Wednesday, September 12, 2012

What Really Matters

What Really Matters
By Carri Pratt 
Every sister in Christ has a God given ministry to fulfill.  “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Ephesians 2:10 NIV
This leads me to believe that there is at least one thing God has predestined for us to complete which will add value to His Kingdom. 

I believe we each feel a calling upon our heart to reach out and serve because we love God and want to please Him.  However, we can definitely reach that point when the scales are tipped in favor of doing for Him rather than spending time with Him.  This was the place I found myself not long ago. 

God showed up in a powerful way during one of my quiet times and I felt enormous conviction within my being.  The verse that jumped out before me was from the book of Haggai.  “The Lord of Hosts says this: “Think carefully about your ways… You expected much, but then it amounted to little … Why? … “Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.”  Haggai 1:7-9 HSCB 

I had been busy with my own house and my own agenda. I was getting ahead of God!  Here I was feeling rather good about myself and my various service projects that I had planned out. I had forgotten one very important ingredient, God’s blessing and direction.  I received confirmation of this in the book of Psalms; “Wait for the Lord; be courageous and let your heart be strong. Wait for the Lord.”  Psalm 27:14

In the book of Galatians we find tremendous wisdom for making decisions about serving our Lord, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.” Galatians 6:10 HSCB My understanding was that God was saying, “I will put opportunity in front of you.  Wait for it.”  So rather than me doing my own thing, God would put just the right opportunity in front of me.  My part was to spend time with Him building up His home within me.  Praying about various opportunities presented, to see which are in His Will and which He wants to bless.

I had a dream recently that I was standing before Christ Jesus on the Day of Judgment and all I could say was, “I missed it!  I missed what was truly important.”  I can not tell you how completely helpless and full of regret I felt at that moment.  It was horrible!  Paul tells us in his letter to the Philippians, “And I pray this; that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you can determine what really matters and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ…” Philippians 1:10 HSCB.  Godly wisdom and discernment only comes from spending time at His feet in His word.

Challenge:  Spend time with God today and ask Him for discernment regarding His priorities for you. 

Before you do for Him, spend time with Him!

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