Meant
I spoke at a ladies retreat this weekend and had a wonderful time! As I was working on one of the lessons, I felt myself continually drawn to the idea that there are no spiritual accidents. The creation of each one of us was deliberate and according to Ephesians 1, purposed by God in advance. Isn't that empowering? To know that our very being is deliberate? To know that God intended for us to be? That we were meant?
Eugene Peterson, in The Message, puts it something like this, Before we were even created, God saw us in His mind's eye and had settled on us as the object of His affection." Wow! We were not a haphazard or accidental creation. God knew what He was doing. He knew how we would look, how we would feel, how we would live.
I probably "preached" this too much at the retreat, but we have been so afraid we would be seen as pentecostal in nature, that we have dumbed down the very spiritual aspects of our lives. God providing a way of escape from temptation is seen as "coincidental". Our choices working out for our own good in the long run is seen as "accidental". We try to say we unintentionally sin and we make excuses. When God provides for us, we talk about just how "lucky" we are. All too often we live haphazardly, going with the flow, rolling with the punches. But God created us to be deliberate people, the kind that decide to live for Him and do so with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength----people with a purpose. I believe there are no spiritual accidents. We don't accidentally sin and we can't accidentally worship. Our relationship with God has to be intentional and deliberate. We cannot sit in formal worship services, going through the motions and hope God will be worshipped. Worshipping Him has to be our motivation. It has to be our intent. It has to be deliberate. We have to mean it!
Today, let's plan on living a life that deliberately glorifies God, a life that is a living sacrifice. Today, let's recognize that when God created us, when He purposed us, when He redeemed us, He meant it! And so, let's all of us will remember our promise and commitment to Him and live like we meant it.
Peace
Neva
Eugene Peterson, in The Message, puts it something like this, Before we were even created, God saw us in His mind's eye and had settled on us as the object of His affection." Wow! We were not a haphazard or accidental creation. God knew what He was doing. He knew how we would look, how we would feel, how we would live.
I probably "preached" this too much at the retreat, but we have been so afraid we would be seen as pentecostal in nature, that we have dumbed down the very spiritual aspects of our lives. God providing a way of escape from temptation is seen as "coincidental". Our choices working out for our own good in the long run is seen as "accidental". We try to say we unintentionally sin and we make excuses. When God provides for us, we talk about just how "lucky" we are. All too often we live haphazardly, going with the flow, rolling with the punches. But God created us to be deliberate people, the kind that decide to live for Him and do so with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength----people with a purpose. I believe there are no spiritual accidents. We don't accidentally sin and we can't accidentally worship. Our relationship with God has to be intentional and deliberate. We cannot sit in formal worship services, going through the motions and hope God will be worshipped. Worshipping Him has to be our motivation. It has to be our intent. It has to be deliberate. We have to mean it!
Today, let's plan on living a life that deliberately glorifies God, a life that is a living sacrifice. Today, let's recognize that when God created us, when He purposed us, when He redeemed us, He meant it! And so, let's all of us will remember our promise and commitment to Him and live like we meant it.
Peace
Neva
posted by Neva | 6:27 AM
24 Comments:
"Yeah"
Amen! I like being "meant"
Rachel
Amen! I am sure you preached it well. God bless
bria
I'm going to live for God on purpose ... not on accident.
Blessings and I hope the retreat went great.
Amen!
Too often we have starved ourselves spiritually speaking, through fear; fear of being thought Catholic if we recite orally the "LORD's Prayer" - of being thought Baptist if we teach the glories of God's overwhelming, never ending grace; in fear of being thought Pentacostal if we preach and believe in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and His active movement in our lives. It has been said that we often fear we don't pray enough, but it is the Holy Spirit that translates our tears, our cries, our sighings in prayers to the Throne of Mercy.
Why, oh why do we tend to live in fear? "Fear is the lack of Faith" I think it goes. We starve ourselves of the mighty power of the Holy Spirit out of fear? We can't extend grace since we don't understand God's grace toward us, out of fear? We won't encourage each other in communal prayer that Jesus used to teach HIS disciples how to pray, out of fear? Do we really want to continue to be such fearful people? Do we believe our fear is glorifying of our LORD? I pray 'NO' is the resounding answer to both.
Great post, Neva. May we learn to receive God's "meant" blessings and be able to return that "meant" in our actions of grace, love and mercy to our neighbors, friends, families, church families, store keepers, you name it. May we all be mirrors of God's blessings poured out on us by passing them along.
Sorry, dear friend. I think I got carried away a bit. :)
I love the word intentional! Everything about our lives and Christian walk should be intentional. We can't haphazardly live for Him, we must live for Him intentionally just as He intended for us to do. Nothing happens by chance or luck. Everything is a blessing from God.
Thanks for sharing! I'm sure you were a blessing to those who got to hear to speak. You are a blessing to those of us who get to "see" you speak! :) Blessings!
Neva,
What a great post. Exactly what I needed to hear this morning. Having a four year old, I usually hear "I didn't MEAN to!" This would be a good time to teach your lesson to the little ones in the world, too.
Amen!
What's the old saying? "He who teaches learns twice." That's the fun of doing retreats, etc.
Grace and peace,
Tim
"Live like we mean it"--that is powerful. Thanks, Neva
Pat
That's great! I loved it!!!
I hear you. I preached a similar lesson last night. The text in Matthew 13 talks of the man finding treasure in a field or a pearl of great value and "selling all". I have shared more than once about my struggle with this song we sing, 'All to Jesus I Surrender'. We don't usually mean it. And if we do, it is only for a moment. I won't preach my lesson again but we are so tempted to make excuses. What ever happened to the radical demands of Jesus? I / we don't think He meant them!
James
Sometimes we act like we read what God says in the Bible but maybe He didn't mean it. How sad that we put our eternal souls in the hands of a maybe.
Carlos
I am grateful that I was intentional. I believe in a deliberated God and therefore I try to mean what I say to Him.
Dan
Neva,
I discovered your blog quite by "accident". It was such a "coincidence" that this was your post. I was so touched by it that it truly must have been what God "meant" to happen all along.
I will be coming back often. Prayers for your ministry,
Georgia
What a great post! I am with Rachel. I like being meant. It is so amazing to think about God planning us, designing us and intending for us to be.
Jeneane
Lovely post, Neva, just lovely.
Corinne
I knew you would do a great job at the retreat. You always do. I am so proud of you and the way you seek to serve God adn to encourage others to serve Him too. Keep up the good work,
Love ya
Kel
Intentional faith---I love it!
Carol
Great post, Neva. I know you did a great job at the retreat. Wish I could have been there to hear you.
Jean
Neva,
I have been gone but have finally caught up on all your posts. You never disappoint.
Yvonne
This is a great thought and I mean it. :)
Karin
Lovely post, Neva, thanks!
Helen
EXCELLENT!
When I was little I sang a song:
I am a promise, I am a possibility, I am a promise, with a capital P. I am a great big bundle of Potentiality. If I listen, I will hear God's voice and if I'm trying, I will make the right choice. I can be anything, anything God wants me to be....
I believed it then and still do now. I'll let you know when that changes.
I love you. I enjoyed the interview with Dee!
Kathy
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