Made for More

Okay well God and I had another one of those LONG talks Sunday night....actually He did more of the talking and I just had to listen. If you have ever been to God's woodshed, God's time out speech, it's not so fun. He was blunt last night and not so gentle. See I've been letting some mess get me down. I've let things defeat me, discourage me, and well pretty much keep me in a funk. When God not only starts talking His time out speech and your quiet time lines up with it as well, you better be listening. Yes I was listening ;-) The mask is off a little tonight, so be gentle as you read.

He has been whispering for awhile, you were made for more than this, but I guess I had a hard time letting the words sink in. Why is it we can believe Him to move mountains for others, but not ourselves? Why do we trust Him for everything under the sun besides what we need to trust Him for? I have prayed and believed Him for parking spots while in college and I have prayed and believed Him for healing when I was sick. So why are those middle issues so difficult to lay down? Because for some reason we think those are the things we can "handle". Those are the issues that we feel like(and most of the time) do try our hand at first and only, ONLY, when we have given it our best shot do we stop and run to Him. Hear me loud and clear....because I have learned this the hard way, so if I can save someone some stress...take it...Run to Him FIRST!!! Don't wait until you have to drag yourself to Him crying and covered in mess to clean up. Don't wait until the enemy has pretty much got you believing you will never do anything. Don't just believe God to move on the weekends. Guess what;-) He is full of surprises and even likes to show out during the week too. (That's a blog for another day, about God's tired of being in a box).

You were made for more than the mess you find yourself in during the week. You were made for more than the way others treat you. You were made for more than the way others speak about you. You were made for more than the way you speak about yourself. (Ouch...). To quote Casting Crowns, we were made for more than just to survive...we were made to thrive. God sits waiting for us to ask Him for what He wants to give us. (Hint: if you listen really close, He will tell you what to ask for). God's waiting to bless us, but we are frozen in our tracks because of __________(fill in the blank stress, frustration etc.). You were made for more than your "this" or your "that". The enemy wants nothing more than to keep you feeling defeated, in isolation, and discouraged. If he can convince you that you can't do anything because you are_________(fill in the blank...I mostly get single and female) then he wins. God has plans for you more than you could ever imagine. Guess what He even unlocked the chains around your feet that have kept you frozen? Now He is just waiting on you take the first step. Too many times we let others tell us what we can and cannot do, when God says..wait just a minute....I have plans for them! Get out of your comfort zone, let God show you what He can do through you. It will be more than you ever imagined.

So back to my woodshed talk with God....He was blunt and I won't even say gentle this time. I cried my way through and then cried some more. I'd like to say it got easier after that, but it has been a minute by minute press on. It's minute by minute telling my flesh you were made for more than this, of making the decision that what someone said was not going to get me, was not going to frustrate me, and was not going to make me cry. Please hear my heart....this is not an easy process, but if you never start walking forward to this you will never be free. I'm a stuffer. I will let it all build up inside while hiding behind this mask of every thing's fine until it gets to be where I can't handle it anymore. You may find this hard to believe, but I am shy. I have been hurt too much over the years and I tend to put a wall up for awhile in a friendship/relationship. I've learned the difference in a friend and an acquaintance the hard way. I've learned the difference in those with an anointed relationship and those with an anointed religion.

Think back to some God moments in your life. For me the most vivid was the bus wreck and the miracles that still continue to happen from that day. Think back to some times when you know God moved on your behalf. You were made for more than to let your current mess define you or defeat you. (In His words, He said...so you who walked off a bus that hit an 18 wheeler is going to let this little mess defeat you?  Yeah I told you He was blunt). You may not feel like it some days, you may even doubt yourself at times, but keep telling yourself He made me for more than this, He saved me for more than this, and He believes in me. Your feelings will eventually catch up with your words. Believe God is moving and doing what His thing on your behalf, not just all of the others who you are praying for. Faith is believing you can have what God says you can have. If God has shown up for you before, guess what...He will do it again. Why do we doubt when we already have seen Him move? (He asked the disciples the same thing when they were on the boat in the middle of the storm). 

So I'll tell you the same thing He told me Sunday night. You were made for more than this. Don't let the mess of your "this" and "that" became what defines you or defeats you. You are not defeated unless you surrender. The mess can either make you messy or give you your message. It's your choice.

Focused on the journey,
~Melissa