Living Water Church

In the last few weeks I have found myself singing the same song over and over again.  Yes, it’s stuck in my mind.  But in all truth, I think it’s a song that the Lord has instilled within me.  He wants the truths declared in this song to penetrate my very being.  The song’s chorus declares,

“It’s all about You, Jesus.  And all this is for You,
for Your glory and Your fame.
It’s not about me, as if You should do things my way.
You alone are God and I surrender to Your ways.”

I feel like I have a new awareness in my life that everything I do needs to be centered around Jesus.  As I live this way, I find so much comfort.  Comfort because when I feel like my hard work and endeavors don’t quite meet the mark, I have comfort because all of this isn’t about me anyway.  I am not here to promote myself, my church, my ministry, my (fill in the blank).  I am here to bring glory and fame to my Lord.

And as I surrender to Him, He becomes in charge of everything.  He is in the driver’s seat; and though He uses me as a willing vessel, the results of my labor are ultimately His responsibility and not my own.  Colossians 1:16-17 says, “All things have been created through Him and for Him.  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”   It’s all about Jesus.  I surrender to His ways.

Pride.  I think that pride is something we all struggle with from time to time.  Pride is so deceptive because it is so easy to see someone else’s pride and be blinded to my own.  God clearly states in scripture that He is “opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:5-7.

The last thing I want for my life is to live in such a way where God is opposed to me, against me.  So how do I humble myself before God’s mighty hand?  Rick Warren said this week that we don’t grow in humility by trying to be humble.  That statement struck me, because I have been guilty of that very thing.  And all it does is make me self-focused.  So how do we grow in humility?   Interestingly enough, Brady Boyd addressed this topic this week as well.  He said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking about yourself less.”   Wow!

When we walk in humility we shift our focus off of ourselves and begin to focus on the greatness of our God.  We don’t focus on our inadequacies, but on God’s provision.  Then we can truly cast our cares upon Him, knowing that He cares for us.  And once this happens, then instead of being so concerned about ourselves, we can serve and be a blessing to others.  This is walking in humility.

Last week we got back from our trip to Oklahoma. We drove about 800 miles in one day and our boys did great. At one point, I watched Nate (my 5 year old) just sit there in the van, staring out the window. For about an hour and a half, he just watched the scenery. (Oh, and we were in Kansas, by the way, so the scenery was well…. you get the picture.)  That said, I was amazed at how well my boys handled the long car ride.

When we got home however, all their pent-up energy exploded and there were numerous fights, complaining, arguing, and any other related event. I found myself struggling with a bad attitude as my home erupted in general chaos and noise. And in the midst of that, a friend of mine called me to see how I was doing. In just that one phone call, my spirits were lifted.

The scripture tells us to “encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11. I looked up the word encourage in my Webster’s dictionary. It means “to inspire with hope; to stimulate; to give help.” Sometimes life gets tough, mundane, or just plain overwhelming. At times like this we need people in our lives who encourage us. The phone call from my friend offered me just what I needed. Let’s all learn to be encouragers. Let’s listen to the Holy Spirit and respond to His prompting to call someone, help someone one, and offer hope. Find someone to encourage today.

In my opinion, last week’s message by Pastor Paul, was the most significant sermon I have heard in many years. I realize that is a grandiose statement, but it adequately expresses how I feel. I urge you to download it, listen to it, and chew on it.

Though I can in no way duplicate what was said last Sunday in this small space, nevertheless I want to give a brief summary. Are you hungry for more of God? Do you want to see God’s power touch your loved ones? Do you desire healing? There is God’s part and our part. Last Sunday’s message clearly defined our part.

Like in the natural, where a critical mass of plutonium comes together to create an nuclear explosion, so it is true in the spiritual realm. When Christians come together, in a critical mass, purified and cleansed, praying together in one accord, there will be a spiritual explosion, with revival, healing, and restoration. This can’t be achieved by just one or two people. It requires many of us to be seeking God, walking in purity, praying and fasting.

Are you willing to be a part of that critical mass? Are you willing to sacrifice for it? I want us to create a spiritual atmosphere where God commands His blessing. Again I urge you to listen to the sermon entitled “Critical Mass.” Let it change how you think.