Forget....

My Last post was on the subject of fulfilling God's plan for your life. I said that in order to do that you have to have a will to fulfill it. You have to have a passion and a desire to fulfill that plan. This topic has a lot to do with another will and that's what I write to you about today.

When you build a house there are steps. You have the foundation, you have the walls, you have the roof, and so many more tasks in between to complete before you can move in and live safely. We often forget that there are step to fulfilling God's plan. We often forget to forget. We often forget to forgive. I tell you its impossible to move on to tomorrow if your still holding on to yesterday. We worry about what God wants and plans for our future but usually forget to forgive the hurts from the past.

I have a past like anyone else. I've made many mistakes but I've also been hurt deeply by the ones of others. For so long I hated the ones that had harmed me. For so long I let my pain fill up in side of me and I held on to it like a baby does with his or her pacifier. I let memories of tears run through my mind constantly. I tell you, that you cannot be happy, you cannot be glad, and you cannot be joyful, if all you hear are the sad songs of life!

I came to a huge understanding of this about 14 and 1/2 years later. I came to the realization that forgiveness actually existed. I became a believer in Jesus Christ and let me say its not always easy, but when you meet Jesus, everything changes. I realized that I had spit the face of Christ, I had placed a crown of thorns upon his brow, and nailed him to a cross but more than anything I realized that even though I had done everything in my power to hurt him, he still loved me. I realized that through repentance and faith in him I had been forgiven. I saw that I had no right to hold anything, against anyone else.

I had to let go of yesterday to grasp today and hope for a tomorrow. I was made anew in Christ, meaning everything before this place, this time, and this thought has been blotted out. That pain, those memories, and those tears were all washed, wiped, and covered with and in the blood of Jesus Christ who went to hell and back for me and you. He didn't just save us for yesterday but he saved us for eternity.

Do you have the will? The will to forget, the will forgive, which gives us the will to fulfill. Refuse to be chained by the past and gain freedom in Christ. Tell Satan to take his hate, take his guilt, take his shame, and get out of here. Do you want life? Do you want joy? Do you want purpose? Seek Jesus. Anything worth having is in him.

The Will to Fulfill

"The will". The will to what? The will to win? The will to work? The will to sit back and relax?

There are so many "wills" in the world. John Elway had the will to win during his historic drive against the Browns. MLK had the will to change race relations and the world forever. Billy Graham had the will to submit to God's will and preach the Word.

What do you have the will to do "believer"? (you might want to put your steel toe boots on) Why do WE, so called Christians tend to have the will to sit back and do nothing? Yes Christ died, yes Christ set the flag of all victory, and yes his grace is sufficient but his grace is not a ticket to "do whatever you want land". Do you have the will to fulfill God's will for you or are you the normal professing American Christian that only has the will to do what makes you happy? Think about it. Do you have the will to fulfill God's plan for you?

Lately, I've been wondering, "Lord, what do you want with me? What is your plan for my life?"

When I would pray this, Jesus wouldn't come down from heaven on a white horse, use large words spoken in a booming voice but he has taught me a very valuable principle. The Principle is, "God's plan isn't based on my plan, and his plan is not just one big picture but a day by day adventure."

A "day by day adventure", eh? When I say this, I don't mean every step of everyday should be mapped out like a treasure hunt. I don't mean that one day we're a sailor, one day a preacher, and one day an astronaut. What I mean by this is that God's plan is not always going to be clear as mud but daily obedience, daily consecration, and daily separation in every situation is God's plan. It is God's plan for us to listen to him, situation by situation and be obedient in all that we do. God's plan for us is that we look to him in all things. One day he may ask you to climb a mountain, but obeying a simple command like avoiding a little "white lie" is just important because they are both God's plan for us.

I think as humans, we focus on the future so we don't have to deal with the present. We, "Believers", get away from faith and don't even realize it because we decide to worry about next week or month so we don't have to depend on and trust in Christ now. This is why so many believers seem to be in the same place spiritually week after week, we don't look at our wrongs of today so we can get closer to Christ and better for tomorrow. How can we be taller next month if we don't grow the days between now and then? It's all a matter of getting down to the nitty-gritty. Paul speaks of running a race. He says to endure the hard times. To keep our heads up and keep going strong. I think this man of God understood the fact that runners can't stand still and finish races. He knew that if a runner didn't keep his feet moving he would not progress forward. So called believer, roll up your sleeves, put your boots on and go to work. Lets stop abusing God's patience and start living and running for him. Start now, you may not get the chance later.

We get caught up in doing the "big" things and goals but ignore the daily walk of a believer. Why miss out on a daily, sun up and sun down relationship with creator of the world? Why miss out on his plan for today by focusing on his plan for tomorrow? We get so caught up in plans that we forget the purpose of the plans which is pleasing Christ. Once we get to the point of plans being about us, us, and some more us, the plans lose all purpose and lead us into a pit of emptiness that displays no fruit.

I encourage you, take it day by day. Don't have your cart pulling your horse. Its easy to get wrapped up in tomorrow but without the steps we take today, tomorrow will never come. Love Christ, Serve Christ, and love others today. That's his will, do you have the will to fulfill it.