Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” In yesterday’s message I dealt with the fact that when we come to God, our mind has to be renewed, because we all come to God with a certain level of baggage. It takes time and careful study of God’s Word to get to the point where we can see ourselves the way God sees us. Today’s message will flow in the same vein. Let’s get back to our scripture.
The Apostle John said:
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. It is hard for new converts, who are also hard workers, to stop relying on the “arm of the flesh”.
a) The day I made Jesus my Lord, I had just turned 23 years old and I had been working since I was 13. My mother taught me to work hard for everything I wanted in life. My willingness to work hard and to earn everything by the sweat of my brow, paid dividends for me in the world, but it also became a challenge I had to overcome in Christ. One of the key tenets to becoming the man/woman God called you to be, is to learn to trust in God and not your own abilities. I will be honest with you. I have been walking with God for just about 22 years, and one of the hardest things I have had to do, is to learn how to NOT pursue everything I want and to enter into God’s rest concerning the things God wants for my life.
b) When I came to Christ I was programmed to “go after” everything I wanted in life and to do so with all my might. Learning to life by faith has not been easy, because God requires you to: (1) NOT go after everything you want, (2) learn to only desire what He desires for your life, and (3) only pursue God’s best in accordance with His timing. This requires discernment, discipline and patience. The hardest of these, for me, has always been patience.
c) When God reveals “what” He has called you to do, the feeling is amazing. Once you get past the challenge of believing it and receiving it in your heart, the next challenge (which has always been the hardest for me), is to wait on God’s timing. The right thing, at the wrong time, becomes the wrong thing. God may have revealed to you the “what”, but knowing the “what” and knowing the “when” are NOT the same thing! If you are not careful, you will try to MAKE IT HAPPEN without God. Many Christians get impatient, and they wind up getting out ahead of God, attempting to do what God called them to with their own power, ability and strength. Honestly, this never works. You must learn to enter into God’s rest and rest from your own works. This is not a license for laziness. This is a requirement for patience. When the time comes to do it, God will release you, and at that time, YES, it will require work. But even then, it will be working BY God’s grace, and not working FOR God’s grace.
2. The goal is to believe what God believes about you.
a) Teaching believers to see themselves “As Jesus is, in this world”, is all about getting to the point where you believe what God believes about you.
b) God calls you to projects that you don’t have the money for, that exceed your level of education, that require relationships you don’t have, and that often require an opportunity you cannot give yourself. The challenge is then to: (1) align your heart with God’s vision — dying to your desire, if your desire is in conflict with His will, (2) see yourself doing what God revealed, and (3) remain in faith, trusting in God’s timing, until God opens the door of opportunity.
b) Because of my background, it was hard for me to believe what God believes about me. In the past 22 years God has taken me through different levels and stages, and those have come in different times and seasons. Every time God has been ready for me to enter a new level or stage, it has taken me a certain level of time to truly believe what He believes, and to receive it in my heart first. God requires you to BECOME IT on the INSIDE, well before you can BECOME IT on the OUTSIDE. This is why you must learn to see yourself, “As Jesus is, in this world”.
I will stop here for today and discuss this further tomorrow.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I thank You for calling me to my divine assignment from the foundations of the world. I thank You for revealing Your purpose to me and for giving me the vision I need to maximize each season and stage of my life. I have learned to open my heart to Your best. To believe what You believe about me. To become what You reveal on the INSIDE, so You can manifest it on the OUTSIDE. And to wait patiently on Your timing, entering into Your rest, trusting You every step of the way. I will arrive at Your overall expected end for my life and I will enjoy the ride along the way, because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
