Dare to Go Deeper Week 7: Being a Blessing to Others

Last week in our series, Dare To Grow Deeper, we re-evaluated what was important in our lives.  This week, we’ll expand that exploration and delve into how we can be a blessing to others in our relationships and in our other efforts.

After you have determined what is of kingdom value in your life and what is of significant value to you, to respond appropriately is to respond to be a blessing to others.

As we stated last week, Jesus exuded grace and truth.  Always.  He was consistent in his purpose and in his value to the kingdom of God.  Jesus knew his walk and, although difficult, he was determined to follow God’s will, regardless of how much he would have to give.  Jesus emptied himself so he could be filled.  He became available to be filled with something for someone else.

There are specific kingdom principles that are always at work.  In the natural, they oftentimes make no sense.  But these are the laws of God.  Becoming nothing in a human sense, means that you can gain everything from a supernatural source.  Holding onto something in the natural means that you will never have enough; you will never be filled.  An example of a kingdom principle is that if you are content where you are and you are holding onto something that is not from God, you will never have enough.  This dissatisfaction will connect to everything concerning your life.

How does this connect in relationships?  If you are content with holding onto your side, your opinions, your way of doing things, you will never have “enough” in the relationship.  You have to be able to lay down your side and your own “stuff”  in order to gain a mature, healthy relationship.  If you continue to hold onto your expectations of someone, you will find that you will never be satisfied.  If you let go of any expectations, somehow, willingly, everything will be there that you need, in time.  If you release the person, God has room to work.  If we maintain what “control” we think we have, God has no space to move.

When we let go of what we think is owed to us because of how we believe others should act, we will continually be disappointed and frustrated.   When we let go, it puts us in a place to be open and see how God will move.  We have to let go of what we believe is “fair” or “ideal.”  We have to learn to be content and let God be God.  When we become healthy Christians, we can live in the midst of drama, confusion, and issues and not let the scenario overtake us.  We can remain grounded in Christ, trusting God and knowing that as long as we are operating within His will, He will move and our difficulties will be resolved in His time, in His way.

What areas do you need to let God move and let go of your own expectations?  How can you remove your frustration and allow God to change people the way He wants to change them, and allow yourself to be changed at the same time?  These are the blessings that continue to bless us over and over.  A relationship with God that allows our growth and the growth of those around us.

Will you Dare to Grow Deeper With Christ?

Dare to Go Deeper Week 6: Evaluation Time

The last week in our series, Dare to Go Deeper, we asked you to challenge yourself by taking inventory.  Taking inventory of your life and of who you are; of how you see yourself and truly define yourself.  Prayerfully, it has been eye-opening, life-changing and moving you closer to Jesus and the authentic you that God created you to be.

This week we’re going to look at re-evaluating what is really important in our lives.  As stated before, we typically get forced to deal with who we are within relationships – spouses, children, close friends, co-workers, church folks.  These relationships as well as other events in our lives may cause us to define what our priorities are.

What defined Jesus was grace and truth.  Grace is the space God gives to each of us to walk in His blessings.  Even as we get off-track at times, God gives space to get back to what He has for each one of us.  Truth is the real reality of what is going on in our lives.  God desires for truth to be revealed and without it, our lives can become a false reality.  Our life is at stake – the life God designed for us to live.  We can continue to run from God’s desires for us or we can choose to walk the journey toward Him and His plan and purpose for our lives.

Jesus never strayed from His purpose.  He never veered from living out grace and truth.  Jesus knew the significance of the Law of Moses and lived in such a way to walk that out.  His life then became a benefit to all those around Him that believed and were followers of Him.

God call us to get beyond our own behavior and ourselves and believe Him.  Believing God and not just believing in Him.  He calls for us to become more than church member.  He calls for us to become mature followers of Christ that desire to live the life He has designed for us.

We spend time and energy and end up settling for many things that are just not that important: Jobs, friendships, careers, hobbies, material items.  The fact is, if you died tomorrow, your employer would replace you.  The committees will find someone else.  Friends will mourn, but will move on with their lives.  Material goods will come and go and we will always have less than or more than someone else. We cannot get “caught up” spending all of ourselves on those things that will pass away.  It leads to spinning our wheels and continuing that “emptiness” that can only be filled by chasing our desire for God.

We need to ask ourselves a few key questions to gain perspective.  What can I do that is going to add value to the Kingdom of God?  What is life or death for me?  What is non-negotiable?

Many have experienced a life-changing event, such as illness, divorce or job loss, that puts these  things in perspective.  God will sometimes move things out of the way so there is nothing for you to fall back on.  You must depend on Him in these times in order to gain a proper perspective.  We will get “wake-up calls” in life when we are not paying attention and are off track.  It is our choice to hear God before the “wake-up call” or to wait until it happens.

Ask yourself:  What am I really living for?  Who am I really? Am I listening to what God wants for me or am I caught up in my own desires?

Will you Dare to GROW Deeper in Christ?

Dare to Go Deeper: Week 4

Last week, in our series Dare To Go Deeper, we asked the question, “What is it that you are holding on to that is not allowing you to see your true identity?” This week, we’ll dig deeper, using Jesus’ example of giving up self in order to gain your self.

In John 1:14 – 18, Jesus shows how he moved aside all of what He had, His glory, His reign, in order to become one of us.  In giving everything, Jesus gained everything and all that He was, was revealed for us.

We touched on how we keep searching for ourselves because we are caught up in the “stuff,” suffocating who we really are.  Most people wear make-up and either become the clown or the classy lady.  Classy ladies wear make up to accentuate their natural beauty.  The clowns wear layers upon layers of makeup to cover up their features and can forget what they actually look like.

We cannot escape the circumstances of our lives.  We can be conscientious and submit to God, laying down everything before Him.  It is a process, a difficult process, but as we see in Jesus’ example, by laying down His glory, all we see is Jesus’ glory.  By laying down our lives, we gain the ability to find ourselves.  We are free to be who God intended us to be.

This week’s challenge is to take inventory of your life.  Look carefully over your life and write a list of how you see yourself and how you define yourself.  Chart out the significant events and things that were said or done to you.  Look objectively at how you have been living and be real about who you have allowed yourself to become.  Relationships will typically challenge you to take a good look at who you are.  People act the way they do because of the things they have allowed.  For example, we are insecure or attention-seeking, or have a sense of unhealthy self-confidence for a reason.  We can’t blame everyone else for what is coming out of us.

It takes courage to actually look in the mirror.  It takes time and it takes processing.  In order to be healthy, we have to do the hard work internally.  It can be a difficult thing to see what you have allowed yourself to become.  The good news is, once you can acknowledge the things that you have allowed in, you can get free to become who you were meant to be.  God is working with us and needs our cooperation in order to help us grow into that person we were meant to be.

Do you Dare To Go Deeper with Christ?

© Kevin Dudley