Coming Into Focus

November 5, 2017

One of the results of the play, Empowered, in my life is the examination process it has sent me on. I have spent the time since the play really examining where I am with my walk with the Lord and where I want to be. It has also caused me to really look at the kind of daughter, wife, mother, friend, and servant I am. How am I with the relationships that the Lord has blessed me with? I have spent countless hours praying and examining things that the Lord has brought to my mind. I think it has been a good time where I have found a lot of things that I need to work on.

I know that I have already expressed this in one blog, but it bears repeating. Before Empowered, it was like I was seeing things through a fog. Things were blurry, but I was seeing enough that I did not think there was anything wrong. After experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit in my life during the production week and all the things I learned about the Holy Spirit through the months of rehearsal and production, it is like things have suddenly come into focus. I can see things in a way that I have never seen before. I see colors like I never have before. Things are clear and bright and focused.

Because things are so clear now I can finally see the good things, but I can also see the bad. Things that I was not aware of that have caused me to actually quench the Holy Spirit. I could not see what I was doing before but after learning about the power of the Holy Spirit I can clearly see things in my life that need attention. The thing is that I have such a desire to have these things out of life and remedy the things that need fixing. I crave more time with the Lord. I earnestly am seeking to know more and get closer to Him.

Even though He is showing me things that I have done wrong or am doing wrong, it is coming with a power and desire to change to be closer to God. I am confessing and examining and repenting. I am seeking to draw closer to Him and replace the things He wants me to get rid of in my life with more of Him. Just more of Christ. More power. More boldness. More strength. More of everything He is offering to those who know Him and are His true disciples.

I have tasted the true power of the Holy Spirit and am no longer content to sit by on the sidelines just kind of trying to hide from the coach because I do not want Him to put me in the game. It is almost like I am now the player who is right by the coach asking to be put into the game. Am I scared? You bet. But He takes that fear and replaces it with love and compassion for others. Am I fearful of where he might lead me? Absolutely. But, He replaces the fear with His strength and peace and comfort. Am I nervous about what he might ask me to do or who He might direct me to talk to? A big, resounding affirmative. But, greater is He that lives in me than he who is in the world.

Oh, to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit every day. To not be afraid of anything that man can do or say to me. To obey immediately and not try to over analyze the leading of the Lord. To just step out in faith and know that what God has called me to he will also equip me with the power to complete it. That is a promise!

This week the Lord has shown me some things that I have been doing that have been hindering me from truly following Jesus. Things that I have known for a while but have been ignoring. He continues to convict me of things that He wants me to change. Like the whole writing thing or lack of writing that I have been trying to change. He also has convicted me of the fact that I have not been immersing my children in the scripture. That is so important for them to know the word of God. I need to model a love for the scriptures. They need to see me reading the Bible and truly loving and desiring to read it and study it above all things in my life.

A few years ago, I watched a sermon all about the spiritual law of replacement. I remember that it said when you are trying to walk closer to God and He convicts you of things to get rid of in your life that you MUST replace those things with things of God. You cannot just clean your life up and not fill the void left by the things you threw away with something good and holy. You will go right back into your old habits and most likely be much more worse off than before.

I must search out the things that God wants me to get rid of in my life. Even more importantly, I need to replace those things with what the Lord wants to put in my life.

God-honoring music

Scripture reading and study

Prayer

Good, encouraging books by godly men and women

Service and volunteering in godly ministries and opportunities

I am searching this week and praying that Lord would reveal to me the things I am to change and the NEW things I am to walk in. This has been my desire since Empowered. I hope that this desire to walk closer to God and get rid of everything that does not bring glory, honor, and praise to His name lasts until I take my final breath on this earth. Then, as I stand before God in heaven he will call me a faithful servant. That is my desire.