Just a quiet yes

Zig Zigler said, "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time", and I cannot agree more. The 'aim' we take in life determines the course we will follow. If we aim to please people, we will find ourselves constantly changing what we do, how we do it, when it is done, and so on. If we aim to please ourselves all the time, we will find the more we try to please ourselves, the less likely we are to be pleased - we will always want more. The more we aim at pleasing God, the less we will seek the approval of others and the more we will seek his will to be done in our lives. How is it we 'seek God' above all other ambitions, desires, or impressions this world gives us? I think it begins when we determine we want his will over the will of others, and especially over our own will. Sinful behaviors manifest when we 'dabble' with sin's tug even a little bit. The more we resist the 'tiny tugs' of sin, the more we will resist the bigger ones that come along. It isn't the big ones that usually trip us up anyway - it is the tiniest of tugs that we ignore, give room to within our minds, and eventually act upon within our heart!

So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him make himself scarce. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet. (James 4:10)

We say a quiet 'yes' to Jesus every time we determine to aim toward the instruction he gives us. Will we always hit the mark just because we aim? No, definitely not! I was an expert marksman in the military, but there were a whole lot of 'missed bullseyes' along the way! I had to learn how to 'breathe', steady my gaze, and focus intently on the target. It didn't come easy, but the more I focused on developing the 'skill' of shooting my weapon, the better I became at hitting the target. The more we focus on the things God asks us to do, such as putting away something that is a distraction to us and taking up whatever it is he asks us to focus on at that moment, the more likely we are to be developing the skill of 'aiming' correctly. We won't always hit the mark, but we will grow closer and closer to hitting the target. Then each time we say a quiet 'yes' to his instruction, the closer we move from just 'hitting the target' to actually 'hitting the bullseye'! Just sayin!

What has God prepared for you?

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. (I Corinthians 2:9-12)

What can you imagine with your mind's eye? Is it something grand and glorious, or are those imaginations limited by what you perceive to be your 'talents', 'abilities', or 'treasures'? We sometimes 'dream big', but when it comes to actually believing in what we see with our mind's eye, we discount the possibility of it ever coming to pass. It isn't that we are to 'dream' things into existence, but when God plants a vision within our heart, we are to do all we can to see his purposes come to pass. That could mean our faith is challenged a bit, because we don't know fully what he will be doing in and through us, but it doesn't mean we just sit there and let the dream pass us by. We give ourselves fully to the vision and then see what God will work out in the areas where we lack talent, ability, or treasure!

God's deepest secrets for each of us are realized when we say "YES" to Jesus. His Spirit's presence within us isn't there to give us 'visions' and then to allow us to falter as we step out in faith. If we think too long on what God asks us to do, we will begin to 'falter' in our steps, though. We will lose the momentum created by the vision or dream. If you want to see God's best in your life, you act upon what he places in your heart to the best of your ability and then allow him to work out the rest. Does that mean we will see instantly what he has purposed or planned for us? Not always, because there are times when the vision needs a bit of time to develop within us. We aren't fully at the point where he can bring everything to pass right at that moment - we need to allow him to develop our character so we can really engage with his purposes fully.

We see in part, while he sees the bigger picture. We possess some of the talent, while he will need to infuse that talent with his supernatural ability. We aren't 'fulfilling the dream' - we are just participating as active partakers in the vision in whatever way he asks of each of us. Does that make us a little uneasy at times? Yes, simply because we don't always feel like we are 'in step' with him, especially when we don't feel we possess the talent, ability, or treasure required. I have learned that the vision or dream gives isn't always going to match my feelings, though. Sometimes it is much bigger than I 'feel', while at others, it is much smaller. When it is much smaller than I might 'feel' like it should be, I have never been disappointed, though. Why? The smaller dreams seem to set us up for some other dream down the road.

We might not fully understand God's heart at the moment, but when we take the big or small vision he gives and place it in his capable hands, we begin to see God's expansive goodness and grace at work in and through us. As God tells us, "People without a vision perish". The dream is important - don't discount it - embrace it! It might be a tiny step that leads to the biggest 'achievement' we could ever imagine! Just sayin!

Empty Vessels

John's gospel records a wedding celebration attended by Jesus, his mother, and a few of his early disciples. You may know the story, but as the celebration went on, the wine ran out. In those days, the host of the celebration would have been devastated to realize they had 'under-planned' for such an event. Weddings were a big deal, with most likely the majority of the community celebrating such an event. So, how did the host 'run out' of wine? We don't know the 'why', but we know he would have suffered great embarrassment if such a thing had of been known to those in attendance. I wonder how many times we have been saved from 'great embarrassment' when our 'wine jugs' ran dry because of our 'under-planning'?

Standing nearby were six stone water jars...each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions. When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” (John 2:6-10)

Sometimes we glance over this story of the 'first miracle' of Jesus, but there are some definite truths here that we should likely ponder a bit. First, we see the jars. The jars were empty, but they were readily available. The wine had been stored in some other form of 'wine jugs' or 'flasks'. These were empty water jugs that were used to hold water for 'ceremonial cleansing'. Jesus always uses what is available to him. If we remain available, though we are 'empty' right now, he will use us for his glory. Second, we see the obedience of the servants. It was immediate and without questioning. Availability is one thing - unconditional or unquestioning obedience is another! Jesus asks us for both.

We may not always know what Jesus is about to do in and through us, but when we respond with obedience, we can be assured he will do great things. We may not see what he is doing, as these servants likely did not have any idea the water was about to become wine, but if we are bold enough to do as he says, when he says it, we are positioned to see great things happen! The servants knew they had brought him water - they also saw the reaction of the host when he tasted the 'fine wine'. Imagine carrying a jug of about thirty gallons of water to Jesus, then taking a scooper of it to the host, only to see something 'transformational' happen between the well and the sip! 

Jesus is all about doing 'transformational' thing in us - he is also using us to do 'transformational' things by being living testimonies of his power and grace. How? By taking the steps of obedience he asks. The best for the last - this speaks volumes about HOW God often works in our lives. We see little hints of what he is doing - small changes occurring - but then at some 'end point' we realize how HUGE of a work he has done. Available servants, willing to respond in obedience to the 'weirdest' or 'silliest' of things he might ask will see his glory revealed right in front of them. What was once empty is now filled with much more than we ever imagined possible. Just sayin!