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I believe that
because something heavenly is emerging and birthing the kingdom of darkness
rouses situations and emergent circumstances to distract our attention and
response away from it.
It is theft.
Let's call it what it is.
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URGENT or ETERNAL: A Call for Empty Hands
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August 17, 2009
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Is It Urgent or Eternal?
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Emptying Our Hands for the Lord
Recently a friend who
feels tasked with writing a book asked me how I find time to write because life
constantly presents so much urgent stuff.
I was shocked by my own answer but relieved by it at the same time. Regarding all of the urgent stuff I said,
"Ignore it." Shocking!
This is something
that I have learned: The Urgent is the enemy of the Eternal.
Have you noticed that
when God gives you a vision of an Eternal mission or purpose all of earth and
all of hell begin to kick up a fuss?
Statistically this is impossible to ignore and perhaps it is more
revelatory than we know. Could it be
that the intensity which you are bombarded with distraction and opposition is
an indicator of the degree of Eternal Significance God has placed upon that
which you are called to do or called to become?
I am sure of it.
When God asks us to
participate in His heavenly initiatives we must be free to give ourselves and
all of our attention to Him. We must be
free to respond to Him and to be responsible which in fact means "able to
respond." We are so privileged to be
invited and included in what He is doing.
Watchman Nee says it
sublimely; he encourages us to empty ourselves of all that would put any
restriction on our response to God. He
instructs that we must not have "anything in hand" that would prevent us from
using our hands to do the work of the Lord.
He tells us that we must stand before the Lord with open and empty hands
waiting to respond to His word, his call, His movement.
It follows that we
have to watch what we react to and we
must carefully consider things that we pick
up. So often we are reactive to most
anything that impacts us. This often is
an emotional response and we have come to see it as loving and Christian. So, the enemy uses this to keep many totally
preoccupied with reacting emotionally to needs, to crises, to news. It is a form of bondage. Are we the sons and daughters of God to be
led by the urgent, the seemingly needful, the popular? Jesus said, "One thing is needful." Him.
In regard to urgent
things we have to ask ourselves, "Who
determines urgency?" Typically it is
the person presenting the scenario, the one calling on the phone, the one displaying
the most emotional reaction. The squeaky
wheel gets the grease more often than not.
How many squeaky wheels have we oiled with the anointing that God has
poured upon our lives? We pour out and
pour out in our emotional reactions and then we find we feel spent and burnt
out.
For years I have
asked the Lord about His late arrival at the home of Mary, Martha, and
Lazarus. I am not challenging Him; I
just want to get the revelation if you know what I mean. One layer of revelation in the seemingly
delayed response of Jesus is that He
determines urgency. He sets the
times and the seasons; our part is to discern them. He is the Christ, the anointed One, who is
fully submitted to the Father. He only
says what the Father is saying, He only speaks what He hears the Father speak,
He only moves as the Father moves. Let it be on earth as it is in heaven.
I really believe, and
by the way I have learned the hard way, that all of our responses are for
Him.
Romans 6:13 instructs
us to yield and submit all of our selves-every aspect of our beings-to Him for
His use, and He will use us as His instruments of righteousness. And Lord, let us not incline our ears to
another!
I believe that
because something heavenly is emerging and birthing the kingdom of darkness
rouses situations and emergent circumstances to distract our attention and
response away from it. It is theft.
Let's call it what it is.
I believe this need
to discern the difference between the urgent and the eternal is what Jesus
talked about when He said all that business about leaving your father and
mother and such. He spoke in parables, I
believe--since He led by example and He never left His precious mother
unattended to. Think of Him calling out
to John from the Cross, "John, My man, take care of My Mother!" I believe He means that to birth Eternal
things and moves of God and Heavenly initiatives we must 'leave' the
clambering, urgent, fussy, and sometimes even what others deem important.
The organizational
strategist Steven Covey says, "Don't get caught up in the thick of thin
things."
We, as Spirit-led
sons and daughters of God must stop reacting!
We must quiet our spirits in His Presence and ask "Lord, how are
You RESPONDING to this situation?"
Then when we allow His response to flow through us heaven comes to earth
and His will is manifested.
Sometimes we over
manage our own lives. We want to manage
our time, our relationships, our careers, our children and their lives... I have been a miserable failure at this! So, I have turned it over to His
responsibility. His care is perfect and
He loves my children more than I do. He
loves them perfectly.
Being free of feeling
responsible for everything that goes on around me---and free from making
certain people are happy and happy with me---well--it is freedom. I can attest that since He has brought me
into this place all of my relationships are blessed and so is the work that I
do.
I am persuaded that
He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him---and that's everything.
So, having said all
of that... You really need to be free to do all that He is calling you to do in
this season of harvest. Take your
liberty from all that He reveals to you is hindering you from the task. Sometimes we stay on the Path of Life that He
has for us by way of what we are willing
to ignore. Either He is the Master,
or the urgent things are the master. It
is a call to toughness in a way. Or
discipline.
Press on!
Love and Jesus,
Kelly
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