Living A Life Above our Circumstances And A Fresh Look At Urgency!

Hebrew 12:1-2, "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." (NIV)

If you are like me, I tend to lose focus of God's Purpose and Design for my life, complicating it with details, and adding my own time lines...so...as we continue and near the end of our study on "Living a Life Above Our Circumstances" we must remember to balance the tendency of living "urgently" to satisfy our own time tables and dreams and instead live "urgently" to pursue God and God alone.

God's purpose for our life ISN'T for us to "accomplish" or "achieve"...quite honestly God doesn't NEED us to do anything. He designed us to praise Him, to honor Him, to love Him. He calls us to love as He loved, and to serve as He served. His PURPOSE for our lives is Relationship with Him...when we complicate that mission with details, we tend to lose our joy and cave to mounting pressures.

So, Today's Word is URGENCY.

I asked myself this morning...What are you urgent for?

Many things can call out for our attention...The sale of a business? The need of a good job? The search for "Mr. or Mrs. Right?

Or, how about the desire for a trouble free marriage? The salvation of a loved one? The opportunity to impact millions for God?

Desiring good things and NOBLE things is natural...but when our urgency becomes saturated and consumed to ANYTHING other than GOD HIMSELF (knowing Him and Loving Him) we risk crushing our lives by the weights of our own desires.

Please, listen carefully, hear what I'm saying, and don't misunderstand...Longing for Good and Noble things is natural...but...If we allow them to become our FIRST PRIORITY we invite worry and fear to take a comfortable seat on "the sofa" of our heart, and we snuggle in to the feelings of failure and fatigue.

However, when we purpose to embrace God and follow after Him...when we quickly cast off every weight attempting to distract us and instead condition our heart to URGENTLY PURSUE HIM...we find a glorious rest and peace for our soul.

So...allow me to ask you...what are you urgent for? What consumes your thinking?

In Matthew 6:19-34, Jesus encouraged with these words: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life...Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?...But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (NIV)

Today, let's purpose to Live a Life Above Our Circumstances by URGENTLY PURSUING GOD!

Let's Urgently seek to know Him, to listen for His direction, and as the writer of Hebrews 12 encourages us..."Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..."

He is the cure for all that plagues us...He is the mender of broken hearts...The Great Physician of our bodies...The Ruler over all our fears...He speaks peace in the midst of the storm...Commands raging waters to be calm...He alone is our hope! Let's take every fear, worry, and prayer request to Him and confidently rest in HIS FAITHFUL LOVE!

PRAYER: Father, we desire to love You more, know You more, and hear You more. Nothing else satisfies. You alone are our hope. Fill us with Your presence. Calm us with Your love and peace. In Jesus name, amen.