Day 21 -He doesn’t need you.

{If you are here visiting from She Seeks today, I want to say a big HI THERE! to you. I’m in the middle of a 30-day journey on this blog so you might feel a little lost but I want you to settle right in and feel at home…welcome to my journey.}

For the past few days I have taken notice of something.

I am so sick of asking people,  “How are you?” and hearing, “I am just so busy.”

Now hear me say this…I am just as busy as you are. This isn’t a post about who is busier. Ok?

Because the truth is, we could all go back and forth with the “I have this and this and this” and “You have this and this and this.” We are all busy!

But somehow, this “I’m busy” garbage has turned into something dangerous spiritually. Its becoming one of the greatest excuses to not further the Kingdom of God.

We’ve  turned our busy lives right into an excuse. An excuse to be lazy before God. To just “show up” at our appointments through out the day. Or to “show up” at Church on Sundays. And the worst? To “show up” in our daily one-on-one time with God.

We think:

Well, today is so busy if I just open my Bible, God will speak.

I have got so much going on but if I just show up at church and sing these words on this screen, I am worshiping God.

And I am busy this week but I know I have to make my appearance at my volunteer position because they need me.

This might offend you [but that’s ok, Jesus is in the offending business]: God doesn’t need you to show up.

I’m seeing something happen all across our nation. God is moving. In ways I have never seen Him move before. And people are missing out because they are just “showing up”.

The Kingdom of God is advancing and either we are on board with this movement or we are not. There is no in-between.

I hate to even start thinking about all the opportunities I have missed in advancing the gospel because I had this mentality that I just needed to “show up” for things.

I’ve been so frustrated with the idea of  following Christ half-way.

When we choose and yes, I said choose, to just “show up”…we miss it.

Church’s and ministries are suffering everywhere because the leaders are choosing to just show up, punch a time-clock and be able to say, “OK Jesus, I did my part today.”

Whatever.

He doesn’t need us.

Jesus reminded us of this in the story of Mary and Martha.

Martha was one of these women who would answer the how are you question with, “I’m just so busy.” Mary [her sister] was the opposite. The Bible says that Martha was distracted by all the “things” she was doing.

I can’t help but think how many people “show up” in life distracted, missing it all by all the things they have going on.

In Luke 10:41 Jesus [the guy in the offending business] hits a home run with this statement:

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken from her.”

Showing up. Being busy. Going through the motions. Punching a time-clock.

These things? They will be taken from us.

But the moments of opportunity to arrive before God waiting and expectant to grab hold of the vision He has for our lives and pass it on, this can never be taken.

We are all on this team together. But some of us may choose to just “show up” and others of us will choose to always have something to sow back into this world.

Those that choose to sow they will get it and will multiply the Kingdom.

Its not always visible. There may not be immediate results. But the more we go beyond showing up…the more God will move in our lives.

How exciting to think if we will jump on this movement full speed ahead, nothing can stop us from receiving our destiny and purpose that will go beyond our wildest dreams!

But I feel as though someone may need to hear this truth….

We have to embrace the place God has us in…today. Our days are not just filled with opportunities. They are filled with holy obligations to represent Jesus in the fullest capacity possible. And He will not take us to the next place until He has found us faithful in the first place.

Faithful.

Not just showing up.

So today, I am challenged to ask God to make me spiritually bankrupt in every aspect of the “things” I do today. May I pour everything out of me, give it my all and rock these truths in my heart all day long.

I don’t want to miss it.