What are You Giving Up for God?

It’s the most challenging question that I've had to ask myself so far in my online Bible study of What Happens When Women Say Yes to God with Proverbs 31 Ministries.  To be honest, I wanted to pick another question to address on my blog and in my life, but I decided to tackle this question head on and with an open heart.

Is there something God is asking you to give up?   What specific steps do you need to take to fulfill this obedience?

 

 

The answer to this thought-provoking question is yes, there is something the Lord is asking and has been asking me to give up and the answer is so simple.

Give me your time.

 

I know that spending time with God is one of the most, if not THE most important thing I can do as His child.  I know that it is in this sweet place that we will become closer and get to know one another as only a Father and daughter can, and yet I fail at giving Him my time as I should.

 

I want to give excuses for my behavior but to put it simply; I shouldn't have one to begin with.  But the reality is…I do make excuses.

 

You too, friend?

 

Lysa shares in her book the 5 Questions that you should ask yourself if you feel God is speaking to you:

 

 

When I first answered God’s call to begin writing again and enter into my ministry it was as if everything lined directly up to show me it was the path I should take.  Every song and sermon I heard was about using spiritual gifts and following God’s will for your life.  Every scripture lined up and things happened in my life that made me see God was pointing me in this direction.

 

And then I got comfortable.

 

I got comfortable with my prayer life and quit giving it as much time as I had before.  I was satisfied with posting 1-2 blogs a month and going through the motions in areas of my ministry.  After all, I felt I knew God’s call, I had answered it, and so I was sort of done right?  All I had to do was grow.

 

 

 

I became too comfortable with being comfortable in my relationship with God.

 

 

But where I was wrong was thinking answering the call was an endpoint.  Friends, it was just my beginning.  It is just YOUR beginning.  Growing in Christ is not simple.  It is hard.  It is beautiful.  It is trying at times and it takes full surrender to Him.  Growing is what I have been doing and I can tell you, the Lord is working in me.

 

He is taking me out of my comfort zone completely.  He is challenging me to write things I never thought I would write about.  I have prayed prayers I never thought I would pray.  I have been convicted to change things about myself and in my life in mighty ways.

 

The Lord desires time with us.

 

 

 

Wouldn't you know...every sermon I have heard recently has been about spending quality time with Lord.  God was speaking to me again, only this time He was asking more from me.  Is He asking more of you?

 

I have found that my new time with God is so special and it helps me face the day with a different perspective and love for others I probably wouldn't have otherwise.  I share that with you today because I want to be transparent and tell you that it’s not always easy.  There are days I want to roll over and hit the snooze (especially when my infant daughter has had a rough night!) and not get up early, that’s the human side of us we can’t get rid of, but when I do I am blessed by my time with Him.

 

Here are some steps I have found helpful:

 

1)     Set your alarm earlier than you actually need to get up in order to get quiet time in. 

 

In other words, if you know you want to get 30 minutes of time in with God each morning, then allow yourself enough time to do that and get ready before you start your day.  I try and allot enough time to hit the snooze at least twice, but that’s me.

 

2)      Get an accountability partner.

 

Do you have a friend or co-worker or spouse that can keep you accountable for having quiet time?

 

3)      Find a devotional or Bible study that works for you.

 

I have purchased many a Bible studies and many a devotional books and many have sat on my bookshelf for one reason or another.  Perhaps it just didn't match with that particular season in my life at the time, but I find myself pulling them out now and they are fitting perfectly for the season I am in. Find one that works for you and one that you are EXCITED about.  I personally recommend anything by Proverbs 31 Ministries, Beth Moore or Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.  They are straightforward and to the point and they work…for me.

 

Have one you recommend?  I’d love to hear them!

 

4)     Give yourself grace.

 

You will not want to get up early some mornings.  You will not always want to listen to uplifting music.  You will not always memorize the scriptures you are supposed to for that week.

 

And it’s all okay. 

 

 

Just as you will offer yourself grace, so will the Lord.  Remember that He wants to spend time with us.  He wants our hearts free of obligation when we come to Him.

 

I know that my special time with the Lord is working in my life.  I am more confused than ever about what paths to take, my tolerance for worldly things is reaching an all-time low, and I find beauty and peace in the oddest places.  He is challenging me, but He’s equipping me for the challenges ahead.  That’s how I know He’s working in me; because I am no longer comfortable being comfortable with Him and our relationship.

