Commitment
God is committed to you. He has chosen you as His partner, and He leaves it in your hands to choose Him. He will never force you into salvation, or more of Him, but if you want either, He is ready to start leading you. We respond to Him with our words.
Once we respond to Him, we step into an adventure, and a process. The adventure begins as you start to live out the good plan He has for your life. It is a plan for greatness with Him in His kingdom (if it doesn't feel or look like that to you ask Him to show you how this is true). The process is Him leading you in a way that makes you more like Him: faithful, obedient, humble, compassionate, drawing on God's power to change the world around you. The process takes time, and the adventure unfolds.
There is a villain in this true adventure. His name is satan, and he has already lost. In fact, Jesus completely disarmed him at the cross, but being true to his character as a thief and liar, he still pretends to be in control and steals authority with his lies when he can...when we believe him, we actually enthrone him in little areas of our lives.
One of satan's favorite lies is to get you to see yourself as worthless. He takes advantage of Jesus' merciful and patient process in your life, and tries to get you to disagree with God about who you are. He says things like "you’re a hopeless sinner,""unworthy of grace,""selfish,""no discipline," "you'll never change". When he lies to you about who you are, the devil is trying to lure you into his camp and out of the camp of grace, mercy, and love.
The truth is, Jesus knows the process of changing your heart over time. He LOVES the process of changing your heart over time! Every movement of your heart towards Him, He celebrates it. Like a parent teaching a child to walk, He loves the baby steps, and He totally understands the trips, slips, and falls. You don't get mad at a toddler learning to walk when they don't walk perfectly! You get excited knowing they are on their way to walking like you do!
Immaturity is different than rebellion. God is so smart, He knows when your heart is for Him, even when your ability to obey is weak. He wants to grow you up. No one ever taught a kid anything by banishing them. You teach your kids by drawing them near and spending time with them. God wants you to run to Him when you fail, not from Him. Have confidence that He is completely committed to your success, not waiting for a chance to disqualify you!
Luke 15: 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
Once we respond to Him, we step into an adventure, and a process. The adventure begins as you start to live out the good plan He has for your life. It is a plan for greatness with Him in His kingdom (if it doesn't feel or look like that to you ask Him to show you how this is true). The process is Him leading you in a way that makes you more like Him: faithful, obedient, humble, compassionate, drawing on God's power to change the world around you. The process takes time, and the adventure unfolds.
There is a villain in this true adventure. His name is satan, and he has already lost. In fact, Jesus completely disarmed him at the cross, but being true to his character as a thief and liar, he still pretends to be in control and steals authority with his lies when he can...when we believe him, we actually enthrone him in little areas of our lives.
One of satan's favorite lies is to get you to see yourself as worthless. He takes advantage of Jesus' merciful and patient process in your life, and tries to get you to disagree with God about who you are. He says things like "you’re a hopeless sinner,""unworthy of grace,""selfish,""no discipline," "you'll never change". When he lies to you about who you are, the devil is trying to lure you into his camp and out of the camp of grace, mercy, and love.
The truth is, Jesus knows the process of changing your heart over time. He LOVES the process of changing your heart over time! Every movement of your heart towards Him, He celebrates it. Like a parent teaching a child to walk, He loves the baby steps, and He totally understands the trips, slips, and falls. You don't get mad at a toddler learning to walk when they don't walk perfectly! You get excited knowing they are on their way to walking like you do!
Immaturity is different than rebellion. God is so smart, He knows when your heart is for Him, even when your ability to obey is weak. He wants to grow you up. No one ever taught a kid anything by banishing them. You teach your kids by drawing them near and spending time with them. God wants you to run to Him when you fail, not from Him. Have confidence that He is completely committed to your success, not waiting for a chance to disqualify you!
Luke 15: 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
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