God is not known around here for doing things quickly. He said “soon” to me once… fifteen years ago!
He is known for doing things thoroughly. A job isn’t done until every little part is turned over and examined for faults, cracks, flaws and anything found which doesn’t let the Son shine through, is dealt with properly, until you can’t see the welds, the mends, the fixed up spots… It all looks better than new.
I often forget there was anything wrong in the first place, which is a blessed relief in a lot of cases!
…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (NIV)
I find it helpful (read: relief!) to remember God is not going to leave the not-fun stuff alone until it’s fixed.
Because His timing doesn’t happen yesterday- the way I sure would prefer He did things sometimes- one of the things I find really helpful is to have on hand the picture God has given me of the way He sees me, the person He made me to be, the purpose I was made for, my reason, the names God alone calls me.
It's like having an anchor. Particularly when I hadn’t grown into the picture God had of me yet, and before I understood the implications of those things on my life and the way I see myself into the future. (I still haven't grown into it completely, but it's getting better)
Being able to live in a place of trust, particularly when God says something about us which we don’t believe about ourselves yet is a sure-fire way to accelerate our maturity and bring about the breakthroughs we have been longing for.
“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24 (NIV)
What does God say about you that you need to keep in the front of your conscious awareness?
Are there descriptive words? Like beautiful, elegant, worthy, strong?
Is it a mission statement? Defining verses?
When we choose to take God at His word, when we take His words and speak them back to Him, He will not remain silent. In that moment, the word of God becomes what He intended it to be, and all of Heaven works to ensure it comes to pass.
Sitting here inside time, we can feel like it’s taking forever, but from where God sits, it has already happened, and is already happening and will happen, because He made time and isn’t controlled by it.
If you already have your defining words, verses, mission statement, prophetic words or other things but you don’t have them collected into one place, take the time to fish them out, write them on cards and keep them in your wallet or handbag.
If you don’t feel like you have those yet, let’s take the time to ask God very specifically for them…
“Jesus, I want to be all the person you created me to be, share with me who you know me to be; your picture of who I am, so I can hold onto it while I am becoming all of who I am in you. Please set me up to win at this.”
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13 (NIV)
We aren’t supposed to just endure this life waiting for heaven. God has always had you specifically in His mind and heart.
There is a purpose for each of us, and we aren’t supposed to figure that out by accident or by chance. It’s written into our DNA, in the things we love, in the things we would choose to do if money wasn’t an issue, if we had a thousand years to live and could do anything we wanted all the time. Also, we have Jesus, and if anyone knows what’s going on, it’s Him.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5 (NIV)
Having a handle on our purpose, having words or verses to describe our personal mission statement, give us something to anchor ourselves to. When we know why we are here, we know what we need to say yes to and what it’s ok to say no to. What fits with who God made us to be, and what is someone elses’ responsibility.
Jesus had a mission statement. He knew what He was here for, it’s the verses He read out in the synagogue, recorded in Luke Chapter 4, He was reading from Isaiah 61. We are not expected to do anything less than He did.
Ask Him what’s going on, He will tell you. God loves to engage with us, to do life with us, to share His heart with us.
This could be the most revolutionary work we do with Jesus in our whole life.
God Bless You Very Much
Anita