Go Where You've Never Gone Before
In December 2001, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons issued a report suggesting that many Americans are making plastic surgery one of their New Year’s resolutions. If you haven’t been able to keep all those other resolutions from years past—like lose weight, protect yourself with sunscreen, and exercise more—a nip here and a tuck there can take care of the damage. It’s the American way—have your cake and lose it too. New Year’s resolutions are a traditional part of life, but it takes more than a “1” on the January calendar to bring about real change. Instead of trying to start something brand-new this year, consider taking something you’re already doing to the next level: living with passion for God. Christians have God-given passion already at some level; you couldn’t have said yes to Christ without it. But how deep is it? Are you more passionate about God than about anything else in life? When your family and friends think of you, do they know that you love Jesus more than anything? Make a realistic resolution this year—to go further on the road you’re already traveling with Christ. Dr David Jeremiah Morning and Evening
Going where you've never gone before is the future of everyone who comes to Christ for salvation. It is a path that will take you places you never thought possible, both in good ways and from appearances sake bad ways. I say appearances sake because from all outward appearances probably every bad thing that's happened to us has indeed been immeasurably disappointing and unwanted.
We come to Jesus to be saved. To be the fulfillment of the Great Commission. The end result of the words that Jesus left the Disciples before they became the world's only Apostles as the Spirit came upon them.
Matthew 28:19-20 NASB "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
There's no greater reason to forgo resolutions and embrace your walk with Jesus than that of fulfilling life as God intended you to live. You will never regret a life that's truly lived in the way Jesus wants you to live.
To set aside our wants and desires in life for what all God wants to do in us is what becoming a Disciple is about. As we have read in the Gospels, that's what all who came to Jesus at the calling of the Father did.
You must choose to live a life that honors God and not yourself.
You must choose to set aside your wishes when God is showing you what He needs YOU to do.
You must decide.
In my life people often find out that I honestly do know quite a bit. It's not a moment of bragging, but a truth. I have an IQ of around 140. I read a lot, in order to learn and understand things. I watch how-to videos for the same reason. At the oddest moments in life God's brought to mind those seemingly useless bits of information to help someone. I have long understood that God hardwired me to be a troubleshooter. I gravitated towards MacGyver the television show right away.
Yet in all that I have been enabled to do, nothing has brought more ups and downs, fulfillment and happiness than when I set aside me and watch God do things that are only possible through obedience.
We have faced many intense challenges in the last 20 years that were building blocks to where we are today.
I had to decide to let go of my dreams and wants in my life in order to give Jesus the room to do what is His workmanship in my life. We indeed may see our dreams come true in our lives, but in order to truly live you must put them on the altar. Abraham put his son on the altar, and until he did his life and his son's wouldn't be all it could be in Christ. Yes in Christ because Jesus is the same Lord in the Old Testament as He is in the New Testament.
You can change going into the new year, but to do so, you must put what you have, all that you are, on the altar. You will find unbridled success in life when your focus is being what God is intending you to be.
You trying to be who you want to be will be only met with disappointment and failure.
Learn what Isaiah did. Get yourself in a place of "here am I!".
Get past your known fears, get past your denied fears, get past the mountains in your life only by openly putting your all on the altar. .
If you are really interested in this, look at stepping out in faith. Look at what God really wants to do with you. You must choose this. Yes He saved you, but your success is largely going to rely on your keeping Jesus on the Throne of your heart.
I am waiting on what's next.
I am convinced that God’s not finished with our leap of faith.
I am convinced that God's said that we haven't seen anything yet.
The big thing He made happen in the fall of 2021 will be small potatoes compared to what's coming.
God never does anything halfway, never starts what He doesn't finish.
But you can be the one who hinders what He does in your life.
You must choose to put all your cards on the table.
You must choose to put Jesus’s desires ahead of family and friends.
You must choose to put knowing God above your life.
Above your life.
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