My “Right Now” Invitation
Do you know that God is working ALL the time? He NEVER sleeps! I can not imagine not sleeping ever.
Do you know He created you with such uniqueness and creativity that He purposefully places you where He wants you working with Him side by side?
He is ALWAYS inviting us where He wants us to be so we can work with Him in what He is doing. Share on XWhen you contemplate that thought, it is mind-boggling. The Holy God of the universe who created all things, wants me to help Him in what He is doing today and every day!
Recently my husband and I began our empty-nesting journey. God had slowly began to call me to a place of being still for awhile. I slowed down in ministry to spend more time with my family and enjoy the final moments before the boys went off to college.
God continued to put on my heart the need to cut back on the many ways I was using my time and pulled me in to spend more time with Him.
At the end of September I went to the “Come With Me” retreat with author and friend, Suzie Eller, along with numerous women I had connected with on-line through Compel and our Living Free Together group.
One morning I was reading in Luke 4 about Jesus being tempted by satan.
“And he led Him up and showed Him all the Kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give you all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall be all Yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.” Luke 4:5-8
As I read the words in this passage, I felt the pricking of the Holy Spirit on my heart and I heard God asking me, “Whose kingdom are you seeking?”
God had been calling me to let go of some relationships, ministry, and time spent on those He and I loved. They did not seem like wrong or bad things but sometimes it is the good things that rob us of God's best. Share on X
“Whose Kingdom was I seeking?” It was a great question. A question that caused me to search deeply into my heart.
For as long as I remember I have struggled with finding my worth in other people’s opinions about me. I was only worth anything if I had my parent’s approval, or the kids at school liked me. I was only worth something if someone paid attention to me or I was successful in some way.
Maybe the reason I was having such difficulty letting go of these things was because I was allowing them to build me up in ways only God can. I sadly realized that unlike Jesus I had given in to satan’s offer.
Since I have been back home, I have been cleaning out, both in the house and in my heart. Both places are beginning to look as though I am living a minimalist lifestyle but I believe this is where God wants me so He can build everything up the way He wants it to be.
I am no longer filling my planner but allowing Him to direct my steps and He is. He is bringing to me those He wants me to connect with and providing the opportunities to do what He wants me to do. My writing focus is no longer about the platform but about what God is speaking to my heart and the content.
I am not going to lie it is a very vulnerable place to be. I am discovering who God made me to be and I am learning to be content in the truth that I am a simple girl with a heart that loves Jesus. Nothing fancy. I do not have a great amount of material things in this world and I am different than others in many ways but as I shared with a friend at the retreat, God can still use me.
My “Right Now” invitation is to let go in full, brave, and sweet surrender, everything to follow Jesus and seek God’s kingdom first in ALL things. To seek God’s Kingdom first in my relationship with Jesus, in my marriage, in my home, in my church and in my relationships with those I know and with those I do not know. I am learning how to do this slowly and the fruit I have seen already is awe-inspiring.
What is your “Right Now” invitation? I encourage you to seek God and ask Him what He is asking you to join Him in.
I would love for you to join me as I begin a 21 Day Life Changing Invitations as You Walk with Jesus Study, with Suzanne Eller, Living Free Together and other women from all over the nation and around the world, on Monday October 23rd. You can find the link here.
God has created YOU uniquely with purpose and He has a personal invitation for you! May we live in full, brave, and sweet surrender to HIM daily!
