Category: Journey

 

What if our spiritual walk with God was like a sky diving adventure.  Think of it like this – God is our pilot, Jesus in the jump instructor and the Holy Spirit is our parachute.  We have all been offered the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.  For this analogy, the gift of salvation is like being given a sky diving experience.  We all have the opportunity to accept the gift, but many choose to not accept it.  It is not for them; they are scared of heights; they just don’t want to experience sky diving.  Those who accept the gift from the jump instructor arrive at the airport and are given sky diving instructions from the jump instructor.  They are given a jump manual (Bible) and encouraged to read it.  The manual provides instructions on how to make the sky diving experience successful and what to do when you encounter problems along the way.

When you arrive, you are given your parachute and explained how it works and how to wear it.  Before you board the plane, you put on your parachute and get ready for your adventure.  Remember, this journey was a gift and did not cost you anything.  All you were asked to do was listen to the instructions, read the manual and wear the parachute.  This is where our journey will talk about four different passengers.

Passenger 1 accepted the gift, went through the training, put on the parachute, but as they were walking towards the plane started to see all kinds of obstacles.  The plane was too small, the engines were too noisy, the seats did not look comfortable and the parachute seemed to restricting.  Passenger 1 decided to not get on the plane and was going to look for a better plane to sky dive from.

Passenger 2 went through the same steps, but got on the plane and prepared for the experience.  But as the plane reached the jump zone, passenger 2 decided he was not interested in jumping.  He liked the comfort of the plane and knowing that he was going to be safe.  The jump instructor tried to encourage passenger 2 to jump and trust him, but in the end, he refused.  He was told the parachute would protect and guide him to his destination, but the passenger just wanted to enjoy the flight and the snacks and entertainment.

Passenger 3 went through the same steps, but when the plane entered the jump zone and the door was opened, this passenger froze and was afraid to take the step of faith to make the jump.  The jump instructor encouraged him, reminded him of the instructions in the manual, explained that the parachute would be with him, but the passenger just stood at the door and froze.  Finally, after much encouragement, the jump instructor pushed the passenger out the door and his adventure began.  At first, he screamed in fear as he began falling towards the ground.  But as he caught his breath, he remembered the words of the jump instructor and pulled the release cord for his parachute.  The parachute deployed and slowed his fall.  At first the passenger did not remember what to do and just let the wind blow him where it would.  But as he remembered the words of the instructor and what he read in the manual, he started to work with parachute to guide his journey towards the destination.  He realized that the words and teaching were correct and he felt more and more comfortable as he learned to trust the parachute and he believed he would now safely arrive at destination.  Now, what is true of most first-time jumpers? They will make some mistakes and they miss the target or land too hard and injure themselves along the way, but they realize that the parachute works and the instructions are true and they want to jump again in the future.

Passenger 4 was an experienced jumper.  He had done many jumps before and he was on his next journey.  But, even though he was experienced and had been there before, he still listened to the jump instructor, still read through the manual and made sure that his parachute was safely fastened before he entered the plane.  When it was time to jump, he walked to the door, looked out and took in the beauty around him.  After a deep breath he jumped and fell towards the earth.  He enjoyed the exhilaration of the fall, but he knew his parachute was right there with him and ready to open when the time was right.  When he pulled the cord, the parachute deployed and he used it to guide him to his destination.  He hit the target and landed smoothly on his feet.

When you think of the four passengers, which one is you?  For me I have been passenger number three.  I needed to be pushed out of plane.  But after being pushed, I have enjoyed the freedom, the beauty and excitement of allowing the parachute to get me to my destination.  I have found that stepping out of my comfort zone has provided new opportunities to trust God and see Him working in ways I would have missed in the past.

I loved the Jesus Calling devotional for December 9^th.  It says:

BE WILLING TO GO OUT on a limb with Me. If that is where I am leading you, it is the safest place to be. Your desire to live a risk-free life is a form of unbelief. Your longing to live close to Me is at odds with your attempts to minimize risk. You are approaching a crossroads in your journey. In order to follow Me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish your tendency to play it safe.

 

Let Me lead you step by step through this day. If your primary focus is on Me, you can walk along perilous paths without being afraid. Eventually, you will learn to relax and enjoy the adventure of our journey together. As long as you stay close to Me, My sovereign Presence protects you wherever you go.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. —PSALM 23:4

 

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. —PSALM 9:10

 

“Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” —JOHN 12:26

 

 

One of our family’s Thanksgiving traditions is to go around the table at dinner time and share what you are thankful this year.  As my turn came, I found myself getting very emotional.  As I started to share, I realized that this year has been quite a year for me.  I have gone through a lot of change with the loss of my job, my dog and having to move my mom into a nursing facility.  But this year has also brought some incredible blessings for which I am incredibly thankful.  So I as reflect on this season, here are three things that I am thankful for:

My Family – this year we were able to add a new family member.  It was such a joy to be able to marry our son Colin and Katelyn last January.  It is so much fun to see the two of them and their love for each other.  When I lost my job, it was my family who came to my side to support and encourage me.  As I wrote my book that is coming out soon, they were there to provide input, share ideas and push me to keep moving forward.  They helped with design work and they were the reason why the book was completed and ready to print.

My relationship with God – this past year has been a year of incredible growth in understanding how God loves me.  I have learned to be better at putting my trust in Him and letting go of my own control.  Losing your job is never easy, but because of being unemployed it gave me an opportunity to put my trust in God fully, and He has not let me down.  He has provided for our needs, directed us to new opportunities and shown us that His plans are always greater than our own.  If you asked me a year ago what I would be doing now, I would never have guessed that we would have started a non-profit, a publishing company, written a book.  In addition, we are working with other non-profits and doing ministry with churches and youth in Ukraine.

