Living Large!

God is not going to move us, change us, or mold us if we live complacently and aren't intently listening to His voice and looking for ways to make a difference.  I am so guilty of being an over-analyzer and thinking way too much into things.  I can give you a million and one reasons of why I SHOULDN'T do something before I'll ever take action.  And I just want to say right now that I'm quitting that life.  I have recently been so AWARE of what God is doing around me and through me, and who he has made me to be.  

I can be stubborn at times.  If I want something, I am really good at fighting hard to get it.  Have you ever prayed for something, and been so sure that God wants you to have something or do something just because it's really what you want??  

 There's this one door in my life that I have been trying so hard to walk through.  I exhausted myself trying to open that one door that I was SO SURE was going to lead me to what I thought I needed.  Depressed, upset, and frustrated that God wasn't helping me out and giving me answers, (it is only now that I can see the irony in this and write it like that!)  I tried a different door.

The door opened easily... smoothly... and led me down a path of so many exciting opportunities, I can't even begin to describe.  When you're on the journey that God wants for you... your path will flourish.  

Don't get frustrated when you can't hear His voice.

Sometimes, God isn't obvious in telling you what to do... but He will show you through process of elimination.

His way is the best way, and I would not and could not EVER live any other way than for His glory.

Living by the Holy Spirit is such an exciting and unexpected adventure. 

I'm learning how to live on the edge... listening, waiting, ready for God's will and ready to take action. 

I'm reading Forgotten God  by Francis Chan right now and the chapter I read this morning was about listening to the Holy Spirit's prompting in your life.  I don't have the book on me at this second to quote him but he wrote something along the lines of ... what if God called you to give everything you have to the poor?  Stop thinking about all of the reasons why he WOULDN'T EVER call you to do that for one second, and really think about that.  What would that look like for you?  Could you do that?  Could I do that?  What would our world look like if we were that selfless and that caring?  Now that is living.

Take these people for instance.  Seriously.  WHAT?!  If this isn't living large, I don't know what is.  They are selling EVERYTHING they own so they can travel the country in an RV.  Their only agenda?  To help people!  How cool is that?  Blogger Stephanie writes,

"As it stands right now, we have the American Dream – a comfortable house in a suburban neighborhood, two cars, two kids, two masters degrees, good jobs, close friends.  Yet, every night for the past two years, Tim and I stay up late and talk about how the world is hurting – how people are poor, sick, lonely, uncertain, hungry, helpless, and hopeless."

Wow.  Talk about acting on the spirit's leading!  

Now I'm not saying that this type of thing is God's will for every Christian's life and you're good for nothing if you don't sell your house and give all your money to the poor.  What I am saying, is that sometimes we do live too "safe" and don't live enough outside of our comfort zones.  Jesus was radical.  And many American churches and Christians aren't. 

Bottom line?  There is nothing better in this world than living for Him and being who He made you to be.  Living by His leading is the only way to live.