I arrived home from work and walked into my apartment building only to be greeted by a bird flying almost square into my face last night. I guess that's what happens when you live in the ghetto burbs ha-ha. After that I was finally able to relax, but admittedly not for long. I have my gorgeous, softhearted friend who I haven't seen since last year coming into town this weekend. My apartment wasn't ready for company and my schedule is pretty much booked for the rest of the week. There was a small trail of clothes starting at the front door that led to my bathroom. There were magazines, mail, and newspapers forming a club on my coffee table. The way my shoes trickled out of my closet, and the way the sleeves on my shirts seemed to be reaching out for my attention would have had you believe that there were surely monsters in there. I was exhausted. Surprisingly, my kitchen sink was empty.
I couldn't help but look at next month's schedule after that: my brother coming into town, a bridal shower, a bacherolette party, a mixer, two weddings, another wedding the next month, you name it. I dared not complain though because there once was a time where I probably complained about being bored. In fact, I'm actually looking forward to all of these fun filled events and cannot wait to reach each weekend, and hopefully with grace. Here's where I started to get things a little twisted: I was dwelling too much on what I have to do to get ready for these events and not enough on slowing down so that I will be able to enjoy them. As I look back, I am reminded of the Bible story about Mary and Martha.
Martha was so consumed in making everything perfect for Jesus while Mary sat at His feet and enjoyed His presence. My problem wasn't that I was not spending enough time with God. My problem was I wasn't spending quality time with God by basking in and enjoying His company throughout the day. Because of this I was worrying and full of anxiety instead of resting and putting my trust in Jesus. I know that the only way I can deal with the problems that I face and the busyness of life is by spending my time in His presence so that He can heal my pain and give me rest so I can recharge. While I spend time in His presence He reveals to me my true state and truthfully, it's not where I want to be. I yearn for so much more. I want to get to know Him deeper. I want to have a divine revelation of His love. I want to understand His power more and more. I want to be a dedicated slave to Jesus. I want to obey. I want to be content in my circumstances, but not in my relationship with Him. I want more.
So today I will relay the word that the Lord gave me this morning for you all:
Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS, again I say rejoice! No matter what you're struggling with, no matter what temptations grab for your attention, no matter the busyness of your schedule or the lack thereof, no matter your circumstances - good or bad, no matter your home life, no matter your work situation, no matter your social "status" REJOICE. There is a shift that takes place in the atmosphere and in our thoughts when we give Him thanks instead of complaints. You can do this today. I believe in you and most importantly Jesus believes in you.
You see, beloved, as we put our trust in Him to do the work in us it starts to happen. We come to a place where we learn to fully rely on God and not on our own efforts. We have to address the mess and realize that the only one who can truly free us is Jesus. This is where we arrive at a place where we can successfully advance to what He has for us next because we are willing to deal with the now. For example, you can't arrive at your destination safely without taking your car to a mechanic to get your oil changed, to have someone come and change your flat tire, or to have a mechanic check under the hood for any underlying problems. We don't just stop the car and quit. We don't just trust that the car won't break down or that the problems won't grow bigger when there are already red flags. Therefore, we stop being stagnant and come to the realization that God already has the solution to every single situation. We give it to Him and realize that we CAN face each and every day with exuberance. We see that we can be sassy in the Spirit and that with authority we can tell Satan to stick that in his juice-box and suck it. We see things for what they are, the importance of the state of our hearts above all else and the ability of God to reform, restore, and transform us into strong soldiers in God's army. So again I say, "REJOICE!"
2 Timothy 2:3 - "Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus."
1 Corinthians 1:29 - "......so that no man may boast before God."
Philippians 4:4 - "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice!"
