When my son was little, he had a repulsion to green vegetables. He refused to eat them. Everyone else in the family chowed them down, but this little guy… just wouldn’t. His babysitter would hide them, blended in his mac and cheese sauce… I wasn’t that nice. One night, I decided, enough is enough. He was old enough to choke down the darn broccoli. After crying and crying, he finally gave in. He began to chew. He looked at me and said, “mommy! It’s soooo yummy!”
And then he gagged and puked up his entire dinner.
I laugh so much about that memory, poor little buddy. 😂
What does that have to do with my post? I don’t know. I’ve detoured.
Oh wait.. here it is…
Sometimes we act like this with God. We expect HIM to move us, to make us, and to choose for us. We want Him to make the way painless and straightforward. So we lay around waiting for someone to make us eat our vegetables; better yet, eat them for us! We feel we are helpless and unable to do it ourselves.
Now that my son is older, he still does not like many vegetables (but LOVES brussel sprouts… such a weird kid 🙄). But he has an understanding that his mother isn’t going to hand feed him, and if he wants to grow strong, he needs to “get up and get going” on that plate of green gag material.
It’s interesting that we have an idea of what we will do someday but don’t take the steps necessary to do it. We think God will magically turn us into another person, and one day we will accomplish all the things… one day, I will be someone who can be successful.
When is that day going to come???
I have news for you… God does not give us “overcoming life.” He gives us life as we overcome!
Oswald Chambers says, “The remarkable thing about spiritual initiative is that the life and power comes after we “get up and get going.” When the inspiration of God comes, and He says, “Arise from the dead…,” we have to get ourselves up; God will not lift us up.”
Arise from the dead… EPHESIANS 5:14
How often did Jesus heal someone but first required something of them? Many had to DO something in faith. They had to move; they had to GET UP AND GET GOING.
Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, “Stretch out your hand” (Matthew 12:13). I would think that man was totally embarrassed for people to see his deformity. Maybe it was painful, and he was probably wondering if this miracle wouldn’t work, if it would end in failure…. You hearin’ me, girl?
As soon as the man did so, his hand was healed. But he had to take the initiative.
If we take the initiative to overcome, we will find that we have the inspiration of God because He immediately gives us the power of life.
I want to challenge you today to take the initiative in your life. SELF-GOVERN your life. Stop waiting around for your spouse, leader, pastor, or friend to correct you and help you. Stop waiting for God to make it easy. Stop waiting on someone else. Get your big girl panties on, and stop being afraid and weak. Take the initiative in your own healing, in your prayer life, in your ministry, in your family, in your career, in your personal goals, and in everything else you are convicted to do or change.
HOMEWORK:
- Make a list of all the things you have in your heart to do… write next to those things: WHO IS GOING TO START THIS? (HINT: The answer would be “me”).
- HOW? Write the first three steps. Make it simple. Step one can’t be “Go to school to learn how to deliver babies.” Step one should be… make an appointment with the school counselor. Do you get me? K.I.S.S. Look that acronym up if you don’t know what it means…
Many people live with “good intentions,” and you know what? They die with “good intentions.”
Take this excellent advice to heart from Chambers… GET UP AND GET GOING.
God does not give us overcoming life— He gives us life as we overcome. So let’s OVERCOME. Get it, girls!!
PS: If you have not yet read my post, “Does Your Identity Match Your Destiny?” Make that your next read! You’ll LOVE it!
Love you, Babes!!
OTHER RESOURCES & LINKS:
My Blog Post: Does Your Identity Match Your Destiny
FAITH: 7 Reasons You Will Never Do Anything Amazing With Your Life by Pastor Rich Witmer
WATCH HERE: https://subspla.sh/hxg32nf
Exercising Faith by Pastor Brian Monte
WATCH HERE: https://subspla.sh/75bq3gr
Even though we just need to get up and get going I appreciate your encouragement!! I love the part about the motivation comes when we get up and do! Too many times I lay around waiting for motivation!!
So GOOD!! 🙂