Day 31

Day 31:  Immeasurably More Finale

         This series has been such a blessing for me.  First, I challenged myself to write for 31 straight days.  I am new to this whole blog world and writing frequently and didn’t really think I would be able to complete the 31 Days of Writing.  I thought life would get in the way, things would happen, I would chicken out, but I didn’t!  Second, I was challenged by the content of the 31 Days of Immeasurably More.  God has done a working! (a Southern phrase I grew up hearing)  I have grown spiritually once again.  In my Christian walk I always think I may have hit the pinnacle of learning at times and God shows up in a whole new way!

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than 

all we ask or imagine, according to his power 

that is at work within us to him be glory in the church 

and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,

for ever and ever!” Ephesians 3:20-21

In my first post of this series I talked about how much I had wasted opportunities to allow the Lord to work in and through me.  I did not waste these 31 Days of Writing not one day.  I allowed the Lord to work on me through a cleansing of my heart, a spiritual rinsing of my spirit.  I took a clear look deep into my heart and my relationship with Christ, cleaning out the stuff to allow the Holy Spirit of move more freely.  This allowed the Lord to do Immeasurably More in me.

As I allowed the Lord to do Immeasurably More in me God’s glory was put on display!  The Immeasurably More that the Lord worked through me began a look at the places where I could put His glory on display.  Revealing His glory began with Love, His love.  Not making it about me but about Him.  We walked through ways that we can allow the Lord to do Immeasurably More through us.  We are fighting the Good Fight together in living out the love of God and the love for others.

Thank you for taking this walk with me through the season of living, loving and growing according to His power!  I am blessed beyond measure for participating in #write31days.  Thank you to The Nester for the idea and the encouragement.  Thank you to the amazing Facebook group that was there everyday encouraging, reading and commenting.  Thank you to my amazing husband who has edited all of my posts with nothing but incredible encouragement.  Thank you to our mighty God for His Love.

I will be back blogging every Monday, I hope you come back to visit.  I will also be back in October 2015 for another #write31days.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…

Day 30

Day 30:  The Good Fight

       As Christians we are in a fight!  Every day we fight against our sinful nature and the world’s views.  The enemy uses every opportunity to attack us and separate us from the Immeasurably More God is doing in us and through us.  It is confirmed every time I begin to make incredible changes in my life, when I am letting God’s glory shine, I come under attack one way or another.  The enemy does not want us to be a light and let God’s glory shine. 

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking

for someone to devour.” 1Peter 5:8

       We have to be alert to fight the good fight at all times.  To wage this battle we need to stay in God’s Word and connected to the Holy Spirit.  Staying close to God and knowing His love in our lives we are able to represent the love of God to others. 

“The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” 1Timothy 1:5

       The love of God and the love for others is lived out with a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith.  A pure heart is pure motivation based on who God is, loving without self-intent and without personal gain.  It is asking if my actions are motivated by love of me and my agenda or by God and His love for me.  A good conscience is an inner awareness of moral quality of my actions.  Am I doing things for one person and one person only---God?  Sincere faith comes from being ready to listen to truth and have the desire to do what is right.

       Living out the love of God and the love for others is fighting the good fight.  Fighting the good fight allows the Lord to do Immeasurably More in and through us to glorify Him.

       Can you take a look at how the love of God and the love for others is being lived out?  Are there ways you can make changes to allow God to do Immeasurably More in and through you?  Can you love and live for the glory of God?

      

Day 29

                     Day 29: Well Done vs. Well Said

In the Christian world we know the phrases that catch our attention and let us know that others are believers.  Blessings.  I will pray for you.  God bless you.  There are people that you talk with that can quote scripture at the drop of a hat.  They can judge and condemn others with a Christian twist of praying for them.  They talk about how much time they spend at church and they sit in the same pew/seat every week.  They talk about the committees they oversee.  I have heard many sermons on the ‘talk’ of Christianity. 

When we are seeking for God to do Immeasurably More in us and then through us we stop talking and start the walk.  Walking in Immeasurably More, acting in Immeasurably More gets us out of the talk and into the action.  What is your talk of faith doing to impact the lives of others?  This is where Well Said becomes Well Done.      

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”  Matthew 25:21

This is what I want my Master to say to me!  Well Done.  To live the Immeasurably More that I know God wants to do through me I have to know that it is not in my power but through the power of Him through me.  This is more than words.  It is profound obedience.  It is fighting for justice for those who cannot fight for themselves.  It is being the advocate for someone who cannot advocate for themselves.  It is teaching by example, not telling.  It is sacrifice.

      

Can you become profoundly obedient in the calling God has on you living a Well Said life that leads to the Immeasurably More He wants to do through you?  Are you ready to sacrifice your words for the action it requires?

Day 28

Day 28:  My Mission Field

       All of my life I feel I was called to work in the mission field.  As a small child I wanted to be a nun and work in an orphanage.  Then in my early teen years I knew I wanted to be a nurse and mom, but still had a powerful feeling that I was to do mission work.  I knew God had put this on my heart.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Ephesians 2:10

       When I met my husband and we were married, life became very busy and fast.  I still thought about mission work but knew I wouldn’t be able to do the type of mission work I wanted to do at that time.  I put the work on the back burner, even though it still burned in my heart.  Over the years we did work in each of the communities we lived in with soup kitchens and homeless shelters among others. 

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

       I wanted to go to a poor country and help the orphans and widows.  God had a different plan.  I didn’t go to a mission field that was desolate and in despair as I had envisioned.  We found ourselves in a place where people calculate success based on their personal performance.  They are many times rising in the social realm of fame and finances in a extreme way.  We found our mission field in Major League Baseball.  What?  I had not desire to be in a mission field of wealthy young men and women who were in need of nothing.  These people are not in desperation for Jesus.  They have food and shoes. I wanted hungry shoeless children to serve.

       We are very happy to be part of the baseball family.  However, it took a while to see that this was the mission field God wanted to use us in to do Immeasurably More through us.  Once I evaluated my heart and truly listened for what God wanted me to do for Him, I enjoy our mission field.  There is a need, they NEED Christ.  We ALL need Christ, the flesh counts for nothing, it is not what WE do but what HE does.

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.” John 6:63

       We were fortunate to be involved in a World Series.  After we won I saw one of our players who had been a large contributor to the wins, standing by himself watching the team celebrate.  I walked up to him, congratulated him and asked if he was ok.  His response sticks with me as I serve in the mission field God has placed me in.  His response was, “I am just standing here thanking Jesus that I have Him.  I have always wanted this,” he gestured to the celebration of a World Series win, “but if this was all the hope I had it would be over in less than an hour.  I have Jesus and His hope for eternity.”

       I work in the mission field that Jesus has given me with that thought, ‘I have Jesus and His hope for eternity.’  No matter the wins or losses, the success or injuries, the fame or money, I want them all to know the hope of Jesus.  I have accepted the mission work that God has given me to display His glory in the Immeasurably More He is doing through me!

       Are you hanging on to a Mission Field that the Lord hasn’t prepared for you?  Do you need to submit to the work God has for you at this time?  Look at the place the Lord has placed you and evaluate the mission field the Lord has you in to display His glory in the Immeasurably More He wants to do through you!