Baby Steps!

This process of learning to love my neighbor as myself is becoming very interesting and might I just say, a little bit painful. It is quite funny to me that my focus has begin to switch from others to myself. That sounds backwards, but what I mean is instead of me, me, me...the Titanic is beginning to turn ever so slowly. The cool thing is, the Holy Spirit is on top of it. He has got this one covered, baby! He wants me to love people and He is showing me what's in the way. (ouch). But there is some encouragement too and that is what I want to share today. And it all starts with rest.

Rest in the fact that He is the one who will do it. Grimacing, grunting, and sweating aren't gonna make it happen. Resting in the fact that He wants this for me...and those around me...more that I do, is the 1st thing I need to understand. Resting in my spirit, frees me up to see things I wouldn't otherwise see because I am working to hard to 'make it happen', 'love like Jesus', 'be perfect', the very things preventing His work in me!

So I was sitting on the couch minding my own business, when something that has triggered me into a verbal ugliness in the past, presented itself to me. And the weirdest and coolest thing happened. In a moment of rest...not jumping in to say what I would normally say...I heard the voice of the spirit and He changed my perspective. Instead of seeing what I normally saw...I saw His persepective of the situation and it was geared around honor and respect...and in that beautiful moment, I chose to agree with Him and keep my mouth shut! It was a life changing moment for me. Sometimes it's the very littlest things that make the biggest difference. Imagine if I took all those little petty things in my life and offered them all up to Him, saw His perspective, waited on His answer and then made my choice. How would my life be different? I daresay it would be alive, full of love and life-giving to those around me, it would be vibrant with the power of God working through me! That's what I want! That's what I am talking about!

And guess what, we can have it! Let's rest in His provision, "for I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ". (Phil 1:6) and let's continue taking baby steps, owning what He shows us, learning to respect, honor, and consider those around us, all through His power and perspective! I laughed when I watched the episode from "What About Bob", where Bill Murray is learning to take baby steps. If you haven't see the movie, it's a good one. So here's the clip, hope it makes you chuckle!

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