 

 

What is God asking you to give up?  Do you have other steps for spending time with God you'd like to share?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

The Dentist Chair

Saying yes to God seems simple enough, but oh what a hard task it can sometimes be.  Are YOU ready to say YES with me?!

Today's post is part of a Blog Hop from my online Bible study of What Happens When Women Say Yes to God. 

I didn’t hesitate when the invitation hit my inbox.  I was ready to say yes to God.  I couldn’t sign up fast enough for the online Bible study for one of my favorite authors, Lysa Terkurst’s What Happens When Women Say Yes to God.  I started reading the book immediately and found myself enthralled with each of Lysa’s words about the times she has fully relied on her faith and said YES to God.

Lysa refers throughout her book to radical obedience to God; completely 100% faithful, obedient, trusting in God.  This concept had me excited for the challenge.  What I didn’t know is exactly how I would start off saying YES to God, and I certainly didn’t expect it to be at the dentist.

I could think of so many things I would rather have been doing instead of sitting in a chair with a thousand and one instruments in my mouth.  At my last appointment a few weeks prior I had some trouble getting numb enough for my dentist to perform my filling procedure.  Maybe it was a mental block or maybe I’m just really sensitive on the left side of my mouth.  Whatever the case, I did everything I could from having to come back for the second filling.  But to no avail, there I sat.

As I was waiting on my dentist to come back in and start I could hear someone out in the hall talking.  He sounded young, and he was explaining to the dental hygienist how nervous he was.

“I think you’re going to have to put me out.  I just can’t do this.  Please tell him (the dentist) how nervous I am and to be very gentle with me.”  I could hear his voice shaking.

“Yes sir, I understand.  I will tell him,” the hygienist said trying to ease his mind.

 “No really, please tell him.  I don’t do well with this stuff.  I can’t take it,” he said.

I felt awful for him.  I didn’t know what he looked like or even what his name was, but I knew that he was scared and didn’t want to be there even more than I did.

As my procedure started, though I was nervous as well, I could just imagine him in the next room scared to death of what was going to happen to him in the next 30 minutes.  I imagined him wishing he were elsewhere, maybe on a beach with his friends somewhere.

I want you to pray for him.



Really Lord?  I’m in the middle of getting a filling.



Yes.

I don’t know him, Lord.

Pray for him.  He needs your prayers.



 Okay, I’ll pray {radical obedience here!}.

Then tell him that you prayed for him.



Woah Lord. What?   He’ll think I’m crazy.  He might get mad.  I don’t think I can.

Yes you can. 



There it was, my true radical obedience moment presented to me in the form of a dentist chair.  So I did it.  The whole time I was in the chair I prayed for the man next door to me; the one getting more anxious by the minute.

Some of you may be saying well, that’s nice but what’s the big deal?

The big deal is this:  the more I prayed for that man, the more radically obedient I was to God, the more I said YES…the less afraid I was.  At one point I actually felt relaxed while being drilled into oblivion.  The Lord blessed me with peace and comfort during my procedure,  but my part wasn’t over.

As I was leaving I noticed the door to his room was shut and I could hear the dental instruments going full force.  I couldn’t just barge in, but a dental hygienist was nearby.

“Ma’am, could you do me a favor?  I don’t know that man in there or what he’s having done, but will you tell him that I’ve been praying for him?”  I was really nervous to voice my prayer moment.



“You don’t know him at all?” she said.

“No, but I heard him earlier talking about how nervous he was and I just wanted to pray for him.  Will you tell him for me?” 



“That’s sweet.  I’ll be glad to,” she said with a smile.

I didn’t know that God would call me to say YES to Him in the dentist office that day.  The truth of the matter is that we don’t know when He is going to call us to say YES, but we know that He will call us.

I don’t know what happened after I walked out of the dentist office that afternoon.  I can only trust that I did what the Lord was asking me to do. That’s the other thing about saying YES to God.  We don’t always know the outcome of our radical obedience at the moment, but we do know that the Lord will find favor with us if we are obedient to Him.

So are you with me today friend?  Will you join me in saying YES to God?! 

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