"PREPARE."
That is the word I heard in my spirit when I woke up on Wednesday of last week.
Strangely enough, I'm convinced that was exactly what woke me up that morning.
"Prepare? Prepare. Yes, prepare…wait. What am I preparing for?" - I kept saying to myself. Then my thoughts began to wander (although I'm sure they were led by the spirit of God) to all of the dreams God placed on my heart. For years, I've been storing up dreams, ideas, desires, and experiences…for this time. It was time to start preparing.
Ever since I heard that word, I have experienced more awakening in my heart than I could probably describe…but I will do my best.
I have been meditating on this idea of "being prepared." What am I doing RIGHT now to prepare for the very things that I have asked God to answer for days, months, and even years? What steps am I taking now? Or am I just "waiting" for my prayer to be answered without taking responsibility for what change that answer will bring in my life?
In the book of John…in the fifth chapter, "Jesus encounters a man who has been paralyzed for 38 years. When he approaches the man, he asks him a crazy question, "Do you want to get well?"
Now I'm going to be honest, for the longest time, I always wondered why Jesus asked this question. Who wouldn't want to get better?! Are you serious, Jesus?! But of course, in my lack of understanding as to why Jesus says and does the things that he does (which is ONLY what His Father leads him to do), I stopped asking that question one day.
It was when I was in a place of deep despair and brokenness that the spirit of God asked me, "Do you want to be better?" I remember wondering why He asked me that.
"Of course I do, Lord! I've been asking you to help me for so long!"
But over the following days and weeks, He began to reveal a deeper truth to that question. He doesn't ask if we want to be well because we love to be in pain. He asks us if we want to be better, simply because the healing means that we now have a greater responsibility to walk in that healing. And even greater, we have a responsibility to share that with the people we come in contact with.
We are no longer the victim. Heavy.
So when God finally answers our prayer, what do we do now? Are we ready for what lies ahead?
If you are believing God for healing in your body…keep praying and believing and thanking Him for you healing. He is faithful to His word. But get ready for what lies ahead when you receive that healing. Prepare now. Prepare in your speech about who God is to those who don't know Him. Prepare in your heart. Speak life, always.
I think sometimes we think our perspective is going to change ONCE we receive the answer to our prayer. In some ways, this is true. But for the most part, our habits and beliefs stay the same.
If you are asking (begging) God for a spouse to come into your life, start preparing now. You aren't perfect, so don't expect perfection in the one you are "waiting" for. Search after, and get to know the heart of Jesus…and you'll automatically be a better man or woman for someone else. Stop asking for it, and thank God for it…and keep preparing. Take a look at how you live your life now. If you have unhealthy habits in relationships now, that won't change later when you find the man or woman of your dreams. Start being an amazing spouse now. Ask yourself the hard questions about the areas in your life that you can begin to adjust. But always remember to be patient with yourself in the process…just like we should be with others. If God is patient with us, why shouldn't we be patient with ourselves?
If you are asking God to open doors of opportunity in your career or in your finances, start preparing now. Ask God to give you wisdom in the big and small things; with large and small amounts of money. Remember, if we are faithful with the little…He can entrust much to us, because He knows we can take care of it.
Someone once said to me, "The harvest is more work than the preparation."
The more I think about that, the more I realize how true that is! Take a farmer for example. Now, I know NOTHING about being a farmer, but I do know that they have to know how to handle a large harvest of crops. They sow the seeds and wait - that's actually the easy part. Then as soon as they start to see the first part of their fruit begin to bud, they have to protect it against critters and other animals. They also learn to protect it against the conditions of the unpredictable weather. Then once the harvest has completely come to fruition, a farmer has to know how much to store, invest, sell, and even how to keep that product healthy for consumption. The work is in the harvest. It is a joyous time, but it is a season of exponential growth. If the farmer doesn't follow through with all of the steps to prepare for the harvest, He won't be ready for it. Once he receives the harvest, he won't know how to take care of it, and most likely it will wither and die.
