Trying something new

Trying Something New

When I was young, I gravitated to routines, and was most comfortable with the familiar. I did not like surprises and uncertainty, but as I became a young adult, I discovered very quickly that life is unpredictable, plans change, and delays happen. Whether I liked it or not, there is no way I can avoid facing new challenges and unexpected surprises.

At first, I pushed back from having to try new things and chose instead to not get out of my comfort zone. When something was unfamiliar and uncertain, I avoided those opportunities even when it was not in my best interest.

Then as a young adult, God challenged me to trust Him completely and to allow Him to lead me and guide me.

Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on Him to guide you, and He will lead you in every decision you make.—Proverbs 3:5 TPT

He wants all of us to try new things and explore new opportunities, even if we need to do it afraid. When we rely on Him to guide us, He could lead us beside still waters (see Psalm 23:1-6). Or He could lead us to unchartered territory like Joshua (see Joshua 1).

God enjoys changing things up for us. It keeps life exciting and filled with unexpected surprises. As we let go of the familiar and allow Him to lead us in the way we should go, we discover new talents, abilities, interests as well as meet new friends along the way.

This summer, allow God to order your steps even if it means heading down unfamiliar paths. Be strong and brave. Step out in faith and try something new and make the most of every opportunity He sends your way (see Ephesians 5:15-17).

Here is what I am commanding you to do. Be strong and brave. Do not be afraid. Do not lose hope. I am the Lord your God. I will be with you everywhere you go.—Joshua 1:9 NIRV

We are human beings- not human doings

We Are human-beings not human-doings

Before the beginning of time, there was nothing to us and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.

Then the next six days of creation was a cacophony of beauty, water, air, light, twig, bone, paw and fur- making it the most beautiful and tangible symphony of all time.

Then God created the greatest thing- A human being. He gave this being a task in his first day in the beautiful hand-made paradise- name the animals.

After all the infinite fathoms of creativity, science, philosophy, mathematics and physics, the creator of the universe did not need such a simple task to be delegated. He did not exhaust all of his energy to then have a respite while his servant helped him out.

God could have easily with the snap of a finger name all of the creatures. God did not need his human being to do anything.

He did not breathe breath in the Adam and then right after we give him a to-do list to fulfill. He simply wanted his special handmade creation to enjoy, have a relationship and walk with the creator daily.

The famous story of Martha and Mary comes to mind. Jesus is coming to a village after having preached the famous good Samaritan story. Hordes of people are probably following him. He enters the home with Martha and Mary.

Mary just chooses to sit at Jesus feet and listen to his stories. Martha is too busy doing stuff for God that she almost misses his presence. She even gets angry, having Jesus come to mitigate to make sure that Mary was doing her job.

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:38-42‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Let us not be too distracted working for God that we miss his presence. Let us not get overwhelmed by our to do list that we forget to just sit in his love daily. There are so many things that we could do to make more money, get more influence and get more fame- but God simply just wants us to “be still and know that he is God.”

Innovation is an invitation

INNOVATION IS AN INVITATION

We may not find the exact word of innovation in the Bible, though we certainly see plenty of examples of it. My grandchildren enjoy reading Genesis 1 and they never get tired of hearing how God created the earth out of nothing.

The story of how God’s spirit filled Bezalel in Exodus 31 with the wisdom and understanding to skillfully create the furnishings for the Israelite’s Tabernacle awakens in me a desire to accept my own invitation to innovation.

Exodus 31:3—I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills. NIV

In 1 Chronicles 28:19, David says to Solomon that “All these plans were written with the Lord guiding me. He helped me understand everything in the plans.” God guided David in creating just the right plans for the Tabernacle Solomon was to build.

God is inviting us all to be innovators. As we listen to the Spirit’s leading in our own lives, we have an opportunity to utilize our gifts and talents with the help of the Spirit to guide us along the paths He prepared for us to encounter.

Just like on the day of Pentecost when the early believers received the Spirit in a mighty way that sparked an awakening movement that changed history. God desires to awaken a purpose for us to fulfill. He will reveal to us skills and talents that His Spirit has imparted in us to impact the communities around us.

He is inviting each of us to start moving towards God with fresh love, passion, and purpose. He is desiring to stir up innovative ways for each of us to be that influencer in the world around us.

Let us decide today to not go through the motions of living as a believer on this earth. Let us refuse to miss the profound revelation that the Holy Spirit wants to reveal in each of our lives.

Just as we read in Acts 2 that the early Church was counter cultural, He is wanting to introduce new and innovative ways for our life and our words to inspire and ignite in others a desire to move TOWARDS GOD.