ACTION, Prayer & Fasting, Day 12

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

When people begin working in a ministry, these are the  two feelings involved in the mix of things:

I CAN'T DO THIS!!!

LET ME AT'EM!!!

There's nothing wrong wo either one of these. It would be wrong if these thoughts or feelings dictated your behavior. But these feelings and ponderings are normal and appropriate.

Moses was an "I can't do this" guy.

David was a "let me at'em" guy.

It doesn't matter from which of these platforms you launch from. You will end up on the opposite platform at some point in your process. Therefore, we all need training to launch from EACH platform.

We all come on to our launching platform from a particular path of life. The experiences along that path is what dictates the direction, and therefore which platform we launch from.

David's path to UNBELIEVABLE amounts of confidence was isolation and personal experience.

The isolation put David in a position to never hear people tear him down. (Clearly, his family was in the habit of tearing him down.)

And his experiences in these isolated situations gave him knowledge of his abilities. David sounded cocky and arrogant to those around him. But he wasn't cocky, HE WAS KNOWLEDGABLE! 

Knowledge is power!

He literally KNEW from experience what he and God were able to do.

SIDEBAR: If you're hearing somebody that's coming off as cocky and arrogant, stand back be patient, and let their fruit be displayed. They may, indeed, be prideful, arrogant, loudmouths. But you risk being a member of David's brothers club if that person happens to be merely trying to ignite faith.

Know them by their fruit. (Matt 7:16, 20)

The purity of fruit in confident people IS SUBMISSION.

David didn't submit to siblings, but he submitted to his father and to his king.

     (As their "spiritual sibling" within the family of God, they may not submit to you, even though you're "older." But if they're submitting to your joint pastor, that's all the fruit you need to be quiet and get out of their way.)

Moses, the "I can't do this" guy, had a path of experience...

The man replied, “Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?” Then Moses was afraid, thinking, “Everyone knows what I did.” (Exodus 2:14 NLT)

Moses was adopted.

When he sought out his own people he was rejected.

Moses was a People Pleaser by nature, which makes leading large groups of people TERRIBLE.

Moses found the perfect relief from his lifelong emotional turmoils in isolation.

Moses, the "I can't do this" guy, his issues were not authority figures. It was his OWN head, not a God-ordained, figure-head. When the only figure-head in Moses' life (his father-in-law) gave direction, he followed it to the letter. Moses did not have authority issues. He had inferiority issues.

When we start working for god, sometimes we start from a feeling of inferiority. 

Everybody looks more proficient & fluid when THEY do the job. And we're consumed with awareness of our own inability.

Ur in GOOD company!!

Abraham made excuses for not being able to have a son.

Joshua was very nervous when it came right down to following through on taking Jericho.

Jeremiah felt too young.

Naomi felt too old.

Barak didn't feel capable.

Feelings of insignificance and inferiority are NOT reasons to not step through an open door.

If a door of ministry is opened, STEP INTO IT! Period.

PEOPLE'S opinions, behaviors will always be part of the struggle.

Guess what, PEOPLE are the ONLY weak link God himself has too!!

PERHAPS IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU GIVING GOD SUCH A HARD TIME HERE AND NOW WE'D ALL BE MUCH FURTHER ALONG!

PEOPLE'S opinions, behaviors will always be part of the struggle to launch into ministry, not God.

God is your promoter.

God is your cheerleader.

ACTION is all that God needs from you.

Draw near to God, THEN God will draw near to you... (James 4:8)

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might... (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

The ONLY cure for inferiority, is ACTION.

The ONLY METHOD for getting you from Point A, to Point B, and beyond is ACTION.

If you'll take ACTION, if you'll make the launch, you WILL feel him lift you up.

In our weakness, his strength is on display! (2 Cor 12:9)