What if...

To continue on with my last post...I was imagining a thought today (if that is possible to do??)...this thought-was, I believe-God inspired...because that is what my Father God does...inspire change for the better...

So here's the thought....

What if we were obedient to where God was leading us...WITHOUT any motive whatsoever.  What if we were obedient simply because we want to be obedient and not for any other applause???.....

Christ said that if you do good in front of others...that is all of your reward.  There is no other reward that you will receive.  But...if you are obedient and faithful when NO one sees...your reward is far greater than you can imagine.  Your reward is in heaven.  IN HEAVEN!!!

If I were to be completely honest...and usually I am :)...I would say that I can only remember one occasion in which I had no other motive...NONE.  In all of the rest...my intentions were right, pure, etc...but deep down, I was always hoping for more- opportunity...whatever.  Of course, I didn't mean to want more than what I had...but I did.  And I think that if we were all honest with ourselves...more importantly...with God...I'm sure I would not be the only one.

Building the Church cannot be about anything more than building the church.  It cannot be about what I want...or what I can get out of it....there is no room for that kinda crap!

Teach me Lord, to be pure of heart again...no pretenses...just real, raw, passion for you....

Cheers to the New Year!!

What I do not know... but what I'm excited about...

I have no idea what this next year is going to present in the way of opportunity, relationships, and perhaps a new job---oh soon please!... I think that there is an inner peace in not knowing what everything is going to look like. I'm confident that this is exactly how the disciples lived. Funny enough, I'm sure they thought they knew everything, just like you and I, but deep down- they knew nothing except for that Jesus was real...and they were learning that He would soon become the Savior.

Throughout our lives, we have big expectations about the things we do and have, which is perhaps assumed.  However, if "the expectation" becomes more important than what God originally intended for us to live...then we have most definitely missed something somewhere. We have all stepped into a new season, job, relationship, or opportunity with an expectation in mind of what we will be doing or not doing; we get excited about an idea that we made up...one that never included the Lord at all. I don't know about you, but that sort of scares me. I never want my ambitions to supersede in importance to what I know God believes is better for me.

On the flip side, we should expect the best in every area of our life...isn't this what the Lord teaches us-that He wants to shower down his blessings on us. A life with Christ is always better...but it is not necessarily easier..right? Right.  Heretofore, I have absolutely NO regrets about following Christ, nor do I regret the difficulties that attached themselves as soon as I chose to follow HIM.  I know I have never been alone. Christ continues to lavish His grace and mercy on my life....ever grateful. 

Additionally...I have this absolute obsession with music. Growing up, the only thing I ever wanted to do didn't require fame or fortune (in the eyes of man)...and now I'm coming back to the same “love” that I once had for music. Only now, this obsession has become more God-driven...more or less...an imperative tool that I believe everyone can benefit from. In the previous months, I had the most humbling opportunities to bring healing and love through music – something I will forever be grateful for. The strangest thing is that I had opportunities like this...but in my younger youth, I took them for granted.  

A week ago, I left an opportunity that I believe was beyond what I could have imagined...It was hard work and inspired more toiling – spiritually, than anything I have ever experienced until now. So I'm wondering...will I ever have that experience or opportunity again?...............

The answer....NO. I actually hope that I don't. Not because it wasn't incredible...but because I hope that I continue to move on in where and what God leads me to do.

I remember when I was about to leave Sydney, I sat down with one of my mentors and began to share how I was feeling about leaving. At that time, my plan was to go back to Sydney four months later. I said to her, “I'm so afraid that when I leave and come back, things will never be the same...I'm in a place (opportunity-wise) that I love...what if it doesn't look the same?” To which she replied so eloquently, “It won't look the same...it won't be the same.”

When the “new” comes – I'm ready...things won't look the same, and they definitely won't feel the same. I'm ready...I'm not here to do anything other then to build the church in New York City. That's it. No pretenses, no other ambitions...forgetting what I have done, and what other opportunities I have been given prior to now...this is it. 

I'm convinced that when we keep God at the center of every season or opportunity – God will honor ALL that we put our hands to do....

Cheers to a faith-filled-overflowing-with-love-joy-peace-grace-filled New Year....

You are loved...

xx