Friendships – Going through difficult times really helps you see who your friends are.  This past year we have seen the encouragement from old friends and we have had the opportunity to build new friendships with the margin we now had.  It was fun to reconnect with old friends that our work had caused us to not have enough time for.  As with any change, we have also had to say goodbye to people who we no longer connected with because of not working together.

What are you thankful for this year?  What will God do in your life this next year?

Why is it so hard to truly believe that God is enough?

I have been wrestling with the idea of God being all I need. We hear the words, know that they are true, but then live our lives as if we don’t really believe that God is enough. Why else would our lives be so filled with comparison, worry and disappointment? Why is something that is so powerful and fulfilling so hard to believe and accept? Why do we chase things in our life instead of turning and falling into God’s open arms?

I have believed in God practically my whole life. I was raised in a Christian home, attended church every week and had daily devotions and prayer, but as I look back on my life, I have lived it as if God was never enough. He was part of my life, but never enough! Why did I always chase after more – more money, more friends, more responsibility, more power, more attention, more of the good life, you fill in the blank ________? Why is it so hard to turn to God for all that He promises to give to us? Why when you are disappointed or hurt do you turn to others or “self-medicating” instead of turning to God first or at all? Why is it when you feel lonely you forget to turn to God who is your friend?

I have come up with four things that I think contribute to this behavior. There are probably more, but here is what I have found to be the drivers for me:

Fear of Missing Out – It is hard to be “all in” with God when you feel like you are missing out on the fun. I am learning though, that God doesn’t want to take the fun away from you, He wants to be part of the fun!
Lack of Contentment – we always want more and it seems like we never have enough. Even though we are richly blessed and have more that we need, we want to have a bigger house, a nicer car, a better job, etc. God still gives us amazing gifts and blessings, but when we lack contentment we fail to appreciate God for what He has given us and believing that it is enough.
Feelings of Insecurity – when we think we are not good enough or when we sin, we are afraid that we have done something that will make God not love us. But we have to remember that God loves us for who we are and not for what we do or have done. His love doesn’t change. It is our feelings about our behavior that causes us to change and avoid God.
Lack of Trust and Faith – for me this has always been the biggest reason why God has not been enough. I believed that I had to work harder and that I was in control. When I learn to put my life in His hands and allow Him to guide and direct my actions, it is so much easier to trust and have faith. Over the past six months each day has been a step of faith and I am learning to let go of worry and trust Him. As I take steps of faith I am finding that God is enough!

I have learned over the last six months that I have so much greater joy when I let go of the fears and insecurities and learn to go to God first with my thoughts, needs, desires and frustrations. When I let God be enough, I don’t have to worry about not doing my share. I don’t have to worry about what others think of me. I find I am much more able to live out the “fruits of the spirit” in my life. Allowing God to live through me is so fulfilling and exciting. I wonder what I have missed out on in this life because I wanted more and couldn’t allow God to be enough?

When you are holding on to things in your life, your hands are not free to wrap them around God. You give him a partial hug because you keep your other hand holding on to what you want or try to hide it from God. Learn to let go of those things that control you so that you can learn to believe that God is enough for you.

My questions for you:

• What areas of your life do you live that show you believe God is not enough?
• What do you have to let go of so that you can put your arms around God?
• What things do you have to stop doing because it makes you feel unlovable?
• Who can you show God’s love to this week?

“God’s confirmation follows your obedience” – Steven Furtick

Have you ever read a tweet or seen a post on facebook that just hits you? You know that there is something in it that you need to do something with, but you don’t know what it is! That is what this tweet from Steven Furtick has done to me this past week! Here is what I have been processing to help explain why this has impacted me so.

I want to hear God’s confirmation before I will take action!

It is so much easier to move forward when you receive God’s confirmation, but it removes the element of trust and faith. I can say I want to follow God’s calling for me, but if I am unwilling to take a step of faith and show my trust, do I really believe? This is the case for us. We have not received our 501c3 approval from the IRS that will establish Potential Endeavors as an organization that can receive tax deductible donations, but God is telling us to move forward with ministry plans for the next year. It would be so much easier if we knew we could receive donations to help cover our costs, but still we have no confirmation. We know we should move forward and trust that God will provide.

Taking steps of faith before confirmation is scary

It is so much easier to take action when you have a clear confirmation and have received money to pay expenses. It is scary to trust God and that He will provide when we need it. Of course, I know that God is in control and He promises to give us what we need, but my human nature has a hard time not being a little scared to spend and trust.

What if I am wrong?

My mind can always get in the way of my faith. I over think things all the time. Even though we have clearly heard God’s direction for our lives and He has opened doors for ministry, I can still have doubts. What if our 501c3 is denied? What would we do if we do not get approval? Even to these doubts God provides answers. This week I was sharing our ministry plans with a friend. I shared about these doubts and what if scenarios. His response was: “If you do not get approval, I know of other organization that you could partner with that would allow you to receive donations for your ministry.” Why do I have doubts when God speaks so very clearly?

What is confirmation? How is it different than following God direction?

This gets back to the original tweet. In reality God just wants my obedience to follow Him and do His work. He has shown us the opportunities where we can be involved, He has opened the doors and now it is up to us to walk through them. We must show our faith by trusting and believing! When we do our part, I believe that God will provide His confirmation in a way that enables Him to be glorified and not our actions.

Some questions for you as you read this today:

• Where does God want you to show your obedience?
• What confirmation are you waiting for before you take a step of faith?
• What doubts do you need to let go of?