Jesus Calling… (part 1)

Part 1:
 
“Put all of your energy into trusting me. It is through trust that you stay connected to me, aware of my presence. Every step of your life-journey can be a step of faith. Baby steps of trust are simple for you; you can take them at almost unconscious ease. Giant steps are another matter….. they require sheer concentration as well as utter commitment to me.
Each of my children is a unique blend of giftedness, temperament, and life experiences. Something that is a baby step for you may be a giant step for another person, and vice versa. Only I know the difficulty or ease of each segment of your journey. Beware of trying to impress others by acting like your giant steps are baby ones. Do not judge others who hesitate, in fear, before an act that would be easy for you. If each of my children would seek to please me above all else, fear of other’s judgments would vanish as well as attempts to impress others. FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION ON THE PATH JUST AHEAD OF YOU AND THE ONE WHO NEVER LEAVES YOUR SIDE.” ~”Jesus Calling”, Sarah Young , September 25 entry.
 
Just about every morning my team of 6 meets up on the prayer wall for something we simply call team time. This is a time of seeing how everyone’s doing, giving feedback, talking about the day ahead, and praying. Our team is very diverse and we balance each other well with our strengths and weaknesses. This week our ministry was based in the poorest area of Teluc. After coming off less challenging ministries I really encouraged my team to remember to rely on the Lord for absolutely everything, drop fear, step out of our comfort zones so we can grow, and to bring it all to Jesus before we move on it. One thing that’s a universal struggle at some point is doubting ourselves. This could relate to your self worth, your rank at work, your ability to be who you really want to be, etc. Doubt hits us all in some way or another. As a team, we often doubt our abilities to carry out what the Lord is calling us to do. I’ve been diving pretty deep into the Gospel of John lately, and a verse that has really strengthened me is John 14. (I encourage you to read it :))
 
Now here’s where I tied the chunk of Jesus Calling above with John 14 to relate to my team and our ministry.
 
Our ministry is a hike. I’m talking straight up cliffs and mountains. The roads have holes and rocks and waste nearly every step. We’re usually led from house to house by Cassie or Nidia who know Los Pinos very well. But what I explained to the group is that we don’t look straight to the houses we’re going to (our final destination) as we walk, but instead we are very aware and focused on watching for the holes in the ground right in front of us.
 
I compared those holes in the ground to the people around us.  Our ministry isn’t just to go simply to what is planned by us (the home we were on our way to in our ministry’s case), but it was to be constantly in tune with the Lord to see what HE was calling is to do. FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION ON THE PATH RIGHT AHEAD OF YOU AND THE ONE WHO NEVER LEAVES YOUR SIDE.
 
So I told the group to be in tune with the Lord that day and to really seek out the “holes” we were simply stepping over before.
 
Now John 14 comes in where the trusting the Lord part of JC comes in. The doubt that constantly attacks us isn’t of the Lord. It doesn’t belong in us because the Lord has already equipped us fully with everything we need to do what he’s calling us to do. HE trusts in US to carry out what HE is calling US to do. He loves us and he’s constantly by our side.
 
Now here’s what I asked my group, and what I am now asking you after reading John 14,”Do you love the Lord?”
 
“Do YOU love the Lord?”
 
John 14 says that the Father is IN US. That those who LOVE him will obey what he asks of us! That there is no room for fear and doubt because the Lord gives us PEACE!
 
So I am asking YOU to obey what Jesus is calling YOU to do. I am asking YOU to not just seek your final destination but to seek the FATHER in everything you do. Be in constant communication with him and let him direct your path. Be aware of your surroundings, don’t just step over the holes the Lord wants you to address. Drop all of your fear and doubt because your ability is greater than this world. It is based off of the FATHER.  Jesus also says in John 14,”Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I HAVE BEEN DOING, and they will do even GREATER things because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask for anything IN MY NAME and I will do it.”
 
To be continued…..