I was reminded of my being on this past Friday night while a well known speaker was expounding on Luke 15:11-32. This morning, I woke up in a hotel room in VA and The Lord arrested me with the command be. I don't know about you, but I have spent quite a bit of time, energy and resources doing a whole lot but not enough time being a whole lot.
Be more vs Do more
Don't get me wrong there are scriptures that instruct us to do; but that doing comes out of our being first. We can't be doers of the Word without being with The Word first. How would we know what to be for our family, neighbors, strangers and enemies without knowing what God has said about those connections?
We are too busy. Trying to do more for the sake of traditions, comparisons, and accolades. Some of us are doing the most to land on 40 before 40 lists and have very little time to be. I am suggesting that we have it backwards. I am suggesting that while we are being, the doing will organically manifest.
As we be WHO God called us to be we will know God more intimately and our response to knowing God will naturally produce the doing.
We are moving way too fast, from one project to the next, from one spouse to the next, from one idea to the next, and on and on.
We should dream and produce, but coming from a recovering do-the-most chick I am suggesting that a lot of our doing is in vain. It makes us feel good and is not always serving as great of a purpose as our doing should. We are spinning our wheels trying to set trends, to be on top, to be seen and referenced and many of us are barely leaving the parking lot!
I want to offer the you who are or were like me a few things as you consider being:
Seek God 1st (Matthew 6:33). The ideas are wonderful but maybe God has not sent you to tackle everything on your plate. Maybe The Lord is inviting you participate on a different mission but you are so stuck on your mission that you can't hear Him.
Sit Still (Psalm 46:10). Listening to God after you have shared your ideas, concerns, and hopes is vital. We spend so much time talking and not enough time listening. Real talk: The Lord's plans are bigger & better than our wildest dreams.
Be honest (Psalm 13). Being more instead of doing more could be awkward, painful, lonely, boring at first, slow and steady, and rewarding. But let's be honest about how this feels & looks with God (He can handle it).
Get Intimate (Genesis - Revelation). Get to know God through His written word. The Bible is a road map and instruction manual. Knowing WHO God is - is how we get to know WHO we are.
Remember, doing should be birthed from a place of being. We ought to do because of WHO we are instead of being because of WHAT we do! The latter is dangerous at best. If we start with WHAT we do first, we can be tossed around like tumbleweed never understanding WHO we are, WHO we were created to be, WHO we belong to and lastly WHO we are meant to affect in this life!
We are part of a major blueprint that God called into existence with three sweet words
L E T T H E R E B E ! God didn't set the birds, humanity, oceans, or stars in order with let them do! Sure there is a lot to do in our homes, churches, neighborhoods, and regions but let's take a moment and hear from God about our being first!
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