The Lord gave me this awesome word for many of you who have been asking- Why does it seem like the most dedicated believers go through the most horrific tests and trials? I asked the Lord that same question, and He led me into a deep study of men and women in the bible who were called to high positions in the Kingdom, after they endured great seasons of testing. He began to show me the pattern of how He first proves us in the fire before He elevates us for our assignment. He brought me to the book of Genesis to the story of Joseph. He was favored by his father who gave him a coat of many colors. I believe this was a prophetic mantle the Lord placed on his life.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Proverbs 4:7 There is a difference between wisdom and knowledge. Knowledge puffs up (1 Cor. 8:1). It can make one proud and arrogant. But wisdom will make you humble and teachable. You can read extensively and accumulate a lot of knowledge, but still lack wisdom. You also don't become wise just by growing older and having more experience in life. Wisdom is not natural. It does not matter if you are young or old, experienced or inexperienced, highly educated or not. Wisdom comes by God's unmerited favor.
Fear. Perhaps there's no emotion more common to the human experience. Google it and you'll find a list of thousands of phobias ranging from "fear of rejection" to "fear of leaves." We've all felt it. And unfortunately, it's a stronghold that many battle every day. Fear defined is "a feeling of anxiety concerning the outcome of something." It's often propagated through questions that tumble through our minds: "Will I get hurt by this person?" "Will God really provide this month?" "What if I fail in this venture?" Left unchecked, fear is debilitating and has the power to hold you back and keep you from the blessings and opportunities of God.
I was walking across the floor of my house one day. I wasn't praying; I was just going about my business when I heard something loudly in my spirit. Not out loud with my physical ears, but on the inside, I heard: The goal is souls. I stopped and said it back to myself. "The goal is souls." I knew it was an impartation from the Spirit of God. It came straight from the heart of the Father, and it landed in me with a weight that has never left. Of course, if you ask any Christian whether souls matter, they will say yes without hesitating. We all know about the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18–19 says, "Jesus said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...'" (ESV).
Waiting has been the hardest spiritual growth skill for me. Impatient and energetic by nature, I like things to move fast. But, if there's anything I've learned about God in recent years, it's this: God is never in a hurry, and He is often VERY…SLOW. God uses delay to sharpen His instruments and set the stage for His glory and purpose. Just this past week, I was reading in 1 Samuel 13 how King Saul grew impatient waiting for Samuel to come and offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Because he felt impatient and frustrated, he went ahead and did it himself. But God was not pleased and punished Saul!
I want you to begin looking at your life differently. Dominion has generally been interpreted as the authority to rule. That definition is not entirely wrong, but it is incomplete. Kingdom dominion is not about controlling people or pursuing power for its own sake. It is entrusted responsibility backed by divine authority. God gives you authority because He has given you an assignment. He has placed something within your care and empowered you to move it toward His intended outcome. God was effectively saying, "I am placing this within your care. Cause it to become what I intended." That is the heart of dominion.
When you think about God, what comes to mind? The answer is very important. Hopefully, you can say with David, "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!" (Psalm 139:17) as you think about His protection, presence, purpose, penalty, and purity. Psalm 139, composed by David for the choirmaster, emphatically declares that the Lord will both fulfill His purpose for His people and protect His people. Filled with personal pronouns, the psalm invites the individual to sing, but also the covenant community, especially those in exile who need to be reminded of God's person and works.
Barbara Brown Taylor once wrote something that has stayed with me: "The only clear line I draw these days is this: when my religion tries to come between me and my neighbor, I will choose my neighbor... Jesus never commanded me to love my religion." That last sentence will probably make some religious people uncomfortable. Maybe it should. Because Jesus said a great deal about love. Love God. Love your neighbor. Love your enemies. Love one another. Care for the hungry. Welcome the stranger. Visit the prisoner. Show mercy. Forgive. But love your religion? I can't find that one.
There is a word we have all been raised to honor. From the time we are small we are told to be nice. Be nice to your brother. Be nice to the guest who has come to the house. We learn very early that niceness is the currency of belonging, the thing that keeps us safe, approved, and welcome in the rooms we wish to remain in. For most of my life I prided myself on being a nice man. What I did not see for a long time is that my niceness was rarely about the person in front of me. It was about me. It was about being liked. It was about avoiding conflict and managing how others felt so that I could remain comfortable in their company. My niceness wore the costume of love, and underneath it was quietly serving myself.
We need to make sure the enemy doesn't have any legal right to harass the body of Christ. This is an area many might neglect checking to see if the door is closed here. "To the woman He said: 'I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.'" Genesis 3:16. I've been meditating on Genesis 3:16 this week. One Bible translation interpreted it as Eve's desire to dominate Adam, while others saw it as her desire for her husband. I read a commentary that scholars debate whether the verse means to dominate or simply to desire. After the Fall, [fall of man] we came under a curse that caused many to follow their lust and pride instead of God. I felt the verse meant Eve desired to dominate Adam. Adam became frustrated and wanted to rule over Eve.