just mundane?

This morning I have been feeling burdened to be praying about a conversation I had last night:

I was with a group of friends and we were talking about what faith is and isn't. Someone asked what Christ followers are supposed to live like in light of Christ's return and an eternity in heaven. I started sharing about living abandoned to God - that willingness to give up, lay aside, sacrifice - whatever God asks - to live the kind of life He is calling us to. I said I have never known someone like that (I have read about them).

Then someone else said - What if God needs people just to plod along and do the mundane things? ... I don't disagree that the mundane needs to get done - I do it all the time around my home and in my life. But do I think that God has called us to be His followers - His disciples - His people - JUST to do the mundane - no I do not think that at all! I said as much ... Look at all the amazing people - regular people like the disciples who did amazing things with the gifts that God gave them. They were wide open submitted to Jesus, full of the Spirit... and they helped change the whole world forever. Why can't we be like that too! We need to exercise the faith we have been given! We need to start moving forward and begin making small sacrifices now - learning what its like - so that when Jesus asks us to make bigger ones we are ready.

Oh how I wanted to scream after last night - and all the apathy, indifference, questioning looks,  and even a look of disdain - at the notion that maybe we aren't living as Christ has called us to. How lazy and weak and tired we all are! I know I have much more to learn and grow, sacrifice and do!

Father, rain down Your Spirit on us! Change us, open us, free us from ourselves! Oh change me God - I don't want to be this version of myself ever again - I want to be full of You! Full of love and grace - and I want to be a part of the amazing things You have planned - show me what to do!



Luke 9: 23-25
Then he (Jesus) said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?

Romans 12: 1-2
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

a better plan

I have been going back and forth in a conversation with myself and others about God's sovereignty and our responsibility/free will. I know it is an never-ending circle - no one can ever win this argument. As soon as you argue too much on one side - you lose too much on the other. In the end it is a both/and. God is sovereign and yet somehow we are free to choose. Most of our conversation has been about prayer - does faith play a part, do I need to pray, do my prayers make a difference.... etc.

For me though, God's sovereignty was never in question - I do believe He is in control of all things - and is weaving together all things for His glory and our highest good and joy. My problem is knowing just what my responsibility is. We are called to be co-laborers, not to harden our hearts, to ask, and pray, be persistent, to persevere in prayer, and express our faith - what does all of that mean , look like? Why, what is it all for - if He knows the end - and has control over the end - how do we participate in all of it?

I don't know... my greatest thought on all of it is that somehow in our finite portion of life - it matters. And besides all of that He has commanded us in all these things. So I can either choose to obey and step out in faith and expect Him to lead me along just like He says He will - trusting His character, or I can sit back and do nothing and miss out on being a part of what He is doing.

Either way there will be suffering - that's what this life offers in the end ... but if I am willing to suffer along with Jesus - in whatever He may choose for me - I can experience His mercy, grace, and joy in all of that suffering. The latter sounds like a better plan to me.

As I have gone around and around on this, a theme has kept coming up - a friend put into just the right words for me ... we are spiritually lazy. We have not be doing our part - however meager it may be. We are called to pray, to persist, to have amazing faith, to not harden our hearts, to persevere in prayer, to sacrifice, to speak out the truth, to evangelize - the list could go on forever ... and we simply are not doing it enough. We are not stepping out in faith trusting that God will supply the things that we need in whatever He has called us to. In fact we are not even listening to the call. We are not putting ourselves before Him listening for our call to action. We are not willing to be fools for Him, we are not willing to sacrifice our time, sleep, tv, food, or whatever - to pray, pray and pray some more and then go and do the things He has called us to.

I have been reading a book - Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret. I just started reading it yesterday and already I am struck by his amazing faith. His total willingness to sacrifice, and sacrifice, and sacrifice for the Lord. He lived utterly on faith - it's almost ridiculous to read  - I can hardly believe its true! He always expected the Lord to show up and do amazing things - and God did. I have never seen faith like this - I have never known anyone that has lived this kind of poured out life.

It makes me want to pray a lot more. It makes me want to give up more of my crap and be free from it. It makes me want to sacrifice time, food, pleasure - all of those things to see more of the Lord. It makes me want to have more faith - so God can do even more amazing things through me.