I fell into the ever so common place where I know many Christians have fallen.
It's not so much a place as it is a mindset.
A mindset that is heavily shaped by culture.
Christian culture to be exact.
Not necessarily the Bible, but rather that Christian culture that we allow ourselves to follow.
That we allow ourselves to be shaped by.
Shaped without turning to scripture to either back it up, clarify it, or shine light on the falsity.
We get stuck with these beliefs or ideas that we think are right because it's what we are always told or taught but something about it doesn't always click. For some reason we profess it but we can't fully back it up. Not with scripture. Not with our own experiences. Maybe you know what I am talking about. Maybe you don't.
Well this mindset issue I had. The one that I didn't really know I was in until it clicked one day.
GOD'S WILL
The mindset I was in was holding me back. I was taught time after time to wait on God's Will. To not push my own agenda. To simply sit back and pray about it. Wait until I hear God's voice. Wait until I hear the exact details to my next step.
Because of this mindset I had, I kept myself back from too many opportunities. Now I am not saying don't wait on God. Please don't get me wrong. But I am saying that something clicked one day and I realized that alot of times God has opened the doors, given us the tools, and prepared us for the opportunity but because we haven't heard the "go get 'em!" we sit and wait.
We are called to action!
This book I recently read helped me with my click.
(this is a long quote but it needs to be in here)
the naked GOSPEL
"Having gone through such a stressful decision-making process, I was determined to find out the truth about the will of God. As I consulted Scripture, I discovered that the will of God boils down to the following:
- that none perish but all believe (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9)
- that salvation come to the Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 1:5-2:22)
- that we present our bodies to him every day (Romans 12:1-2)
- that we bear much fruit (John 15:8; Colossians 1:9-12)
- that we pray throughout our lives (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
God's will is essentially that Christ live in us and express himself through us as we are transparent before him.
The scriptural view of God's will turned out to be dramatically different from what I had heard. This put an end to my perpetual wondering about whether or not I was "in God's will" with regard to daily decision making.
In discovering that God's will is Christ in me and Christ through me, I could see that God was behind every door, even the door of sin. I'm not saying that sinning is OK or that God wants us to sin. Of course not! What I mean is that whether or not I choose a particular door in life, God will always be there. He will be there because he's in me. He's not just with me, but he's in me. So wherever I go, there he is!"
-Andrew Farley, the naked GOSPEL (pages 210-211)
God allowed me to read this at the exact time that I needed it, my last plane ride home from Haiti. It gave me reassurance in my pursuit of returning to Haiti next year. That's a whole nother blog with a new set of thoughts though. Knowing what I now know, I am pursuing life with a new mindset.
Thank you Jesus.
