roots

Everyone speaks of having roots as a metaphor for their lives. They want to have roots grow deep so when the desert times come, they can survive. But what does it mean to have roots? i think most people focus on having big roots. finding their calling, having a family, going to church or a smallgroup, etc. but if you study a plant youve pulled out of the ground, those would be the big roots. but what most people pass by is the small roots. the little ones that look like wisps of hair. some are long, some are short. theyre all along coming out of the big roots.

i think our lives need to be like that. as our big roots grow, to shoot off small roots. to invest a little bit in people when we have the chance, to do an act of random kindness, to make a good choice, to be a friend to someone even when it means telling them something they dont want to hear, to be a leader in a single situation. these are the small roots. if youre a smallgroup leader, every week you grow a little root out when you meet. if youre a busniessman, everytime you make a godly decision you grow a little root. sometimes its just sitting and writing a blog about what God taught you in devos, and then you realize that He is still teaching you as you write this blog thats only read by like two people :) its these roots that give us strength, these roots that make it tough to pull a plant out of the ground, these roots that really provide the food and water, the life, to a plant.

plus little roots are easy to get. theyre not like "finding your calling", theyre more like "saying no to drugs" on a wednesday afternoon. anyone can develop them. we just need to let them grow. to be concious of their need and alert to their beginnings. and then sometimes, if we let them grow, they end up growing into big roots on their own.

everyone needs more little roots.

people need to let God use them as a tool to teach, not use God as a tool to get an audience. God already has plans to use us, he has a purpose and goal for everyone. and if we are called to teach, He has an audience in mind. we shouldnt try to find an audience, to use Him and His word as a way to get an audience. but rather, we should let Him work through us, to use us as a tool, to speak to the audience He wants to speak to. for when we teach, we shouldnt be teaching from our own knowledge, but rather letting Him use our minds and mouths to teach His own word through us.

2 Timothy 2:20
20In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Simply put, God himself wants to use us. We merely have to be willing to follow his commands. What are His commands? We also need to prepare to do His work once we know what it is. Nobody digs a ditch with a pen. Or builds a house with a spoon. We need to let got shape us into the tool we need to be, so that we can be effective for Him. Of course He could dig a ditch with a pen, but how much easier it would be on us if we were a shovel? or a backhoe?

2 Timothy 2:22
22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

Who uses tools? Workers

2 Timothy 2:15
15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Luke 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."

I am ready

I am ready. i dont need to be afraid anymore, i dont need to fear not knowing enough, not being good enough, not having a vision or hearing God telling me that i am ready, but as soon as the Holy Spirit filled me once i was ready. as soon as i knew Him i was ready. now i merely have to give Him the opportunities through my actions, and He will take care of the rest.

Jesus COULD sin

Hebrews 2:17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for[f]the sins of the people. 18Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

A) Jesus was exactly human, right down to the capacity to sin. this is the real miracle of his life, that he was able to sin but never did. i cant even go without sinning for an hour in any given day. he went 289080 hours (at least) without sinning.

B) he was tempted. If he was incapable of sinning, he couldnt be tempted. yet we see Satan, the one who introduced sin to the human race, try to tempt Jesus. If Jesus hadnt been able to sin, Satan would have known and never tried to tempt him in the first place.

He is not just in me, but He IS me. I can choose to keep my life, to be in control, or i can let Him take over and live not just through me, or in me, but as me. I think too many people just think of the Holy Spirit as being "in" us, when there is so much more potential to it than that. Surrendering doesnt mean sharing, so to truly surrender our lifes, to truly lose our life, we must let Him have complete control of our thoughts, our hearts, our very actions and bodies must be surrendered to Him to do what He pleases with.

there is more to this, i just have to ponder some more.