Have you ever asked God a question and in His answer, He kindly reveals something about you that you need to correct? You know, that question you almost wish you didn’t ask because of how much correction is needed.
I remember the impact that a guest speaker had on me, at our church one Sunday morning in 2019, when he described his conversation with God after asking why he wasn’t seeing the miracles take place around him in his life. You know, the healings in the people you pray for or signs and wonders happening before your eyes. The answer he shared rocked me a bit and it went something like this, “why would I give my power to someone who does not have my heart”. I remember thinking, maybe my heart was OK because I have seen those things in my life, not quite to the capacity that I would like to see them and maybe not as much here it the United States as in Africa, but I see them nonetheless. It was a few days later as I was driving to work when I thought about it again and I asked God, “Why do I see more healings, miracles, signs, and wonders when we travel overseas than I do here at home in the United States? Is there something special about where we go or is the hunger from the people greater?”
His reply was, “It is because of the position of your heart!”
“My heart, what do you mean?”, I asked. “Would you explain?”
He said, “When the person in front of you on the road is not driving the way you want them too, you become frustrated, impatient, upset or even angry. You are not very pleasant to be around, your focus is stolen and heart is tainted in those moments. You allow your emotions and feelings, to cloud your ability to hear from me, let alone be able to respond like me. Many times, you keep that disposition for a period of time, and you miss out on the opportunities available to encounter and experience me with others. The position of your heart is wrong.”
Shocked as I processed what He said, He went on to say, “When you travel on mission, you seek me, prepare yourself with my Word, pray about what you should be doing and leave behind the things of this world that steal or corrupt your focus. Your heart is different when you go, it is tender, full of love and positioned to receive and release me properly. You are a representation of me, which heart do you think I want representing me to others?"
Ouch!!! Felt like I was taken to the woodshed if you know what I mean. Never once did God swat me upside the head and say, “look dummy, what are you doing?” Or "Knock it off before I knock you off!" He kindly informs us or patiently reminds us where we need to work on things. In this situation I asked, and He gave an honest answered. I just wonder how many other times He nudged me prior to this encounter that I ignored because of my focus being stolen by my feelings or the position of my heart. I know my wife has nudged me often and I didn't receive it from her either. Anyhow, it was this information and revelation that helped me become a better or more "friendly” driver. I’m still not great at it but at least I am aware of it.
A corroded electrical cable on your car battery won’t allow the electricity to flow properly to start it; A rusty or dirty pipe will not allow the water to flow for draining, cleaning, or drinking; A tree with a diseased branch will not produce good fruit or any fruit at all and could potentially kill the whole tree. How well would the spirit of God flow through someone with anger, frustration, and such spiritual blockage?
John 15:2 says, “He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.”
In other words, He removes the branches (habits, responses, and thoughts) that are unhealthy in us, so that it does not destroy or consume the good that we are made to be. He takes the good branches in us and carefully prunes them to encourage growth and healthier fruit so that those around us are healthier and happier too. This process of healthier and happier is passed on and on as it multiplies, consumes and fills the earth. Sounds a lot like heaven, right?
God wants to remove the garbage and bad things from our life so the good is reproduced in us and through us for others. He loves us too much to leave us in the condition we are in, and He wants us to experience this life “as it is in heaven” in abundance. Heaven is here and heaven is now, will we received it, reproduce it, reflect it, and release it to others, or will we be the branch that bears bad fruit and later reproduces nothing at all?
It has been a few days since I published this blog and I feel it is important to mention a few things about this post, so, I am adding this footnote with three points I would like to express.
First, we should not seek the signs, wonders, and miracles. We should be seeking God. These things (signs, wonders, and miracles) are a byproduct of living for Him.
Mark 16:17-18 And these miracle signs will accompany those who believe: They will drive out demons in the power of my name. They will speak in tongues. They will be supernaturally protected from snakes and from drinking anything poisonous. And they will lay hands on the sick and heal them.”
My post was an expression of a deeper more personal question directed to God based off my, father/son relationship with him and in that conversation something was revealed to me to correct.
Secondly, this post is not to leave you with the impression that you must get your life straighten out to be used by God. God WILL, use you in your mess, for a lack of a better term. He uses me, or rather presents me with opportunities to be very effective in helping others encounter Him in my current messy state and He has used me when I was even messier than I am now. We do not have work for his love, nor do we have to achieve a level of goodness to earn the right to be used powerfully by Him for others.
We all have different backgrounds and experiences that have defined parts of who we are (were) that need (needed) fixing and while each one of us has a different relationship with him, He wants to help us all equally. He is truly in love with His creation, with His son's and daughter's. As we move from glory to glory, God is constantly helping us move away from our old self to discover who He designed us to be, especially when we ask.
Well said, Randall! Our position will never be perfection. We are all responsible for and potentially hindered by what He's dealing with our hearts and attitudes about. Kinda like with raising our kids. We expect a response and change where needed. He's a good and patient Father, but He does expect response. It's a lifelong pursuit. LOVE how you contrasted when you're home and when you're on the mission field. So true!