There’s a feeling inside my soul today, one that I can’t just shake. Its that feeling that a breakthrough is about to happen in my life but breakthroughs often bring burdens first.
And I have felt a great deal of them this past week:
Failure.
Frustration.
Fear.
Funk.
I heard a shocking statistic on the radio the other day. 90% of people who feel called into the ministry give up before they reach their goals. 90%. That’s an enormous amount of called people.
But I get it, I completely get it. Its hard to keep pressing on. People think your crazy, a know-it-all, a self-promoter, that you think you think your the greatest thing since sliced bread. They do. And facebook, twitter and blogs only make it all worse. It takes nothing for a person to sit behind a computer and click out a bunch of words that mean nothing without action.
So how do you separate passions, desires, longings from the opinion of others. How do you press on towards the calling on your life regardless of what value others place on you?
I tend to complicate things in my mind, and today the Lord has just really rushed over me with a very simple concept.
Spiritual growth and maturity come from a place of not being spiritually needy. What do I mean by that? I mean by being confident in the person God has created you to be.
Spiritual maturity is not found on facebook, twitter or blogs. While many things I read online do inspire me to become a greater individual most of what I read leaves me have that feeling of needing to follow the flock.
I will not find my value in following the flock and neither will you.
My value comes from the secret places that Christ walks through in my soul day-by-day. The secret place where no one goes but Jesus.
He knows that I’d rather see someone come to know Christ just one more time than to ever see my name on a book.
He knows that my heart aches for those mistreated from the body of Christ and what a burden I have for them.
He knows how I long to see women become passionate for God to use their failures, their mistakes and their wrong-turns for His good.
He knows….He knows.
And today, that is more than enough. My value isn’t found in the eyes of others. It is found in Him. While its easy to want to walk away like the other 90% of believers do from their calling…I know there’s a greater purpose to pressing on than I can ever imagine. And you dear friend need to believe that too.
Don’t give up. Let the haters hate. Let the judgers judge. Press on. Believe. And above all else know that your value in His eyes is more than you would ever imagine.
I know, it’s hard being nice when you are being chased by the devil but keep telling him where to take the burdens he keeps bringing you.
Those burdens you and I feel are a good thing, because they mean…the breakthrough is on its way.
[Congratulations to Terri you are the winner of Free and Fun Friday! Please email me at nickikoziarz@yahoo.com so we can get your book to you.]
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Oh friend I love you…thanks for this post straight from the heart. For today it sings in tune with mine! I share my verse of the day with you today…
“This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints” Rev 13:10.
Girl…you just keep on keeping on in Him! He truly smiles upon you, His beautiful daughter. And I will keep on keeping on up here in this windy cold pacific northwest…knowing that I have a friend who sings in tune with my heart out there! I love you!
Nichole, you are such an awesome God-girl. Love that verse. You keep on keeping on too! 🙂 Love you!
how do you keep pressing on when it seems like anything you do have the adverse or reerse action that you (And hopefully God) intended? What if people simply assume you are one way and do not take the time to ask you differently? Thank you for this post. I have been fighting the devil on this here recently, but I don’t know what my focus should be- clearing Christ’s name by admitting that I am the one that falls short and not Him? How can I confront these people when they will not confront me?
LyndieBug, thanks so much for your questions. It sounds like what I’m hearing you say is that you are being misjudged for the person that you are and you feel the need to explain your shortcomings by stating that you are human and not perfect? I hope I got that right. 🙂
First, I don’t think its ever our responsibility to explain ourselves to others. Sometimes there are going to be people in our lives who just don’t get us…and that is ok. If the person feels like you have wronged them in some way then it may be something for you to look at and consider. But at the end of the day its about being found right in the eyes of God…not in the eyes of man.
Confrontation is not my specialty 🙂 but I have found that by just being honest with someone is a good way to start. But this isn’t my greatest place of action…I struggle with it. I like everyone to live in fairytale land where we all just love each other and smile happily ever after. 🙂 But the truth that I have come to discover and be ok with is…there are just going to be some people in this world that we don’t like and they don’t like us. And…its ok. We are not here to be best friends with everyone.
So…those are my thoughts, for what they are worth. 🙂 Let me know what you think and we can continue this conversation. Thanks again for your question!
Nicki, The heart of your message is the flag flying high on my ship, my dear.
“My value comes from the secret places that Christ walks through in my soul day-by-day. The secret place where no one goes but Jesus….He knows how I long to see women become passionate for God to use their failures, their mistakes and their wrong-turns for His good.” Amen in the biggest way.
God shows us such favor to reach into the lives of other women and lift their faces to see Him as He really is. Oh, who can resist that kind of God.
Keep going. The race carved out for us is sweet but involves sweat and, at times, going it alone with God when it keeps us on His course. Being alone is one of those illusions, though–we’re surrounded by a great cloud of witness…and I’m out here running with you, too.
You encourage my heart. 🙂
I must say, I was shocked to read that statistic. Wow. And the thing is, I get it, too. It seems so much easier to just give up. THANK YOU for the encouragement NOT to give up.
Oh…and I love these lines, too…”My value comes from the secret places that Christ walks through in my soul day-by-day. The secret place where no one goes but Jesus.”
Pressing on,
K 🙂
Great post mate.
nice post. thanks.
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