There are times when my excitement over what is happening in my life can not be abated. I clearly know when God is calling me into a new season, and it is exciting. However, even during these times of high expectation, I have to work at not allowing my fleshly tendencies to burst my bubble.
We have all experienced the highs and lows, ebb and flow, in the patterns of our lives. Sometimes we can stay focused and drill deep into those moments that we know are important, declaring that nothing outside that tries to pull our attention away will succeed. Yet, there are occasions when we just seem to turn the page and forget the important thing that we just read.
We are midway though January now, and perhaps you have seen some of the excitement that you felt at the beginning of the month start to dissipate, but this will not last long. I believe that the natural cycle of life always has us anticipating what is coming next. We may love winter, but are quick to say that we are looking forward to spring. As human beings we experience joy, and contentment in this life when we can look at tomorrow and see the good that is coming.
Everywhere we look we can see how people use the excitement factor to attempt to get us engaged in what they are saying. The super bowl is roughly two weeks away and we can expect to hear plenty about it as we lead up to that day. For some, the expectation of their team winning will be off the charts.
So, how good are we at staying excited about where God is calling us? How do we keep it fresh in the forefront of our minds, and our actions, without allowing it to lose its potency?
For me, I must make it a priority! I must lay hold of what is mine, I must meditate upon what God is confirming to me through His Word, and I must believe that it will be good. I work at maintaining an account of this season I am in, and keep my focus where it needs to be. When other good things seem to get my attention, I may acknowledge them as such, but I stay the course. I learned a long time ago that the importance to staying the course, is knowing the course. For this reason, I invest ample time with God to be sure I am on the right path.
When I wrote the last sentence above I thought this post was finished, until I felt the Holy Spirit bring another key point into my mind. We should be expectant that God will use us in unexpected ways. When we are going about our day, doing what we regard as simple things, we should be on the look out! If we expect to be used by God, we will not be disappointed, and neither will the person looking right at us.
Ephesians 3:20-21 CSB Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.