Are You A Ventriloquist?

Have you ever thought that you felt God prompting you to do something? I know I have. I’ve been so certain that I heard His voice, or felt His leading in a certain way. I stepped out in faith with the resounding YES from God still ringing in my ears. I went out into the real world and did what I believed was right and BAM, suddenly it’s a no.

How did that big yes of success become a no of failure, a no of rejection, a no of humiliation? And the bigger question: was that a yes from God, or a yes from my desperate desire for something? Did I want something so badly that I became a ventriloquist, projecting a yes from the mouth of God?

I don’t have the answers to all these questions, but if you find yourself in a place something like this, this is what I would like to say to you:

Maybe you did misunderstand God, or just did what you felt what was best. Let it go. Apologise and make things right where needed, learn from it and then move on. Stop beating yourself up. Jesus took all the beatings your failures and mistakes justly deserve upon Himself. Don’t double up your punishment. Instead, redirect your energy into thanking your Saviour and living for Him. Believe that when you love God He really does work all things (i.e ALL things, your mistakes included) for your good [Romans 8:28].

It could also be that God did in fact want you to step out. Just because it didn’t turn out the way you wanted, doesn’t mean that it wasn’t part of the Lord’s plan. His ways are so much higher than ours [Isaiah 55:8]. Maybe that sting of failure, rejection and humiliation will turn you a little more toward Jesus. Maybe the burn is not meant for pain, but is a flame intended to refine you. Maybe this will turn into a story you tell that reaches a person’s heart that everyone thought unreachable.

I don’t know which one it is for you, but I do know that our Jesus is faithful and He is good. I know that He has bought our total forgiveness and freedom from shame. I know that God is working in us to restore us to His perfect image. I know that when we do our best to hear and obey Him, He will reward us, though often not in ways that we expect. I know that Jesus is so worthy of our trust.

Listen. Obey. Trust. Step out. Live by faith.

It's Not Me, It's You

Daniel 9:18

"We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy."

I don't know about you, but I know any requests made on my own righteousness would be entirely laughable, because my own righteousness is just that: laughable. 

I also know that a request made on the mercy of God would be perfect, because his mercy is perfect and it is great. 

Resting on your own laurels will leave you entirely exhausted. Instead find your rest in the magnificent work of Jesus on the cross. Don't try live by your own strength, but live with the joy of the Lord as your strength [Nehemiah 8:10].

Ephesians 2:9 -->"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." 

It's really not you; it's all HIM. It's Jesus.

Identity

"Musicians in particular are terrible at spending so much time trying to create an image, an identity. It’s also true of professional athletes and members of the military. Their whole identity is in that profession.

The Bible talks about us being the robe of the righteousness of Christ. The Bible compares the relationship to a wedding. If you see a bride on a wedding day, you can clearly identify her. You see the wedding dress, you know she’s the bride. You go to Wal- Mart and a woman is wearing a wedding dress, even though she’s at Wal Mart, you’re still going to know, that’s a bride. Regardless of where she is, she’s identified as a bride.

If our adornment is Christ’s righteousness, if that is our primary form of identity, then anything else pales in comparison and is really kinda ridiculous. If that bride is wearing cleats to exude that she’s athletic, it’s ridiculous. You’re a bride. Don’t try to show me you wear cleats too.

As Christians, the most beautiful and wonderful thing we can be is in Christ. If we try to put our own accomplishments and our own identities on top of that, in reality, to those around us, it’s silly.

Find your identity in Christ."

- Jon Micah Sumrall [Kutless]