The Party of a Lifetime

I don't know about you, but I love parties. Of any kind. It usually means delicious food, great music, and good times with family or friends.

If you were invited to the party of a lifetime, wouldn't you drop everything to go? Of course you would. You get that fabulous invitation in the mail, and you RSVP...immediately. There is nothing on your calendar that would keep you from going to this party.


Well, in Luke 14, Jesus tells a story about this grand party where many are invited, but when the day of the party arrives and the food is ready, the invited start making excuses. One has to go stare at a piece of land he just bought. (Sounds quite boring to me.) Another has to go and try out his new oxen. (Work instead of a party, really?) And yet another person has the excuse of just getting married. (Ok, that would might warrant a little validation, but why can't you just bring the wife?) 


A couple of things stood out to me. 

• These that have made excuses have ALREADY rsvp'd to the party. They have already accepted the invitation. 

          ...How many times have I said yes to God and then not followed through with my commitment? I said yes with my mouth and no with my actions.

• The guy going to look at his land obviously got wrapped up in his property...his stuff.

          ...Though I am not tempted to go and stare at my belongings, I can very easily get distracted and consumed by my stuff. Even the maintenance of the stuff can be overwhelming.

• The invitee that had to go experiment with his new workhorses (aka oxen) seemed to have his work as his first priority.

         ...Ok, so farming is not a temptation for me. But, the very ministry to which God called me can often take precedence over the amazing God that did the calling.

• The final person to make an excuse for not actually coming to the party was the one who had just married. Marriage is obviously very important, but enough to warrant turning down the party of a lifetime?

        ...This one is hard. My family is a gift and one that I have been given to love, protect, and nurture. However, my family must see that God is my number one priority. Putting God first enables me to be the wife and the mother I need to be. 

God invites. We need to say yes with our mouths AND our actions. And all these other things? Trust God with them. There will always be things that vie for our attention.

What about you? Have you said yes with your mouth and no with your actions? Are you distracted or consumed with your stuff? Your work? Your family?

We don't want to miss this party!!!

Learning every day...

Kelli

And friends...if you are on Facebook, I would love to have you join my ministry page where I post scripture, encouragement, and take prayer requests.  Click here...

She Listens... (She Speaks Takeaway Part 2)

If you didn't read my previous post, you might want to do that now.  http://kelliwommack.blogspot.com/2011/08/he-speaks-she-speaks-takeaway-part-one.html  I just don't want you to be reading this and realize that you have been left out of the conversation.  :)  

http://flic.kr/p/cLpVx

In the words of my daughter, "Isn't it cool when God speaks like that?"  Yes!  And we know it is Him, when we hear Him speak repetitively through His Word, His people, and circumstances.  We also know it is Him when He calls us to do something that is bigger than us.  In her book, What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, Lysa TerKeurst lists a Five Question Filter to know if you are hearing God's voice.  Number four is "Is it beyond me?"  (If you want to know the other five questions, get her book, it is great!)


So, is my call to write and speak bigger than me?  Absolutely!  As I try to sort out why I haven't pursued the writing and speaking more before now, excuses abound.  Not enough time.  Inadequate.  Other things require more of my attention.  I am not as good as others.  No one wants to listen to me or read what I write. I am happy the way things are.  And so on.  (You ever give those same excuses?)  Honestly, all the excuses have one greater source.  FEAR.  I am afraid.  I am afraid of disappointing God.  Afraid of missing the mark.  Afraid of ridicule.  Afraid of rejection.  Afraid of the future.  Afraid of...failure.

"Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.” Joshua 1:9 (Message)


God not only wants us to be bold and courageous, He commands it!  Why?  Because fear is paralyzing.  Fear renders us ineffective for the Lord.  And His perfect love casts out fear!


In a recent journal entry, I wrote, "Fear surfaces all too readily.  It creeps into my thought patterns, affects my body, and my way of life.  Where is my trust?  Do I really trust God?" It pains me to write those words.  It pains me even more to share them with you.  But maybe you experience this when God calls you to do something bigger than you.  So, what do we do?


He Speaks, We Listen.  Our response to His speaking is to listen.  That may sound obvious, but do your children always listen when you speak?  (Thought so.)  We want to learn to listen to the Father's voice over our own voice and the voice of others.  Over the noise and the static.  


The New Oxford American Dictionary says to listen is "to take notice of and act on what someone says."  So listening to God is to realize that He is there speaking and then do what He says!  Many of us listen and we hear Him.  And then we sit...in fear, complacency, disobedience, laziness.  We don't act on what we hear.  


I am listening, God.  I hear You.  Please give me the strength and the courage to obey.  I want to see You do something in my life that is way bigger than me.  


Do you struggle with listening or obedience?  Share your thoughts. I would love to pray for you!  




Unwrap the gift of listening to a God who speaks to us,




Kelli