sermon reflections

It's been a few days since my last blog and although I can't say I'm feeling guilty, it has been weighing on my mind that I'm not exactly being faithful about daily devotions yet.  So here I am on this rainy Sunday evening, ready to reflect on today's sermon message. 

Today was (I believe) the culmination of the prayer of Jabez sermon series we've been working through.  Inside the bulletin was an insert on "how to start a colossal vision."  It was too much to think through and process during an hour long sermon which is why I wanted to take the time to really think about it and write some of my thoughts down.  

Step 1: Get the vision
Be more honorable in how you live - I know I talked about this in my last entry, but lately it's really been on my mind that for me, personally, one way to live honorably is through how I treat my body...meaning what I put in my mouth and getting exercise.  I'm not honoring myself or God by eating things just because they taste good and not working out because I just don't feel like it.  So, one area that I know I need to pray about and really seek God's help on is being honorable with my body.  It's definitely not going to be easy....(it never has been)....but God is bigger than my apetite and a lot stronger than my will. 


Ask God for a BIG BIG dream - Last Sunday we were to write down on a card what our dream or vision for our life was and it was like my mind went blank.  I've had a lot of dreams over the years, but honestly, I don't know if they're "me-inspired" or "God-inspired."  Here are things I've thought of in the past....


*starting an orphanage/school in Africa (I mostly got this from the book Little Men)
*having an in-home daycare for children of teen moms
*becoming a missionary over-sees (inspired by other missionaries)
*opening a home for teen moms where they can live and be cared for when they are kicked out of their own house (inspired by my mom from years ago)
*opening a preschool at a church (partly inspired by a co-worker)
*teaching oversees in a small village that would otherwise not have access to a native English speaker (inspired by a sermon once at church where there was a need for this)

Tell God why you want that dream - HA! I have no idea.  This is what I mean by I don't know what my dream or vision is and I don't know exactly why I would want it.  Ryan had a good point today that all of our dreams should start with the words "to spread God's glory by..."  Anyway, let me go back to that card and what I ended up writing down.  I wrote down "use me to love people."  It was both as generic and as specific as I could get in the moment.  I don't know what vision or dream or plan God has for my life I just know that I want to be used and that to be used I need to love people.  Why do I want that?  Because I want to be actively DOING something for the kingdom of God.  But I don't know what I should be doing. 


Show God now that He can trust you with more later - This is real struggling point.  I'm really not showing God that He can trust me with much of anything now.  I mean, we tithe our 10% and give extra to missions and we try to help out with the We Care ministry...but all of that is financial.  What about my time and my heart?  You know, the thing that was striking me today during the sermon, plus Ryan specifically mentioned it, is that if you want to open an orphanage but go around angry at the behavior of children in church than maybe your heart needs to be changed.  You know, almost every item on my vision list has to do with children and yet, how angry do I get at work when the twins won't stop fussing and Giuliana is making my ear bleed?  How frustrated would I get when the 2 year olds at AAK wouldn't go on the potty or fall asleep on cue?  How often did I completely lose it with my 2nd graders when I was in a bad mood that had nothing to do with them?  Clearly, my heart needs a serious revamping before God can trust me to love His children.  


I'll skip ahead to step 4 since this is already quite long....


Step 4: Begin right now...just do it!


What do you need to be more faithful with right now?  


Prayer. Devotions. Quiet time. Attitude. Time. Love.  I need to spend more time in prayer.  I need to be in the Word daily with quiet time and devotion.  I need to be thankful for where I'm at and what I have rather than complaining.  I need to use my time more for Him and less on the internet and computer.  I need to love more.  I need to love myself more by treating my body right and I need to love others more.


What can you do this week to launch the vision?


Pray.  Pray about what my vision is and how God can use me. Pray to be more honorable in all parts of my life.  Pray for God to start working on my heart to love people more.