Monday, February 15, 2010

"Hear, Know, Grow, Go" By Kelli Zaniel

The chore of getting ready to go anywhere translates into a mountainous laundry list of things that must be accomplished before our family can get out the door.

Get in the shower…
Dress myself…
Locate a bulldozer to shovel my husband out of bed…
Wake up three sleepy girls with extreme bed head that even a brush is challenged by…
Break up a fight about who gets to hold the Hannah Montana movie in the car…
Get into a wardrobe war with a 5 and 6 year old…
Once the clothes are on, try to limit the spills of apple cinnamon oatmeal that usually takes a tumbling nose-dive off the spoon and into someone’s lap…
In the background, hearing my husband’s chants of, “Are you ready yet…?”
Push down the horns that are beginning to emerge from the top of my head…
Find socks and shoes that actually match...
Throw a few coats on and we are perfectly ready to go!

The great news is that when God calls us, we don’t have to be perfectly ready. God calls the unprepared and the unqualified. The Bible tells us He prepares and qualifies us as He calls us (see Col. 1:12). The main ingredient begins with our heart. Is it a willing heart? Is it a pure heart? If this main ingredient is present, you will hear from God (see Matt. 5:8). If we are available to God in a maximum way, we will be, “transformed into the same image from glory to glory just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18) which will enable us to then, “walk worthy of the calling” (Eph. 4:1-3).

He chose us out of the world (John 15:19) because we are His treasured possession (see 1 Peter 2:9). We were chosen as His dearly loved children even from the beginning of time (2 Thess. 2:13). Isn’t it nice to know that God had something special in mind when He saved us? God handpicked us for a specific purpose. Our personal journeys and life experiences whether good or bad make us perfect for a life that is on mission with Him.

When we feel less than adequate and unworthy to be called, we can be reassured that, “He will instruct us the way chosen for us” (Ps. 25:12). He gives us the desire and power to do what pleases Him (Phil 2:13) so that He can complete the good work he began in us.

When God initiates the call, it is not always about the “wow factor.” It is usually for the purpose of changing us, growing us, strengthening us and molding us into His perfect image--into people with more than just a mere knowledge of God. It is to stretch us beyond Sunday morning. It is to develop in us a heart that anticipates and expects to experience Christ during the week.

Why does he call us? That is simple! He calls us because He loves us. He draws near to us so that we can have eternal life, which is to “know Him and Jesus Christ whom He sent” (John 17:3). From Genesis to Revelation, God speaks to His people. Who are these “people,” he calls? The Bible says, “all are called” (see Rom. 1:5-6). The very moment you received Christ in your life, you were releasing your life to be used anyway that God would choose! Since we are all called by God, the only difference is the type of assignment He gives each one of us. So when the God of the universe comes knocking, lets be one of those who is ready to hear, know, grow, and go!

2 comments:

  1. I am so freed by the knowledge that God doesn't choose us because we are perfect for the job! The fact that he perfectly equips us for whatever he calls us to do gives me just the Spiritual courage I need to have a willing heart. My self-confidence doesn't get me 2 steps without me tripping up, but my confidence in Gods ability to equip and carry me through... that brings me great blessings and Him great glory. I always say all it takes is an active God and a willing heart... we can definitely count on our very active God and our willing hearts come from really knowing, believing and loving Him. Thank you for the wonderful encouragement today... you gave me a boost as I slept late, missed my quiet time and am still in my jammies! I'm behind yet again, but even so He equips me and carries me through... with that sword of truth I can stab Satan's attack of discouragement right in the heart! Love you!

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  2. I'll forever remember the quote that you said on our first M.O.M. meeting...
    God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called. That is powerful! We can do ALL things through Christ who gives us strength to do them.
    Hope you don't have to go anywhere today and go through that routine... ;)

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