The Fellowship of the Unashamed

The Fellowship of the Unashamed  

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."
The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made. I am a disciple of
Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down,
back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present
makes sense, and my future is secure.
I am finished and done with low living, sight walking,
small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams,
chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position,
promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by
presence, lean by faith, love by patience,
lift by prayer, and labor by power. My pace
is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my
road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few,
my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought,
compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back,
diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the
presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy,
ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander
in the maze of mediocrity.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until
Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know,
and work until He comes. And when He comes to get
His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.
My colors will be clear.

I am not ashamed of the gospel . . . Romans 1:16

Map Quest - Looking for God's Will

Sometimes God teaches us something when we least expect it.  OK, usually God teaches us something when we least expect it. :o)  Tonight, I had a wonderful conversation with a dear friend of mine and as she was sharing what was going on in her life, I heard my heart from about 8 years ago speaking to me through her.  I saw her struggling through some of the same things I had spent days and weeks agonizing over.  And as I listened I was reminded again that God takes all things and makes them good.  He was giving me a glimpse of that here.  I was able to share in her struggle and know exactly where she was coming from and encourage her that God would walk her through this whole thing.  Even when He seems to not be speaking very clearly.  What I wish now, however, is that I had read the following before talking with her.  The authors of this article took what I have been wrestling with now for 17 some odd years (every since I began asking the question "What is God's will for my life?") and made it click.  This is what I wish I could have shared with my sister tonight.  This is what it means to "find God's will".  It's a little lengthy (and I only included a few paragraphs!) but oh so worth it!  God is such a great God!  So, I'll be sharing this posting with my friend, but I pray it will impact others in the same way it impacted me.  Food for thought.

"When it comes to God's will, many of us want the GPS version of God, hopefully with a turn-by-turn British-American voice prompting us at every intersection.  Sometimes God gives people very specific instructions, mapping out what they are to do in detail, but this is rare.  The world, however, is a map factory.  It continually bombards us with plans for success, agendas both personal and political and road signs that read "happiness just ahead."  Most maps lead toward personal gratification and status or just loop back to the status-quo.

A map is very appealing to a person looking for direction.  But the map is an easy way out.  It appeals to the lazy.  God gives people direction more than directions.  He will not rob you of the faith-building experience of obeying Him based on what He says, not on what you see.  We cannot expect to get all the detailed instructions before we are willing to begin traveling the path.  The Bible doesn't lay out a "map." It gives us a "compass."  God calls you to join Him in journeying in a steady direction toward a grand global destiny.  He is calling us to follow a compass and to evaluate any maps that come our way by His over-arching purpose.

The most limiting thing about maps is that they only give you already-charted territory.  They can only take you as far as someone else has been.  Mapped-out life plans don't push you to pioneer and explore what hasn't ever been done.  If you keep following the compass Jesus gives us, you will find yourself involved in pushing His global task toward completion.  To finish His journey means that at some point you move beyond the edge of the maps.

Our maps will change from season to season in our lives, but the compass is unchanging.  The compass is the same for all God's people.  It always gives the direction to True North no matter what your language, your country, your social status, your family or your ability.  It stands as a firm standard.  By marking out True North and giving us a compass, Christ enables us to think, pray, plan, coach, challenge, create, suffer and labor with many others.  It's not a solo pilgrimage.  He's summoned us to step into and help fulfill what believers of previous generations have already begun and what millions of fellow-followers are pursuing at this moment."

A good place to start on this compass is this:

"God loves His Son and has a wonderful plan for Him, to bring all the nations to His feet as Lord of all, and He loves you and me enough to give us a place in it."

What a wonderful God we serve!