The Seed Blog: Following not Leading

If God was literally with you today, and completely controlling every aspect of your life according to His desires... What would change

Where would He take you moment to moment? What would you surely stop doing? What would you do more of? Would your job change? Would you spend your free time differently? How would you respond to people differently? What priorities would change? Would your language change? Thoughts change? Attitude change? If answering this question would seriously change your life from where you are today—you are not living for Him. You are including Him in your own life—at best. 50% of this scenario we've painted is true—He is always, literally with you, but He will never completely control every aspect of your life because that would take away our free will to love Him or reject Him. If you are like me (and most Christians today), we most often have prayer such as: "Lord, take this pain away from me." "Lord, let me get this job." "Lord, please make him/her like me back." "Lord, let me have a good/uneventful day." "Lord, please make them treat me better/act differently." "Lord, bless them financially through this time." “Lord, put someone in their path to lead them to You."

When you turn on your GPS to find a vacation spot, do you say, "Ok GPS, I'm going to turn right here, so make this be the way to the beach!" Of course not. The GPS knows the way, and to get there I have to do what it says. Maybe God is bigger than the GPS. Maybe God has the way all figured out and we should stop choosing the direction then asking God to make it be the right way, after the fact. Maybe we are simply more interested in getting our own way and going our own direction than we are, in truly finding God's will. Maybe instead of our prayers being, "God, bless my day..." It should be, "God, show me Your day!" Instead of, "Bless my life...", it should be, "Show me Your life!" This attitude is as old as time itself. What was the first sin ever committed? Adam and Eve wanting to have the knowledge of God; wanting to find their own way; wanting to make their own path, even when there was only one path that was off limits. This is what broke their sweet fellowship with God. Nothing has changed in 6000 years. Matthew 8:19-22. First glance, this sounds like a reasonable request: "Jesus, you won't let me go and bury my dead dad?!" But nowhere does the text even hint that his father has died, and he's not at home mourning or making plans—his father is still very much alive at this point. The man is saying, “Let me finish out my days with my father, and when he passes, I will follow you anywhere...  Then...” What are you waiting for, until you begin to follow Christ as you should? Until you finish school? Until you stop dating and settle down? Until your party days are over? Until your kids finish their extra-curricular activities? Until the kids are grown and gone? Until the grandkids don't need you? By then its, "Oh, let the young people handle it!" There is no excuse big enough to say that you will, "Put off" living for the King of Kings other than He simply isn't important enough in your life—period! Jesus knew this when He told the man what He did. Most everyone today lives their life with Jesus Christ as something they have simply, "Added to their lives", rather than as, "Someone whom they have surrendered their lives to." Nowhere in Scriptures is this an acceptable way to live, if you have truly begun following Jesus.

We absolutely are not supposed to be making our plans, living our lives, and doing our thing, and then have the audacity to simply ask our, "Savior and Reason for living" to bless our plans and actions. Ever hear of the term, "Life debt?" It is in Hollywood from Star Wars to Robinson Crusoe, to Shrek, to Harry Potter to Andy Griffith to the Brady Bunch. It is the belief that when someone saves or spares your life, your life is now indebted or connected to that person for the remainder of your years. Since every moment of the life you now live, would not even be possible without them. Now, listen to the following verses, as though they are truly reality: 2 Corinthians 5:15: 1 Thessalonians 5:10; Romans 14:7-8; Galatians 2:20;

Everything about Christianity emphatically says that we are not called to go our own way, and, "add Christ to the mix,” but that the King of Kings, and God of the Universe literally gave His life for ours, therefore, we have literally been bought with a price.

