A New Mindset

This week has been so good for me, and yet a struggle. Since December, it seems like life has been go, go, go! It's been such a busy, wonderful season of God opportunities. I enjoy busy because busy allows me to ignore the things spinning around in my head, most of which is filled with thoughts negative in nature. My mind is a war zone, quite often...the fight over which Kingdom I'm going to set my mind on: God's or the enemy's. This week started a couple month season of rest for me. I have the fewest obligations on my plate that I've had in a quite a long time. I had few human conversations and so much time to read. It was great...and hard at the same time because I was left alone with much of me! It's amazing how quickly loneliness can overwhelm and take over when I'm not at the top of my game.

But, God is so good! He is so faithful to meet me and encourage me. What would a day be without His voice? I have been thinking often about promises He has spoken to me. Some of them, one in particular, are so incredible that it feels impossible to wait for it to be seen. I'm a toddler. I want fulfillment now and within my tantrums I will show God how serious I am about that! I believe my Father taught this toddler something this week. He wants me to have a new mindset. Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love Me, you will obey My commands." Obedience doesn't come first to gain love. We obey His commands, or His word, out of a heart of love for Him. Intimacy comes first. Obedience is the fruit of intimacy. When God gives us a command, it isn't necessarily like He's giving us our marching orders. His commands are invitations into partnership to fulfill His desires. It dawned on me this week that His promises are the same thing.

When God gives us a promise, there is process between the promise and the fulfillment. The process stinks! It's hard to wait. Process pulls everything impatient and evil out of your system. Process reveals who you really are by how you respond to God in the waiting. I hate process, but I thank Him for it at the same time because process is changing me to be more like Him. Promises &  process are like commands...they are invitations into partnership to fulfill His desires. When God conceives a promise into your life, there's a choice to be made as to whether you accept that conception or abort it. Accepting it means that you are wholeheartedly throwing yourself into the preparation it takes for your life to be able to support the fulfillment. It's an opportunity for obedience. Active preparation while waiting is a bold declaration of faith that you believe God has spoken. I'm thinking of Joseph who decided to marry pregnant Mary, knowing he wasn't the father. He put his entire reputation at stake as a declaration of faith that his wife was truly carrying the Son of God. How ridiculous in the world's eyes for Joseph to do that. Active preparation is risky, crazy, ridiculous. Active preparation is bold and against the cultural norm. Noah built a boat because he believed God spoke a promise. Abraham left his entire family and all things comfortable because he believed God spoke a promise. Moses opposed the greatest governmental leader at the time because he believed God spoke a promise.

My life in comparison has been a weak display of faith in God's promises and I'm so thankful that this week He has raised the bar. He's given me some active things that I can do to prepare for fulfillment...which means that despite how long I've been waiting, the waiting hasn't been in vain. He will do what He has spoken. It's time that my life reflected what I believe in the present so that I am ready for fulfillment in the future.

"No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised." Romans 4:20-21