Learning to Focus, Learning to Love (Thirty Days To Greater Fruitfulness, Day 18)
This blog has been temporarily overtaken by my Thirty Days To Greater Fruitfulness Challenge. You can find out more by checking out the Introduction.
In some ways, today was a rehashing of something the Lord spoke to me about yesterday. While I was waiting on the Lord, the Lord started to talk to me about how scattered I can be sometimes. And in the midst of Him showing me How scattered I am, He said, “You’re scattered because you want to know about everything going on around you. You cannot focus because you want to show your sense of control through your understanding.”
He then began to break down the difference between love and knowledge. Of course we all know that knowledge puffs you up, but love builds up others (1 Corinthians 8:1). But He began to show me that this constantly searching and grasping for understanding begins to make a person proud and give them a sense they are powerful. Then he showed me the nature of love and how love is focused. Love isn’t in a hurry and it can linger with someone beyond the initial “information grab” that allows a person to feel like they’ve grasped a person or a idea. Carnal knowledge will create a Christianity that is infinitely wide but very shallow. But love will push a person to linger in the presence of the Lord and even in the presence of others, creating depth beyond what many of us know.
So today I’ve been trying to focus on things more simply and not be in such a hurry. I’ve been trying to love and linger beyond my initial understanding of a person or a concept. And I’m beginning to enjoy lingering in the presence of the Lord in a different way than I have before.
So…no fruit in anyone else around me today…but I’m seeing some change in me and that’s a big win.
What changes are you seeing happen inside of you as you listen and obey? Leave a comment and let us know!
Join us on the “Thirty Days to Greater Fruitfulness” experiment. For the rest of September we are spending 30 minutes in silent prayer listening to Jesus and then acting on what He asks us to do. Then we blog about the changes that are occurring in our lives through the marriage of listening and obedience. It’s not too late. If you’re just checking out that experiment feel free to jump in. And if you want more information, you can check it out here.
Photo Credit: September WallPaper Calendar by DewDreams
Confirmation (Thirty Days to Greater Fruitfulness, Day 17)
This blog has been temporarily overtaken by my Thirty Days To Greater Fruitfulness Challenge. You can find out more by checking out the Introduction.
I love it when God speaks about something. I love it even more when God is committed enough to an issue that He speaks to you about it multiple times. While God doesn’t always speak twice on a matter He is serious about, His repitition can be a clue that we are on the right track (2 Corinthians 13:1).
This morning, after repenting, I woke with a dream. In the dream, Couple B, whom I mentioned buying a book for in a previous post, had their home overtaken by people I consider national leaders in the house church movement in this country. In the dream I was worried that Couple B would be horrified and angry about the intrusion. However, as things progressed, it became clearer that these national house church leaders were not a burden like I had initially thought.
So as you can imagine, having this dream, I felt like I should probably get back on the ball and have a conversation with Couple B. You know, the one I decided I was going to have about two weeks ago. The dream seemed to me to be indicating that taking a plunge into an organic church might be messy, in the end it may be rewarding. The crazy part was that when I got home that evening, the book I had ordered for them about the exact same topic had come in the mail. Coincidence? Only if there is no such thing as God.
These are the sort of things that are beginning to happen more and more. God speaking, a little hear, a little there, and then confirming what He has already said in subtle but important ways. Part of it is I’m watching for it more. But a large part of the change is I’m certainly more connected.
How about you? How is God speaking to you and confirming what He has said in this time? Leave us a note in the comment section.
Join us on the “Thirty Days to Greater Fruitfulness” experiment. For the rest of September we are spending 30 minutes in silent prayer listening to Jesus and then acting on what He asks us to do. Then we blog about the changes that are occurring in our lives through the marriage of listening and obedience. It’s not too late. If you’re just checking out that experiment feel free to jump in. And if you want more information, you can check it out here.
Photo Credit: September WallPaper Calendar by DewDreams
Small Desires (Thirty Days To Greater Fruitfulness, Day 15)
This blog has been temporarily overtaken by my Thirty Days To Greater Fruitfulness Challenge. You can find out more by checking out the Introduction.
One of the things I’m learning on this journey is that some times the silliest, smallest desires of my heart touch something that is on the heart of the Lord.
Yesterday I was listening to a book that is totally about restoring Jesus to first place in the church. In the midst of the author’s description of Jesus, I found my heart stirred to read a passage from a book that I had picked up a few years back that quotes Napoleon’s thoughts on Jesus.
After going back and reading the passage, I felt compelled to share the passage here on the blog. Unbeknownst to me, my blog post got picked up and retweeted by the author of the first book I was reading and over the course of the day it became one of my most viewed blogs of the whole year.
What do I want you to take away from all of this? Listening to Jesus is not a sure-fire way to make you popular and successful. In fact, rarely is that the case. However, I do believe that if we follow the voice of Jesus (even when it comes to us cloaked in the desires of our hearts) that we will be able to influence the church (and beyond) to treasure Jesus rightly and follow Him. This was a little sign of this for me today.
How have you experienced Jesus leading you through the desires of your heart? Do you have a tough time distinguishing between Jesus’ desires and your own? How have you resolved that problem? Let us know in the comment section.
Join us on the “Thirty Days to Greater Fruitfulness” experiment. For the rest of September we are spending 30 minutes in silent prayer listening to Jesus and then acting on what He asks us to do. Then we blog about the changes that are occurring in our lives through the marriage of listening and obedience. It’s not too late. If you’re just checking out that experiment feel free to jump in. And if you want more information, you can check it out here.
Photo Credit: September WallPaper Calendar by DewDreams
Cluster Map
Pursuing Glory 