1 Corinthians 7:23; 1 Corinthians 6:20. According to these verse, what belongs to God? Your body and your spirit. Who should they be used for? Him! We now, in great thankfulness and unpayable debt, should be living every moment for the One who paid for this eternal life we now live. You and I do not have the right to choose our own path... Go our own way, or to pray for God's intervention on behalf of our own will. (Which, by-the-way, usually goes about as well as telling the GPS where you feel like turning, and telling it to make it the right way.) What seems to be an ever-so-subtle change in how we are living and praying is actually monumental in our mindset and love for Jesus. Our love for Him, our direction in life, and our true happiness will literally metamorphous. When we get the fact that we truly are living for another's will in our lives and not just seeking a blessing for what we want, it will make us pray differently, live differently, plan differently, and expect differently. Do you see this Truth? Do you see how we haven't truly grasped what that should mean in our lives?

How should this change from the way we are living as a Christian now? I wish we could just completely do away with the stereotype church model we see and live today and just become lovers of the One true God—letting that take us where it should, rather than filling a preconceived notion. First, if this life is not for us, but Him. What are His priorities in this world? They are what we should devote ourselves to, not our own—not just in His personal will for our individual lives, but His revealed, written Word. What is most important to Him in this life? Being right, being smarter, being better, being richer, or loving and connecting with people no matter their faults or offenses? Finding temporary and useless pleasures in this world, or sweet Fellowship with Him? Being comfortable and safe and popular, or showing one lost soul their worth? Having more leisure time for self, or caring for those who are hurt, lost, alone, orphaned, widowed? Enjoying all the entertainment this world has to offer, or focusing on true holiness before God? Focusing entirely on better health, easier lives, & less troubles, or asking God to find places to use you for His Glory? Deciding how you will spend all of your future life, or asking God what plans He has for your journey? Do we live for His goals? Are we given to these things in life? We have to change then—there is no option if we are truly serious about Christ. John 12:25-26. In committing ourselves to Someone else's will entirely, we will find a peace, purpose, and excitement as never before. We have Something that is so much bigger, so much more important, so much more exciting to live for and devote ourselves to than the simple, cheap, temporary things we try to find purpose in here. Let's live for this awesome purpose first. If we knew that Christ were coming back at exactly 7pm tomorrow night, how would we live? What would be important? When we pray—when we live life—this should be our mindset. What in my past hinders me from being who You want me to be now? Abuse? Sin? Unforgiveness? Pride? Low self-esteem? Failure? Help me trust you more and myself less; help me use the things I've experienced for Your Glory. What in my future are the plans for my life? What do I prepare for? For my shared life with another? For my education and vocation? What in my present would you have me do? Right now in life? Who is in need of spiritual, physical or material help? What specific thing would you have me do today? Right now? Walk in expectation that He will talk and use you today, because you are living His life, and doing his will. This is where true excitement and power begins in your walk. How about asking God, “Would You have me pray for healing or relief for myself? For another?” Or do You have plans to use these things for Your Purpose and Glory? How then can I be used in the midst of it all? What would You have me do differently in my current relationships? (Especially concerning a significant other). Do You want me to have a spouse? If You do—if I already have a spouse—am I respectful? Am I serving and loving them? Am I looking for ways they need my support and love, or constantly taking and demanding? When I read Your Word, am I looking for You in each page and story? Do I expect to see a glimpses and pictures and Truths about you? When I choose entertainment, do I choose things that will dull my sensitivity to sin? Challenge my morals? Ridicule or mock my King? Do I realize that to give my life to my King, means that each mental choice creates a pattern of thought, and ultimately decides my heart? Secret lust, anger, and bitterness effect what we become; and everything allowed in small, secret doses eventually surfaces when it counts in a big way. We have to completely alter the way we are praying and living; alter it from what even the, "modern-day church" may be saying is Christian. We have to truly surrender in a real, "life-debt" to Christ. This is His life. It was bought with the most precious bartering in history. Recognize that your prayers and actions are not truly given to Him and make a change. Paul shows us how to respond as His servants when he came face-to-face with the reality of Jesus Christ on his way to Damascus, he asked one simple question: Acts 9:6. What does He want you to do? What areas are you holding onto as your own? “Is what you are living for, worth Him dying for?” What area have you been too afraid, or too proud to ask His will? Ask Him what His plans are today!