Do you have a vision?

In proverbs (I don't remember where), it is written, "Where there is no vision the people cast of restraint". Without a clear vision or direction for our lives there is no point to press on, no reason to discipline ourselves. Without a dream in our hearts we end up just plodding along in life, going wherever the current takes us.
Let's dare to expect more than that out of our lives. If you have a dream in your heart, that dream most likely came from God. It is not only your dream, it is His dream that he has in His heart from the day you were born. Don't let that dream die. Bring it to the Lord, do all you can in your power to make the dream a reality, then let God do His thing with it. Don't be surprised if he takes you on a path that makes no sense according to human wisdom. It may even seem like he is leading you in the opposite direction. But take heart, so long as you are walking close with the Lord it will be alright, even if it takes years for the dream to become reality. He has to prepare you, make you ready to receive the blessing that he has for you. If he gave it to you right away you would fail miserably. Be thankful that he has a process. Trust the process, He knows what He's doing.

Prisoners

I have heard of prisoners who, after being in jail for a long time actually come to prefer being in jail to being out in the world. They have become so accustomed to living that way, that they actually become afraid of the freedom of living out in the world. I cannot imagine wanting to stay in jail, but who knows? If I lived in there for over ten years, all of my friends would be there. My whole life would be there. While it may be bad, by then I would have learned how to survive and get along okay. What would be in the outside world for me at that point?    But that is what we do isn't it? We become so used to living in a certain type of relationship that we don't think we deserve better. So we go from abusive relationship to abusive relationship, thinking that this is life for us. Or maybe we are at a job that is a poor fit either for us or for our families, maybe the hours don't work or the pay is not enough. Maybe there are dreams that have been in out hearts that we have locked up so long inside ourselves that we have forgotten how to dream. I know someone who has complained about his life for the three years that I have known him, yet he has not taken one step in three years to change anything. He has made his prison his identity. We all have our own prisons, and while we may complain, if we were to look deep into our hearts we would find that we have come actually come to accept this way of life. We have made being a prisoner a part of our personal and spiritual identity. Who would we be without out prisons, without our demons?  

Time to find out

Pressing in

When you are contending with the Lord for a breakthrough, it can seem like you are pushing against a brick wall with no results. But you have to keep pressing in, even when the enemy is pushing you back, and you are losing ground. It's like in the movie 300 when the Spartans were being pushed back by the Persian army. Which brings me to my next point. Don't ever press in alone. Only by standing together will we be able to advance against the enemy. It doesn't matter if it's for the church, the city you live in, or a personal issue. NEVER FIGHT ALONE!!!!!!!!   My favorite part about this movie was when the Spartans were being pushed back and  the leader yelled, "Hold!" Suddenly they stopped. Then they pushed. When they all pushed together, the enemy flew back. When we press in together in prayer we can drive the enemy back so hard they don't know what hit them. The other thing to remember is that once you get the slightest hint of a breakthrough, you don't stop. I don't care how tired you are DON'T STOP!! This is the time to give it everything you have. Push the enemy over the cliff, break through the wall one brick at a time, never stop, never give in.

No retreat, no surrender.

Bite off more than you can chew

The problem with most of us is that we don't attempt things that could end in failure, few of us truly test our limits. Think about it, when was the last time you were truly at the end of your rope? I don't mean emotionally, because we can drive our minds to the edge of madness over a blade of grass. I mean physically so wiped out that you are falling over, and it takes everything in your power just to put one foot in front of the other. Or to be so mentally drained that you cannot even remember a conversation that took place an hour ago. Few of us truly live our life that close to the edge. I'm not saying that it's healthy to live that way every day, but I believe that it's equally unhealthy to go several days without challenging yourself. If your lucky you won't have to look for a challenge, life will give it to you. If I could, I would encourage you to have several areas of your life where you are growing. This is not about other people, it is about you. How can you change the world if you are spending every day becoming the same person that you were yesterday? I believe that you need to grow, and grow daily. For most of you, I don't need to bother challenging you to pray and read your bible. But there are other spheres. Your passions, your work, family, gift and talents are all to be developed to the best of your abilities.

So get off the couch, rock the boat, get in over your head, and bite off more than you can chew.

Non attachment

In Buddhist teaching they talk about non-attachment, and they are right, mostly. The part they leave out, which is the critical part is God. When we pursue our jobs, take care of our families, and work out our ministry we must give it all we have. We cannot leave anything "on the court" when the day is done. After we have given it our all, and I mean our all, that is when God takes over. We have to leave the final results up to God. It could be that the trial was the whole point, or maybe God is using your struggle for the salvation of another who is watching you live out your life. It could be that you are not ready, and the trial you're in is preparing you for the break through. We don't get to know what God is up to all the time, but we are responsible for how we live out who we are in this life. 

So maybe you're life sucks right now, maybe you are looking for the next season, or just trying to hang on in the season you are in. Perhaps you don't have a job, or the money isn't going as far as you need it to. Maybe you are reaching out for help and there is no one there to stand with you and hold you up. I know this can be hard but in these times we still have to stand firm, put our shoulder to the plough and press on, even as we cry out to God for help.

As the old sailors say during a fierce storm, "Hold fast"

Thoughts on the birth metaphor

A child cannot be born while remaining in the womb. We cannot fully enter into the next season without first leaving the one we are in.