Called Out, Brought In

In one way or another, God is calling each of us out. Calling us out of our everyday routine, or out of the mediocrity of lukewarm Christianity. Maybe he's calling you out of sin, out of something that you are involved in or doing that you know you shouldn't be.
The reason he calls us out is because he has something WAY better for us! When we are in the mud and the mire, he just holds out his nail-pierced hands and says "My love, my love..I have so much better for you. My plans for your life are hand-crafted and so much more than this. My plans for you are, in all reality, mind-blowing; you and I will touch so many lives. You and I will change the world, one step at a time. Please, take my hand, and I will pull you out of this sinking sand."
And so many times, we shake our heads no, and sink farther down....hoping, maybe, that nobody will see the things that the mud is covering up. That even Jesus will not see the things, little or large, that we feel guilty about or are ashamed of.
I'm going to let the bible do the talking for a moment here.
"What benefits did you gain from doing the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!" (Romans 6:21)
Thank you, Paul. 
Hence the term, "dirty little secret"? I think so.
When you hide things from anyone, or God, it begins to grow, sort of like bacteria.
"If you're not feeding your spirit person, then chances are, you're feeding your sinful nature."
Keeping it in the dark. Feeding it every so often with your actions or thought life. Do you think that you can control whether or not it grows? When you hide it, deny it, or downsize the seriousness of it, you are blinding yourself from seeing how fast its growing. Oh, and it will grow. Things like that don't remain stagnant. You either get rid of it, or it keeps growing.

I think, honestly, I was called out yesterday! At the Called Out by Get Real event. That title alone should tell you that you are about to get called out. Maybe that's why some girls didn't come...oh...
Anyways.
I got called out yesterday when I was listening to the speakers. I was reminded that I was taking part in something was bigger than me. I was also reminded that God was leading me in a direction bigger then I keep on thinking. As I looked around the huge venue that God provided for our event. I was really starstruck by everything God did for our event. I realized that he really did have his hand in what we were doing. And I was getting to be a part in it. I was interviewing this women's basketball star, in front of who-knows-what news stations. You don't get that opportunity every day. Not very many people ever get a chance like that. I got to ask her questions and listen to her testimony.

I just had this....feeling.....the entire event. I can't shake the feeling. I know God has big things for me.
I want to write a book. I have no idea how, or what the book should be about, but I felt God calling me out of my day-to-day life to start thinking about the bigger picture. Reaching lives....reaching out and opening my heart and life. Because I think that if other girls hear my thoughts then they would really be able to relate! I also think that I will be teaching. I don't know. But it opened my eyes to the huge playing field before me of opportunities.

God is calling me out of my every day life. He wants me to live in preparation for the things he has for me. I honestly have no idea how I am supposed to do that, besides just pursuing God and keeping my eyes on the prize, so to speak, instead of getting obsessed and intertwined with the little distractions of everyday life.

I am so excited about what he is doing and what he is going to do through me. I'm ready to get off of my butt and start getting some things done for the Kingdom!!! :)

Luke 10:41-42

"Martha, Martha" The Lord answered,

"you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her."

Sometimes I feel like Martha. So caught up and worried about the things "in the now", you know? The things that are only temporary, and don't really matter that much in the long run. Sometimes I put a magnifying glass over the little problems and it makes them enlarged and supersized to me. I cause stress and anxiety for myself for no good reason! Actually, there is a reason. A reason NOT to cause myself stress and anxiety, haha! The bible says "Be anxious for nothing". its that simple...

The bible also says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct the way you should go."

So basically, I should put off stress, worry, anxiety, and any feeling that I need to control things. I should put on trust. If I try to figure things out all by myself, I am going to fail miserably, and be miserable in the process. Not a fun path to frolic on, let me tell you. There is actually no frolicking allowed on that path, because you cannot frolic until you've got everything you are supposed to do completely laid out in black and white; every choice you need to make as lucid as spring water. There is no time for frolicking until that has been accomplished, since it's kind of wasting time that could be spent worrying, and planning, and running around in nervous circles wondering what to do with yourself, your money, and your life. Ahem.

Oh and by the way, you never actually accomplish what you are trying to accomplish. You'll never have things perfectly laid out. And if you do? Well, life will teach you a lesson, because plans change, and things that are out of your control will probably change your circumstances, and any expected circumstances.

"So what's left?!" You may ask. "Am I destined to worry my life away, and my worry will ultimately have not helped one smidgen in any grand scheme, or plan, that I, or God, had for me???" Well, if that's what you choose! Many people choose this, and at one time or another, everyone does. It must seem to be the easier path.

Actually, it's the path that doesn't require something specific of you. Something that is valuable to you, and makes you vulnerable. Something the other path requires of you.

Trust.

We choose to worry because we fail to trust. That's the bottom line.

Ouch! I mean, we are only helping, right? Not hindering?

Well, if what God wants is our trust, then we are failing to see the reason He puts us in situations where there is no way for us to do it ourselves.

Maybe, just maybe, it's so that we can learn to trust Him. To make the situation better, let me assure you of something you already should be assured of:

God wants to prosper us in our lives, and He knows what is best for us. He knows our needs and wants and has a proper timing for everything. So if we stop fussing and throwing temper tantrums and just go with His will, and TRUST Him, whatever happens is in His hands. If it was what we planned or what we wanted, AWESOME. If it's not, then obviously that doesn't mean He has ceased to be in control. It just means that "His ways are higher than our ways; His thoughts higher than our thoughts". And guess what? He is still working everything out for his ultimately amazing plans for us! He's God, and we're not.

Okay. Deep breath. :)

Back to the small story of Martha and Mary.

Every day, we should consciously think about how we can focus on what's necessary.

No, not the necessary you're probably thinking of.

Jesus said, "only one thing is needed".

I think He was referring to what Mary was doing. She was focusing on what was needed. The essence of Jesus.

We should just close our eyes for a few minutes and breathe in His presence, inhale His very existence each day.

Guess what? This is a burden off of our shoulders!

God's got it!

Hes got everything under control!

Speak it to yourself when you feel stress or worry climbing up inside of you. Speak, and say something like this:

"No. I refuse to stress. I refuse to feel like I need to handle this. God's handling it for me. I'm trusting Him, because I know He loves me, and has control of this."

And maybe a second something like this:

"Jesus....I accept the peace you offer me as your child; thank you for taking care of me. You always have my back, and I oftentimes ignore and forget that truth. I love you. Help me to rest in your arms. Speak to my heart, Lord, and help me see all the many ways you declare your love to me, even daily. If I've been acting like Martha, help me to be Mary."

It's as simple as that.