Space and Opportunity

Imagine this. You enter a tattered room scattered with lifeless people. The stench of death is overwhelming and persistent. But so is the pressing of an undeniable force. What is this thing that is trying so desperately to disrupt the circumstance of this room? It’s so vast, you can’t get around it. It’s a sensation called greatness, an average-sized word with a massive appeal.

Greatness breaches cramped spaces where practices of mundane and mediocre suffocate. Much like an athlete who puts in the extra work to help catapult his/her team to record-breaking stats. Or the “techie” who engages in relentless innovation to transform how the world responds in crises. Anyone interested in the beauty and hope of greatness has to deny within themselves every thought and action that sabotages a pursuit to be better and to do better.

Seekers of greatness have target focus, distinct goals, and recognition and reliance on someone more significant than their pursuits. The Almighty God, the great ‘I Am,’ is the giver of greatness. Are we comfortable refusing God’s gift, only to remain lifeless? God’s grace provides space and opportunity for us to grab hold of the greatness He gives. Inviting God into our cramped and dismal experiences makes room for Him to show His might, compelling us to move out of our own way to let God have His way.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” – Revelation 1:8

“I assure you that whoever believes in me will do the works that I do. They will do even greater works than these because I am going to the Father.” – John 14:12

One More Day

You’re still here. After every setback and setup, you’ve made it to live one more day. But for what?

We communicate our appreciation for life by the choices we make in plain sight of an ever-present God. No matter how hard we may try to hide our audacious acts, God sees them all. No matter our attempts to escape a consequence, God corrects us all. No matter our unbelief, God forgives us all. And He grants us one more day.

In our current time of uncertainty, living during the Coronavirus Pandemic, I am reminded of the blessing and opportunity of having another day to show my gratitude for God’s grace. I whisper my thanks in prayers; however, I feel the nudging of God to extend my appreciation to action. I am compelled to take advantage of my gift of a new day, one I’ve never seen or experienced before, one He has allowed just for me, and live it as God desires for me to live it, laying aside fruitless behavior.

One more day provides a new beginning. Negative talk, lazy practices, unforgiving thoughts, and complacency are left in yesterday. The moment our eyes discover the dawning of a new day, we must honor it with an unrelenting devotion to God. We should waste no time accomplishing what He has purposed us to do and say. For much is required from those who are given the abundance of one more day.

“… get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.” – Ephesians 4:1-3

There’s Nobody Like God!

I wept today. Hard. I wept after experiencing the manifestation of God’s goodness during a season of pressing. In this instance of goodness, God reached down from heaven and placed an unwrapped gift before me to open. As soon as I opened this unexpected gift, I could not refuse what was overtaking my heart, and I could not stop my tears. It wasn’t silver; it wasn’t gold. It was God’s response to my prayers, praise, service, and sacrifice to Him! God heard my faintest cry, and He answered! He came to see about me in the midst of my pressing, and He encouraged my heart. He continues to prove Himself over and over again! That’s why I love Him. That’s why I trust Him to do exceedingly, abundantly more than I can ask or think. There’s nobody like God! I invite you to commit your life to Him today.