I am happy to wait longer for the answer to my dreams/prayer to come, because I know that each day (If I allow God to move in my heart), I am being made more like Christ in that area of my life. I am preparing to be the best that I can be. The reality is, we may be asking God for something that we have not ever experienced before…which is highly likely. But that doesn't mean that God can't give us wisdom and understanding about that very thing long before we ever receive it.
The bible actually says to ask for wisdom, and we will receive it. So, that's what I'm doing…in every area of my life. I'm asking God for wisdom in my finances because I believe He can entrust much into my life for His kingdom, if I do so. I'm asking God to lead me in my relationships, lead me to godly examples of wife and a mother so that I can learn the "unforced rhythms" of the day-to-day-mundaine tasks…so I never despise the days ahead that may seem dormant.
Preparation isn't attractive to most people. It means that you make decisions to not do certain things that you've always done, because you need to spend your time wisely in preparation. Preparation will probably come with criticism and cynicism from all sides. Don't let up - keep going!
Prepare. Prepare. Prepare….and then watch God open the most insane doors of opportunity for you!
Watch Him trust you with more…now, THAT is humbling.
"PREPARE." - That was the word that woke me up last week...and started the greatest chain reaction of new revelation and understanding.
Best alarm that has ever woken me up.
Wide awake... :)
ReplyDeleteNatalie, I walked a mile to church this week. Not much to some yet 2 months ago my heart didn't allow me to walk without trouble from the basement to the main floor. Over time I have been training, preparing and strengthing my heart. I have been blessed for my efforts! I am not going to share much you don't already know.
ReplyDeleteThe Apostle Paul teaches us to have joy in all things and to be prepared in all circimstances. So I agree with you, Prepare, prepare, prepare! Yet we don't know what the end result can be. I would first remind others "Rome wasn't build in a day", but over time block by block( I think of legos). The Father's of Rome never saw their finished city. Yet it was by the struggles the City of Rome had, we still view their efforts today.
But we are not Rome. What can we do? I am just one person? "Ask yourself the hard questions about the areas in your life that you can begin to adjust. But always remember to be patient with yourself in the process…just like we should be with others. If God is patient with us, why shouldn't we be patient with ourselves?" God molds us over time through our attitude, our lifestyle, our experiences, and through love! He prepares us over time.
"Preparation isn't attractive to most people", yet we prepare more for ourselves, not how others may view us! Still we could say, what can one person do if given time to change the world into a better place? Not me or you, would be my thought, we are simple people. Still each step makes you better, stronger, smarter, allowing you to use your talents in ways you never realized before. We realize we don't have to change the world, just our corner, our surroundings, the gift of life we share. We become closer to God, walking nearer, becoming the person we desire to be by our preparing.
YET, can one man really touch the world in this day and age? What if 'One' man who practiced this approach for years not knowing what might come of his actions! What if, at the time he started preparing his finished product,.. it didn't have the ability,.... to even be made. Still he worked,preparing for almost 20 years, teaching others with the motto is det bedste er ikke for godt which means literally "the best is never too good". What if, He taught that to encourage his employees never to skimp on quality, a value he believed in strongly. Or to have the motto still used within the company today. Most of us I dare say have enjoyed that quality in our lives, and have been amazed with what can be done using his parts. I have touched and shared multiple times this ONE man's creation. I wonder did he ever dream of what one day might be done by his preparing?
Did the Fathers of Rome ever realize what marvel the finished streets 60 years later would be? Or how their efforts changed the world even to this day? In a similiar way who would have ever thought a Lego car would be driven down a road powered by a Lego engine block? Connecting the blocks one at a time. Wouldn't that take preparing, and preparing and preparing? Ole Kirk Christiansen is 'ONE' man who did what your suggesting and as of 2013, around 560 billion Lego parts had been produced! He didn't set out to change the world just the toys for his kids. He prepared again and again, now generations later his work bring smiles to others. Yes, ONE person (you and me) can make that difference. Be the person God wants you to be. God loves me and only wants the best for me, or you! I have a lego in my pocket and when I touch it I think of my connections of life!