The You God’s Called You to BE–Dropping Legalistic To-Do’s (#Empowered by the Spiritual Life)

Posted By T.H.Meyer | 0 comments


I’ve looked at what someone else is doing and think, “I must do that too.” I’ve been drawn away from my own path by the bright and shiny, other thing. I’ve been lured out, more from pressure to measure up, rather than measured steps of the Holy Spirit.  I’ve compared. I’ve competed. I’ve people-pleased my way into heavy yokes. Then, I’ve crammed someone’s square talent into my round one, shoving the bulging sides and forcing it in.

 

Our difference gives us our uniqueness. There are parts of the Bride that burn with evangelism. They speak of brimstone and hot lakes, and also a better way both for here and the here-afters.  We need these fire-snatchers. But what if I’m more of a liberator than a snatcher?

 

What if I’m more of a home open-up-ener,  or a spirit discern-er, or an encourage-er, or a tongue interpret-er, or a prophet, or any number of other things? What if I was only capable of putting one foot in front of the other, engaged in loving the Lord with all my heart, mind, and soul?

 

In the past, I’ve worked just because that’s what Christians do, right? I’ve volunteered umpteen hours and then, an umpteen more. I’ve followed the creed of programs versus the creed of Christ. I’ve burned myself out, like any dying star that becomes a blackhole of weariness and expectation, snuffing out light. I’ve forgotten my first Love. I’ve fallen under the spell of legalism, a system more concerned with my physical efforts than my spiritual growth. I’ve gone wayward. I’ve been crushed by my observations of others not doing what Jesus would do, because that’s all I knew a Christian to be.

 

spiritual revival

 

But there’s more to the Christian life, than watching others live a WWJD-life. There’s more to reading the Bible and seeing plain, ol’ words. Instead, the pages have potential to revive our weary, earth-burdened bones with each turn as if a living letter, each verse signed with “xoxo’s.”

 

Spiritual revival has no time limit, no expirations. We are awakened and re-awakened in our pursuit of Christ. Being empowered by the spiritual life means our surrendered will comes under-Savior and Lord. It’s both thrilling and terrifying. Only God knows where this kind of faith leads.

 

And we’re never too old to start, again. We have a choice. We can go home. We can become acquanted with Jesus like friends rocking on the porch of familiarity, so close, our knees touch. We could pour out our hearts while He leans into our soul, catching up from our absence. We could listen. We could sit forward, elbows on knees, ready for whatever comes next. We could study Him, the Person, the Spirit, and learn more of God. We could make Him a lifeline, a lifetime of loving because He first loved us. We could be modern day John’s and John-ettes with our heads near His heart.

 

Only through an intimate relationship with Jesus, do we begin to know who we are. Only then, do we become aware of the gifts we’d held all along. We finally come into our own. We come into God. We come by the Spirit of Christ, Himself.

 

We not only believe what He is calling us to do, we accept it. We no longer worry about our gifts being “right.” We worry about our gifts being right on time. We worry that fear will hinder us or that boldness will fail us. But we no longer wring our hands with, “Why this one, God?” Instead, we sense our own vapor fading like the grass that whithers away. And we wax between, urgency, stillness, fire-in-our-bones, and silence that stills our voice.

 

We will be resisted. We will be side tracked. We will be degraded {by others or ourself}. We will think we’re not doing enough of something else. We may get frantic. Many things may happen, yet we keep our eyes firmly fixed.

 

Not one of us looks exactly alike. In other words, one gift might go upstream like a salmon, fighting the current, because it’s your season to go. Or one might be a stink bug, rolling off one ball of dung after another. One might be an eagle, flying high above the earth while others look on in hopes they to attain such lofty freedom. One might be a black bear, mostly hidden, but fierce enough to tear apart any predators, should one appear. One might be a yellow labrador, prone to naps and mad tail wagging, sweet-natured and devoted. One might be a red wasp, who goes about its business for the most part, until there’s a threat to life or home when the stinger comes out.

 

If we all operated the same, we wouldn’t have the Body. Instead, we’d have pieces of it–dismembered.

 

So, we make room. We fling open the doors of our heart and soul for the Spirit to fit us for Gifts that keep us on our knees. We can be brave or trembling toward the next God-thing, but we’ll not waste it. We’ve decided. We’ll follow Jesus. We’ll lay down (hindering) doctrines or our sense of control. We lay down our very life, only to be raised up, empowered by the Spirit.

 

It’s that simple. It’s also that hard too.

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There’s still time to enter last week’s giveaways! I’ll announce the winner on Thursday, Oct 22nd.

 

In Which 3 People Have a Chance to Win Vibella Jewelry (click here)

 

2 Books go to One Person (click here)

 

For Free Printables for You to Share, Pin, or Just Keep for Yourself (click here)

 

 

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