Less talk, more action!

1 Corinthians 4v20 in The Message version says:

God’s way is not a matter of mere talk; it’s an empowered life.

I LOVE THIS.

But I feel like so often we don’t live this!  One of the things that saddens me the most, other than those living completely lost without Jesus in their world, is people who claim to be ‘Christians’ or to ‘believe in God’, yet are living a normal, everyday, ordinary life that has no sign of the power and reign of God in it at all!  I know this is much easier to ‘talk’ about than to live, it actually requires a close, intentional daily relationship with Jesus, an awareness of the Word and what He says, an absolute trust and surrender to His Sovereignty and a growing knowledge of who we are IN Christ and that as He is, so we are.  But it is so worth going on the journey of discovery for, there is power and authority and abundant life to tap in to that will blow our minds!

Empower:

give (someone) the authority or power to do something.
make (someone) stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights.

Jesus, through His death and resurrection, and through you becoming adopted as a SON / DAUGHTER and HEIR, has given you the power to do something (many things in fact), He makes you stronger and more confident to control your life (well, actually, surrender it to Him!) and to CLAIM YOUR RIGHTS IN CHRIST! (I looked up ‘control’ and one of the definitions was ‘dominate’ so let’s say that Jesus helps you dominate in life!! Winning! Ha!)

Oh my gosh!!  Seriously!!

No it’s not easy.  No it doesn’t guarantee a Genie like experience where He waves His hand and your three wishes are granted. No it doesn’t mean that everything turns out the way we would want or expect (hence the surrender bit…) No it isn’t always an instant miracle.  I think these (and so many others) are the things we get stuck on.  “But He didn’t answer my prayer, but I’m still not healed, but I’ve prayed for a whole year now, but my dream died, but I claimed His Word and nothing happened…”

We’re all on our own journey of faith, trust, surrender and discovery.  I guess for me, I’ve just made the decision that my heart will be steadfast in my God.  That I will read His Word over my life and speak it out loud and declare what I want to see until heaven takes me home.  That I will believe and trust in the GOODNESS of God no matter what.  That I will endeavour to pray, spend time and be in a place of close relationship with Him, growing in my knowledge of Him and my knowledge of who I am in Him.  That I will refuse to let hurt, bitterness, pain, unmet expectations, unfulfilled dreams, discouragement, disillusionment or anything else take me out of the game.

I still have my moments, sometimes doubt creeps in, sometimes stuff hurts and I want to let it stick, sometimes situations arise and I want to react in a most ungodly manner haha… but that would be letting the enemy win.  That would be giving in to the ordinary, the mundane, the powerless, the life of mere talk.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to just ‘talk’ about Jesus in my life but have no evidence of Him in it, just ‘attend’ church, just read the Bible lifelessly, just mutter a few words of prayer over food or when I need something, live day to day like everybody else who doesn’t know Him, react like everyone else does etc.  I don’t want a life of mere talk.  I want to live life EMPOWERED.  Different.  Extra-ordinary.  Fruitful.  Abundant.  Complete.  Full of faith.  Always believing for more.  A life of constantly breaking through to new places in my relationship with Him and witnessing the depth, width, height and greatness of His love!

So, what does it look like for you?  Maybe praying instead of running straight to Facebook?  Maybe taking the advice of Doctors but choosing to listen to the report of the Lord and the fact that you ARE healed?  Maybe actively bringing your thoughts captive, intentionally thinking about what you are thinking about and comparing it with what the Word says?  Maybe speaking the promises and Word out LOUD over your life daily instead of allowing worry to constantly be running through your mind?  Maybe keeping your mouth shut instead of reacting in anger or annoyance?  Maybe asking Holy Spirit for His thoughts and ways more often rather than just doing whatever?  Maybe spending more time in His presence, His Word, in prayer instead of living in your own strength?  Maybe taking more time through the day to acknowledge His presence and chat to Him instead of just once a day…or week…?  Maybe repenting for bad attitudes, lack of trust, walking away?  Maybe choosing to make His house, Church, a priority in your life again?  Come on… let’s not just say that Jesus is in our lives, let’s live like He is!!

It actually takes discipline and courage and surrender and trust, but so far I have no regrets and no complaints.  He’s done far more for me than I could ever even begin to repay Him for, and I’m sure if you really think about all He HAS done for you (rather than focusing on what He hasn’t done…according to you…) you would find that you are again overwhelmed with thanks for His faithfulness and goodness and love.

I pray today, that your eyes would be opened again or maybe for the first time, to the empowered life that you can live.  Less talk, more action – Holy Spirit action!  Bring it on!

J. x