visioncgbc | May 02, 2008 05:50
I read Matt Blair's blog this morning, and realize that there is nothing I have to say today that is more powerful than his words.
100% (Huge Revelation)
Okay so here is the million dollar question for me.
"If
God can do amazing things with someone who is giving God about 50-70%
of themselves, what can He do if someone is giving 100%?"
Well
it has only taken 28 almost 29 years of my life to get to this point,
but now I am officially here. I have been that "GUY" who has given
50-70% my whole life. I have learned to say the right things, appear to
act the right way, and even look a certain way. In spite of all that
God has used me and allowed me to do amazing things for Him. The
problem with that is he has used me in spite of me not giving him what
He deserves, ALL OF ME!! I can't even get my hands around what it would
look like to give God 100% of me. To actually give God my first and
last thought. To give Him my future and my past. To give Him my wife
and children. To give Him my financial stress and my financial
BLESSINGS. To give Him my thoughts and my speech. To allow Him to guide
my steps. To give Him every decision that I have to make, which leads
me to tonight.
So tonight I had a friend share with me how he
felt God telling him that we should not purchase the van we purchased
but he didn't say anything. For those of you who don't know or haven't
read all mine and my wife's blogs, we have battle a season of financial
struggles and a crazy journey of faith. Well we are selling our house
and moving back to Wilmington and we would be practically debt free
outside of a car payment and student loans. Then I wrecked our Suburban
and with our gap insurance we would have been out of a car payment. My
friend told me about an older mini-van we could get for 3000 and not
have a car payment but I was afraid of buying an older van with no
warranty and gap insurance or in other words I wanted something newer
and quote unquote nicer. So I went and bought a newer van and got us
back into debt. I didn't even pray that hard about it. I allowed my
eyes to blind me. I rationalized why I should get it and I only gave
God about 25% in what is a huge decision.
My wife felt that is
was no good but trusted my decision as the leader of our home and what
do I do, make a bad choice. She kept talking about the van that our
friends told us about. So tonight my friend and I are talking and he
says, "Matt I knew it was a bad choice to get that van, and my wife and
I were going to buy you that van next door had you asked. God told us
to wait for you to ask." So now I see had I given God that 100% and
given him my choices and steps, it would have worked out so much
better. So tomorrow I am going to go back to the dealership and share
my heart and ask the owner what he can do. He may say nothing, then
again he may help. The main thing is I wouldn't even have to go had I
allowed God to be in on the decision.
I say all of this to
say, I got off the phone and apologized to my wife, then blew up at my
wife over my frustration with dis-obedience and had my wife speak the
truth that the reason I don't hear from God that much is I am tuned
into to many other things, then I went for a walk. As I was walking I
said out loud "alright God, I have obviously not been giving You Your
proper respect and position and yet You have still blessed me and used
me. What would it look like if I gave you all of me?"
So then
I started to run, and I said "that is it God. I need to remove all the
distractions that get in the way of me and You. I need to not spend as
much time on the computer, or as much time watching TV, or playing my
PSP. I need to spend more time in Your word, in prayer, with my
children, with my wife, writing music, and serving God. Before I knew
it I had run back to were we are staying and I wasn't that much out of
breath. Part of that is from eating better and working out, the main
reason is because I was so locked into God I didn't realize how fast I
was running. I walked in sat down and started writing this.
So
here is my challenge to all of us. Let's stop cheating God. We will
give 100% at our job because we know there is a financial benefit and
potential job growth. We will give 100% to a relationship because we
hope we will get something in return; love, companionship, a soul mate,
whatever. But when it comes to God we will give 50-70% and expect God
to bless us and take care of us, and You know what is crazy He does.
Now what could God do in us and through us if we gave Him 100%? I don't
want to wonder anymore. I want to find out! I want to see with my own
eyes what God will do with me when I give Him 100%. Here is why......
God has given me an amazing wife and daughters, I have given 50-70%
God has written amazing songs through me, I have given 50-70%
God has provided for my families every need, I have given 50-70%
God has used me to reach so many people for His glory, I have given 50-70%
I
could keep going on and on but you get the point. So I hope something
in my rambling has hit home for someone, if not it is good for me to
declare that I have only been giving 50-70% to God and I want to give
Him all 100%. So if you see me, don't hesitate to ask me if I am giving
100% and if you want email me and I will do the same if I see you. It
is time that we as believers spur one another on like Hebrews 10 tells
us to. That we push one another to deeper walks with Christ, not just
pamper one another. That is what I have gotten the last 3 weeks people
saying, "I see this in you and you need to work on it." Thank God for
that, join me in giving 100% and lets see what amazing things God can
and will do in our lives.
P.S. I know this sounds so simple and
child like or your parents encouraging you to just give 100%. It is
more than that, it is what God requires, not asks or hopes, He demands
we give Him 100%, absolutely all of who we are and hope to ever be.
That is just my feelings.
Matt

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