Peeking through the Cracks - Ashley

“To want to serve God in some conditions, but not others, is to serve Him in your own way. But to put no limits on your submission to God is truly dying to yourself. This is how to worship God. Open yourself to God without measure. Let His life flow through you like a torrent. Fear nothing on the road you are walking. God will lead you by the hand. Let your love for Him cast out the fear you feel for yourself.” – (Francois Fenelon Pgs.32-33)

The truth lying in the midst of these words from chapter one disturbs my heart. I say with my lips I want to serve God, and I make efforts with my actions daily. But the truth is my actions are conditional and measured:

- I will submit, but not die to self.

- I will surrender, on my terms.

- I will trust, when I understand.

- I will go, when I know where and how.

- I will love others, if they don’t hurt me or do things I don’t approve of.

- I will sacrifice, if I remain comfortable.

- I will let go, when I am not afraid.

- I will give, when I have extra.

I am being blatantly honest and the truth is gut wrenching. Instead of allowing His life to flow through me like a torrent, I have obstructed His outpouring with worldly fears, standards, comforts and measures. I have limited His work in my life based on my feelings and understandings. I can no longer retreat to a life of comfort while others are in desperate need. I must engage. It is time for a Holy dangerous surrender in my heart, and I will start this journey shouting - “YES LORD”!

Lord, change my heart to feel what You feel, give me new eyes to see what You see. May I act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with You. (Michah 6:8) May there be no complacent breath in my body. Make me a “disturbed women” for Your Kingdom work. - In the Name and blood of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen

Peeking Through the Cracks - Pat

“Will you decide to say yes to God, even before knowing the full implication of what that yes may mean for you?” (pg. 35)

Prior to chapter one, my immediate answer to Kay Warren’s question would have been an immediate yes. She forced me to reevaluate my answer. Yes, in the comfortable circumstances of my life. Yes, with a lovely home and a church catering to my need for comfort. Yes, to sending money to help those less privileged than me. Yes, to focusing on a poor family at Christmas. My yes’s all reveal my desperate desire to do for His kingdom and hold onto what makes me comfortable. This came to light at about page twenty-one when Kay asked herself “How does becoming a seriously disturbed person affect the way I live?” She exposed my greatest hindrance to “really” saying yes to God with her confession of her previous problem, personal comfort.

Greatest hindrance number two showed up on page twenty-five. I want all the information up front. How about you? I mean for goodness sake, couldn’t He just give us the costs up front. When I decided to build a house, I had to count the cost up front therefore I needed to know how much the total cost would be. The problem with this may be that He did give us the cost up front, we just don’t like the possibilities of what that may look like in our life. Remember the living sacrifice of Romans 12:1 which is our reasonable service/worship to the Lord. Or how about Galatians 2:20, For I have been crucified with Christ it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me… One more, Luke 9:24, Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it (said Jesus).

If that wasn’t enough, she dug up one more greatest hindrance, my own ordinariness. Reading this section reminded me of extra-ordinary people in the Bible who struggled with their ordinariness. Moses (Exodus 4:10), Gideon (Judges 6:15), Mary (Luke 1:48), Hebrews 11… God chose the people of Israel because they were the least of all peoples (Deuteronomy 7:7). Why? But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

Here is my personal prayer; you are welcome to join me:
Oh Lord, open my eyes to see as You see, open my heart to love as You love, open my mind to understand Your personal call in my life. I give you my hindrances and ask You to transform them. Help me to say yes before I know the question. In Jesus most powerful name, I pray. Amen.

Dangerous Surrender

Read along with us and experience what happens when you say yes to GOD. Our journey begins this week as we dive into the pages of "Dangerous Surrender" written by: Kay Warren. We will read one chapter a week and post weekly to ignite and inspire all who follow. Please purchase your book now and join us!