This is a very late post, but it's better late than never. Unight had a series break composed of two meetings. It was pretty much all about faith, which is a pretty big topic on its own. I just figured that I should write about it. So here's the first installment of the mini-series. :)
The night began with praise and worship, and I recommend listening to the songs to get into the mood. The song list for the night included Nothing is Impossible, Search My Heart, Higher, and With Us. As we took our seats, they mentioned this verse that was a perfect way to start the series.
"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
Hebrews 11:1
As the actual discusion started, they cited a few verses that got me thinking.6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.10 Then the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”12 But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?”
Exodus 6:6-12
Take note of the term 'faltering lips' in the last verse. It shows that even Moses was hesitant to do as God told him. The truth is, we all are. There are just some instances that even though we know what God wants us to do, we just can't find it in us to follow. That's normal for anyone, so it isn't something to be ashamed of. And if ever that time comes, God will find a way for us. In the next verse, we can see that happen.
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country.
Exodus 7:1-2
We then skip years and years of the story to find Moses again, though much older.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
Hebrews 11:24-25
Moses did something that normal people wouldn't do. If you were given a title as grand as being the son/daughter of someone famous, wouldn't you want to boast about it? Instead, he chose to be mistreated instead of living in a life of luxury. He'd rather miss out on those privileges to be among other people of God. Which brings us to our main point. We have to learn to surrender our comfort zones. We have to step out of our safe zone if that is what God wants from us. We should be able to give ourselves up entirely to God. That includes the parts of our lives that we want to ourselves.
Many people follow God passionately, but only up to a certain point. For example, you're willing to commit yourself to going to church every week, BUT only if you don't have any prior plans with friends. There's always that "but" that hinders us from following God fully. We're willing to give up so much, except for that one aspect in your life. Now this could be different from person to person. It could be academics, family, friends, habits, hobbies, etc. The possibilities are limitless. It's because we find a sense of reassurance if we have control over a part of our lives. That's why we might be hesitant to let go of something. That's what we have to change. We have to learn to let go of everything for God, even if that means stepping out of our comfort zone. When we take that step out into the open, that is what you call faith.
Aside from our comfort zones, we also have weaknesses that may make us hesitant. You might think "I don't have any useful talent. I can't sing, dance, speak, or socialize. God can't use me.", but you're wrong about that. God will still use us, despite our weaknesses. God gave each and every one of us a talent of their own. It's just up to us to discover that talent so that you can use it.
For those that have already found their talent, another problem arises that stops us from being used by God. Time. We might find our schedules to be too hectic to be able to do anything. We might find ourselves facing the books the entire day, or busy working until the sun sets. But here's the thing: busyness is not an issue - Are you going to make time? What is just ten minutes from your crowded schedule? If you could find time to check your Facebook notifications, you could also find time to read a couple verses from the bible. You could find time to just close your eyes and have a short conversation with God. You could find time to pray. It's just a few minutes everyday. Is that really too much? Aside from surrendering our comfort zones, we should also learn to surrender our time.
Think of it this way. What do you have? You have a family, a home, the clothes on your back, the food that you eat, the money that you spend, the time that you live, and so much more. And where did all of those come from? No, not your parents. They all came from God. He was the one that gave us food when we were hungry, clothes when we were cold, and more. So how bad is it to just give a little back? Our understanding of what God rendered, gives us faith that surrenders.
"...since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."
Hebrews 11:40
So all we really have to do is have faith in whatever God has in store for use. Faith produces surrender in our lives.
"...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Hebrews 12:2
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