Am I Making a Difference?

Do you ever feel like you have to be hit over the head with something before you finally start to “get it”? That seems to happen to me a lot. I’ll have a thought or an idea or an inspiration, but I’ll ignore it – or procrastinate instead of acting on it. But then, it will come at me from another source – and another – and another – and so on, and so on… You get the picture. You would think that I would have learned by now to listen and act, but I still have a lot of work to do in that area…

Take, for example, Awakening 21 – Our church is participating with lots of other churches around the world in this 21-day time of fasting and prayer. And, I’m really excited about it. I believe that the discipline of fasting is important, and I believe that there are some things that can only happen as a result of fasting and prayer (Matthew 17:21, Mark 9:29). We’re a few days into it, and I’m doing great with the physical aspects of fasting, but I’ve been having a hard time determining what my prayer focus should be – or at least, I thought that was the case.

Rewind about a week to Francis Chan and Passion 2011. I watched the livestream of his teaching, and he was asking the question: “Does your life make sense in light of the gospel?” In other words, if you really believe that the gospel is true – if you’ve really bought into the great commission – are the things that you are doing with your life lining up with that belief? Wow! Tough question. I’m not so sure that I like my answer to it.

Then, a few days later I read a great article that was asking “What are you doing to make a difference?” Great question – What AM I doing to impact the world around me?

Another friend posted a note on facebook about doing something with what God has put within you. He says “My giving is not determined by my bank account, the things I own, or the excess of my life. It has everything to do with what is WITHIN!” Yeah – What AM I doing with the gifts and talents that God has given to me?

My devotional reading on Monday included the following passage:

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness.” Phil 2:5-7

Jesus - the humble servant. Does my life reflect the same attitude?

Then, today I read Pastor Kevin Cooley’s blog. His church is also participating in Awake 21, and his blog was focused on the idea that fasting and prayer brings us to a place of assignment – a place of more fully understanding what it is that God would have us to be doing right here and right now.

And, it finally dawned on me – Maybe my focus for Awakening 21 needs to be a renewed understanding of God’s purpose for my life. Maybe I need to stir up those dreams and plans that have been deposited in my heart through the years and ask what I need to be doing to see them fulfilled. Maybe I need to be asking what new assignments God has for me in 2011.

It’s only taken me two weeks to finally get the message – but at least I got it! And, I’m excited to see what God wants to do in my life over the next couple of weeks!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11