Role Play...Action!

It is vital to know your role...

This past weekend, I played a game of "Celebrity Charades." It's fun! You should try it...

With a bowl full of folded pieces of paper with famous people's names on written on them, you pick one and describe to your teammates who the "celeb" is with as many words as you want. (No "rhymes with" or "sounds like..." of course ;))  In round two you can use only one word to describe! (More difficult.) And by the time round three rolls around you can use actions only to get your teammates guessing correctly. It's tough! I noticed that you've really gotta "know your role." If you don't know who the person on your piece of paper is, it feels almost impossible to help your teammates get on track. You start looking crazy...trust me. ;)

So this all comes to mind tonight because I am looking into "The Body of Christ." Isn't it important to know your role here too? Isn't it of value to the rest of your teammates, if you know your part?

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.


Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. -Ephesians 4:11-16

What if you don't know your "work" or your "role"? What if you're afraid of what it consists of? We must let go of fear and embrace our design. We must play our roles- for the sake of the body. For the cause of Christ.

Do my actions, words, thoughts and attitudes give life and bring forth truth and encouragement? In my daily walk, do I build up or tear down? Do I bring life to the table? Do I come with answers and ideas or complaints? Do I come ready and eager to work or do I come lazy and annoyed and passive? What is my approach with people- especially other people who are a part of the body of Christ? Am I inviting? Am I "in love?"


By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” -John 13:35

How's my joking? How's my reaction to course jokes? Where is my focus?



These questions are good. After Ephesians 4 comes Ephesians 5, go figure, which says in verse 1: "Be imitators of God!"

Ever spend so much time around someone you start acting like them? It's not like your faking it, they just rub off on you...there is an influence...they have an impact on you. God doesn't just sort of rub off on me, he changes me. He goes deep and fixes and re-arranges and heals and renews and there is a byproduct of light.


When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” -John 8:12

Something to think about today.

Grace Joy-

Get Glad

In 1 Thessalonians 5 we find:

"Rejoice always..." 

 or

"Be joyful always..."

This joy referenced is a gladness.

Lord, show me how to walk in gladness...

When I looked it up, the definition of glad that stuck out most to me was: appreciative.

So walking in appreciation...Hm...

In order to walk in appreciation, I must take a step back and allow the Holy Spirit to highlight truth in my circumstance. In my every circumstance. For where there is truth, there is light, and something is praiseworthy!

Thinking about it.

G

That's It

All Things

Moving forward may mean letting go of all that has been known. Ever think of it? "NEW" is unknown. New is new! It's not what you've had before. It is new! It is not familiar...It is not completely understood yet. It's foreign. It's mystery may frighten you.

Does uncertainty make me close up? Yes, sometimes it does...

Today Jesus is helping me to better realize my needs, so I can present them before the Father. 

Lord, I love that you are my haven. Help me to hide only in you. Help me to step out and up; to rise to the proper occasions you desire for me to come forth to. Help me to sit down when it's not my turn. 

THANK YOU GOD!

Grace

Don't Give Up

Today I am encouraged! Although it's normal to walk through difficult seasons in life, it doesn't make it easy. Life can be tough! Circumstances can make you feel hopeless. But we are not hopeless in Christ. 


18 See, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, and on those who hope for His loving-kindness, 19 to save their soul from death, and to keep them alive when there is nothing to eat. 20 Our soul waits for the Lord. He is our help and our safe cover. 21 For our heart is full of joy in Him, because we trust in His holy name. 22 O Lord, let Your loving-kindness be upon us as we put our hope in You. -Psalm 33

I am encouraged to turn to God for the answer in the unknown. I am encouraged to worship him in the difficulty and thank him in the moment I yearn to speak complaint. I am urged to remember that He is my sure savior, comfort, and hiding place. He is a haven. He is on time. He is for me. He is GOD.

Lord Jesus, have your way! I turn to you....I want your will to be accomplished over all else.

I'm not giving up. I put my hope in you. I believe you have plans...

Help me turn to you each day! Help me to hope in you and not circumstances alone. You can do anything. You can change it all. 

Thank you for reminding me this tonight. You are good. You are God.

Remember the Promises

Remember! And speak my promises!!! Remember!!! 

Grace, I have given and spoken words of truth that have yet to pass but keep believing.

Tonight is an instruction to BE REMINDED and BELIEVE AGAIN! For because you have yet to see these things come to pass, DOESN'T mean they are forgotten by God.

Remember His promise!

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness... -2 Peter 3:9

I'm Not Blogging Tonight

When I find myself looking for truth so I can blog about it, talk about it, look like I'm about it but not truly be about it. It's time to stop blogging, talking, and appearing to be, and get alone with Him, so I can become.

Signing out,

Grace