My Response to God is Yes

Has there ever been something in your life you really loved?  Well I have had a number of things I can truly say I've loved. But here's a thought.

What if God required the very thing you love? Can you freely let it go?

I have found myself in this place many times, and somehow it never gets any easier. I have had to let go of positions, people, homes, and even some dreams. This is a subject I was really trying to avoid because for some, it can be a real downer. Yet, it is a reality in the lives of those who are true followers of Christ. I started writing on this particular subject about two or three weeks ago and then I erased it. I just didn't want to face the direction I knew I was moving in.

Now, I realize it was fear gripping me all along. More than likely, the very reason why I had to let go was because it became a weight and such a great longing.  God will have no other God's before Him.

The good part is, you can't beat God giving. No matter what it is that God requires of you, or when you decide to release something back to God, it positions you to receive even more.  The hard part is convincing ourselves to let go.

Recently, I admitted to falling in love with someone.  I thought if I confessed it, somehow things would change, but nope. However, the freedom I've discovered through this process was, it was never about me loving him or even having to let him go, but how I viewed God. 

Moreover, the most important thing in this process is keeping your heart open and pliable in God's hands. Once you decide to let go, can you still love freely. Your heart condition is "key" to the effectiveness in how or if God can even use you.

I can see so many things God is doing to bring true change, first, within myself, then God can use me the way in which He desires to bring transformation to this world. Its a purpose producing life.  I'm sorry its not pretty or perfect, but it is real and powerful for the Kingdom of God. Its not for the faint of heart, but for those who will endure to the end; at all costs.

So the question still remains, what are you willing to give to fulfill your purpose?

    

Trees of Righteousness

Recently, I have been seeking the Lord for answers about where I am and how this place applies to my future.  What I discovered was the "fruit" God was pruning me for to produce from my life. I strongly believe in being what I preach to others.  Paul in the bible talks about not being made ashamed after you have preached, or becoming disqualified. Meaning, after you have given truth to others, yet, you have not allowed truth to minister back to you. This whole concept reminds me of a love affair between two people who go back and forth expressing their love for one another.

Well, that's exactly what it is.....

Its the love affair between me and my heavenly Father. It is through this love affair that we truly discover who and where we are. And like all love affairs, there are rough spots. My love affair with the Lord is no different. Just like any love relationship, it gets hard and we sometimes feel like giving up.  Often, we make the mistake of not continuing in a certain direction because it doesn't feel good. However, in reality the answer is to continue on and never give up in spite of how you might feel.

You have made a commitment to LOVE....

I'm reminded when I was a teenager, I rededicated my life to the Lord. I was so full of zeal and fire, there was absolutely no stopping me. I accomplished so many things because I was on fire. However, as time went on, there became a lack of luster in my walk.  There were many betrayals and losses along the way that caused me to re-think how I felt about life and about people in general.  Throughout this process the one thing that never changed was the commitment I made to the Lord. Yet it was the one thing constantly being challenged to press through. It is no different in our love relationships. It starts out really hot and somewhere down the line, the feeling changes and we sometimes let go, or even ponder letting go.

The real victory is in FINISHING what you committed to do....

As of recently, the Lord has made this revelation so clear to me with the help of a very dear friend of mine.  God has used this brother to help me clear the path for love to operate in my life like never before.  I have discovered that when God brings people in our lives, we've got a choice to make. Those relationships are either short lived, seasonal, or lifelong. It is what we do from moment to moment in those relationships that will determine the longevity of that state. Remember, people are people and we all make mistakes. 

We are mirrors for one another and sometimes, we get irritated with one another because we really need to check ourselves instead of the other person, but often, we readily place blame on the other person when its really an inward issue we need to address and change. Anyway, I said all this to say, through this revelation, I have discovered love in someone that has changed my entire way of pursuing my own dreams. Everything within me wants what is best for him, more than anything else, even if it was to let him go.  

OKAY, there I said it...I'm in love.

In seeking the Lord, and pursuing God's presence, I not only grew closer to the father, but I found love in someone else. I had no idea or plan of this, but it is a reality in my life. I've just decided to not ignore what's in my heart any longer.  There are a great number of things I'm not sure of, but one thing is for certain, this love is real. I choose to openly receive it and freely give it back.  I'm not afraid anymore.

I welcome all that God is doing in my life and I'm so grateful for the love that is in my heart.