we are being called out.

God has really been speaking to me over the last few weeks, calling me to a new level of relationship with Him, a level I have never known in all my life.


A couple weeks ago our pastor spoke on how the church, is called OUT of ordinary thinking to live as citizens IN the Kingdom of God. I began to realize that so many times I neglect my spritiual growth and give it the back seat treatment in my life, or just stare at the green patches on the dead lawn of my communication with God. I get so caught up in the mundane and unimportant that my relationship with Christ becomes secondary, but that's just not what God wants are spiritual growth to be. He doesn't want a back seat, a passanger seat, and definitely not the roof rack [when I think back, I'm pretty sure I've given Him that at times]. What He wants is to be the driver; He wants us to take our hands off the wheel and give Him control. And He doesn't want us to have a "lawn" thats green in patches. He wants them to be thriving, growing, and full. He loves us unendingly, and He wants us to experience life at its best!

He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. More abundantly than what? Than ANYTHING!

But we're not going to simply fall into abundant life, or spiritual fullness and maturity. That takes time. Time in the word, time on our knees, time in His presence... oh, how I love to be in His presence. Over the last few weeks I've found myself overwhelmed by it. Most often is when I'm listening or singing along to praise and worship and I think that's because music is such a part of me. Particularly the song "Take My Life". It's the prayer of my heart and my anthem right now. Every part of that song relates to a part of my life; something I'm dealing with, worrying about, going through, or striving for. The other day I was in my car; it's messy, the A/C's broken, the speakers are blown, the vinyl is tearing, but suddenly it was the most beautiful place in the world. Driving to work, blasting that song at full volume, I felt Him there with me. You don't have to be anywhere special to find yourself in the most special place of all and here I was, in the presence of Jesus.

As I continued to sing along it sank in deeper and deeper. God was listening at that very moment. He could really hear me, I was driving down highway 80 singing to the God of the universe! The maker of heaven and earth. The way, the truth and the life, was listening. [I'm pretty sure the people beside me thought I'd lost it] but I couldn't hold it in, I just had to praise Him in anyway I could think of. It was pure joy!

Of course, it doesn't have to be some major [stare inducing] extravaganza to mean you're in the presence of God. That was just an experience I had the other day. It's quiet too, silent even, and just as beautiful. Either way, that's where our lives should be lived; always aware of His presence. He has given us the Holy Spirit, his Holy presence living within us. It fills and at times it overwhelmes. It floods us with who He is and what he's done. The more time we give God and the more of our lives we surrender to Him the more we will be filled, until our cup runs over, and when our cups run over, we can fill the cups of those around us. The world will see the difference, they will see Jesus, and wonder what this life in Christ is all about.

I'm sure you've heard the example of how Christians are like the moon. We cannot shine on our own, but we can reflect God's light and shed light into the world. But I think what often is left off is that the closer the moon is too the sun, the brighter is shines. The same is true for us! The closer we are to Christ, the brighter our lights will shine, and it will pierce even deeper through the darkness.

I want to shine, I want to live the difference, and have a new way of thinking. God is calling me out, and I must answer!