" or "Am I doing what I know I'm called to be doing?" or "Is this the life I've always dreamed of/desired to have?". The answer has been a resounding "NO!". Every question that comes to mind lately is about me living in my "safety zone" and refusing to push myself to take a risk. And I'm frustrated daily with the fact that I doubt my ability to do the great things that have been laid on my heart. I hate the fact that I often don't believe that God is big enough to provide for me and get me to where He has called me to be. So I sit, lingering on life, thinking, "well, once this happens, then I'll go" or "when my prayers are answered I'll have the courage to risk.". I've realized that all my worrying about the future is only holding me back from taking the steps necessary to even have a future in the first place. The baby steps along the way are often the milestones of a life forever changed. I was reminded by a dear friend of mine that sometimes I need to just sit, wait, listen to the Lord, and work diligently towards what He's called me to -instead of planning everything and hoping it happens all at once one day.

Christine Caine, from Hillsong, said it best in her sermon at LifeChurch, "We often get too busy to stop and see what's staring us in the face." And that's what I see my life as... this constant rat race to get here or there, and filling my life with busyness instead of purpose. Stop and listen to what's going on around us- and we may be surprised at the opportunities that lie in our own life. We, as Christians, get ourselves so busy that we don't want to get involved in the needs of those around us because we're just too overwhelmed with the everyday. But I ask, what would Christ have us do? What did He do in His own life on this earth? He stopped... He listened... He cared for the needs of those around Him. His schedule was flexible - if He saw a need He took as much time as was necessary to fulfill it. No matter what the circumstances, even if it meant Christ staying up all night or walking for days - He gave His very life for the good of others, that they may be healed and uplifted.

The most incredible part of history that we should all learn from is that the Greatest People of Influence were not people who sat back and lived the "safe" life. Look at people like the Apostle Paul, Abraham Lincoln, Billy Graham, Ronald Reagan, C.S. Lewis - to name a few, people of ordinary position who decided to take life and make it extraordinary. Thus, World Changers are invariably Risk Takers. Pushing themselves beyond what's comfortable toward what shakes them to their core - what brings them alive - what keeps them awake at night because of the injustice. World Changers choose unwavering determination when fear so often grips them - actively pursuing great things, saved lives, and changed destiny's.

There's a choice to make - we can live the safe, predictable life with the 3 car garage home in the safe neighborhood, with the good schools, and the 1.5 children that we'll have, never really growing beyond what the social world deems "normal". OR, we can set out in determined faith to the life of adventure, danger, and opportunity. The enemy tells us that risk is scary, not not step out in faith but to sit back in crippling fear of failure. But the truth of the matter is that we can't live the safe life if we want to make a difference. So we have a choice to make...

Safety bubble or Risky Business?

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." - Eph. 2:10

"But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." - Rom. 8:24-25

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT!" - Prov. 3:5-6