Living that lifestyle of "deny, pick, follow" is learning to allow myself to surrender to His will and His heart for His children. How can one follow and not be surrendered? The Lord desires for His children to be healed, encouraged, loved, and so fourth. So how can one follow and surrender to our God's desires, and not minister to others? I realized, when down at Bethel church, how much I sucked at that. My friends who live in Redding and live pretty much at Bethel took ministering to a whole other level. They didn't just minister on Sunday morning services or at Tuesday night bible study... they ministered ALL THE TIME!
HOW OFTEN DO YOU SACRIFICE YOUR TIME TO MINISTER TO THE WORLD AROUND YOU?
That's the question that hit me. After realizing that, I wanted badly to change. So I started praying for people... asking those who were limping if I could pray healing over their injured area, or staying open to the Lord's voice and receiving a word of knowledge for someone who I didn't even know. AND THEN I REALIZED THIS... My Bethel friends are so happy and BLESSED all the time... Why is that? I'm a super happy and blessed person, but once again, they were on a different level.
As I started to make ministry a lifestyle, rather than a shift or... J.O.B., I started to receive more JOY and BLESSINGS in my life from our Great God! And here's what the HolySpirit spoke to me to wake me from my dummy-dum... "The more you yield to my will, and minister and bless others, the MORE blessing you'll receive."
Catch my drift, here! I'm not taking away the blessing of God from others... I'm not even necessarily receiving MORE blessing than those who I minister to... Nor am I even expecting a blessing in the first place. It just so happens that when you make ministry a lifestyle and yield to the Lord's will, and as you minister and bless others, you receive MORE blessing because YOU ARE CONSTANTLY BEING USED BY OUR UNFATHOMABLE GOD! And don't misinterpret what I mean by "receive MORE blessing" please! What I mean by that is this... God gives you a cup and says, "When you minister to others through MY WILL and MY DESIRES, I'll put some water in your cup. And the MORE you share your water with the thirsty, the MORE water you will receive."
Now let me ask you a question...
"Who are you SHARing YOUR WATER with?"
Let's not just receive, let's give and GIVE ABUNDANTLY!
Love you all! Be blessed in abundance this week.
