Finding Your Way to His Presence: Being Consistent & Sacrificing Perfection
Happy Monday #becomingtribe! We are loving this Devotional Series & the conversations we get to have with you through comments! Make sure to check out the first Devo of this Series if you haven't yet: Finding Your Way to His Presence: Recognizing His Voice. FREEBIE below!
"Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's Presence" Ephesians 3:12 (NLT)
One of the biggest things that changed my way of thinking regarding my life, was something a Pastor/Professor of mine told me one day my Junior Year of College. This was a man I looked up to tremendously,one of those guys that whenever he was going to speak something into your life, you knew you needed to listen. As if it was coming straight from the heart of God.
He sat me down one day and said, "Lanissa, the woman you want to become and the dreams you have won't happen in one moment. Your life, the life God has for you, is found in the process".
Something shifted in my heart. In that place where all of my worries, contemplations, dreams and desires lay. I so longed to know God deeply and wonderfully, I so longed to become a woman full of so many great characteristics, and I wanted those dreams in my heart to happen in my time (like, tomorrow ha!). I thought the process was a trap. Feeling like, if I was "stuck" in the process of life then I must not be following God's will because it didn't seem like I was going anywhere! crazy. loca, as my spanish momma would call me. But it's how I felt. Anyone else been there with me?!
But the Lord began to work on my heart and teach me that there was actually freedom in the process. In my journey. And He wanted me to buy into that process. Buy into what He would and could do in and through me, and actually let Him start something in me now. Instead of just hoping for Him to give it to me, without any partnership between Him and I.
Buying into our journey, takes boldness. Confidence. Because simply getting everything we want wouldn't really do us any good. God wants to build a history with us. He wants to mold us and stretch us and love us immensely and even allow is to fail sometimes. It's in the process where we find the freedom to encounter God's presence just as we are.
Flawed but committed. Scared but healed. Uniquely us and immensely loved. God wants us to sacrifice perfection, and buy into our journey. It's His. And when we choose to follow Him and stay close to His heart throughout our journey- we WILL receive everything He has for us. And we will know Him the way we've always longed to, and we're created to.
FREEBIE! Because we love you and we love freebies- we want you to have this gorgeous calligraphy print to remind you to buy into your journey. CLICK HERE to download it for free! We hope you love it!
Today's Challenge: Let's dig deeper together! Answer the following question in the comments below & we will chat back with you about it! Are you ready to buy into your journey and sacrifice perfection for the process? What fears may be holding you back from fully giving all control over to Him? You're not alone!
THEN today, figure out a place in your schedule to spend time with the Lord every single day. Then create an atmosphere that makes you WANT to come encounter God each day. For me, I make a hot cup of tea- play slow instrumental worship music (Bethel "Without Words") and wrap up in a cozy blanket. Make it work for you! It's this daily time that will help you continue to Buy In!
xo,
Lanissa
