Just a Thought

I have been writing down my thoughts lately about topics (if you will), topics that I come into contact with through out my life as I experience walking with Jesus. I wrote this a week or so ago and today I felt called to share it with you all. So here it is;

" It is interesting to me as I read through Acts and Luke, that when the spirit of God, or an angel shows up, that people freak out. Now if an angel appeared in front of me right now I would probably freak out as well. But I find it interesting that with almost every encounter in the bible with an angel, the first thing that is said is " Do not be afraid." My point is and I myself totally guilty of this as well, is I think the Church is not realizing what they are proclaiming, and what it means. We sit back and proclaim that " God is all powerful and Mighty!" that " The Spirit moves however and in whomever He wants." So my question is this; " Why do we freak out and even sometimes( regrettably) shut the door when God shows up and moves in us? After all, Were we not calling out to God begging to fall deeper in love? To encounter Him ? or for Him to consume us?We do this even with all the knowledge that has been given to us from the bible. More specifically we do this while being aware that Jesus himself explains why He has to leave the earth, and boldly and lovingly tell us in a reassuring way that He is giving us The Holy Spirit, otherwise known as the Councilor, and that The Holy Spirit lives in us and is with us always.

The answer, which I am sure I will have a different one in a weeks time, as I journey with God, and He reveals himself to me, is this: We have become a people that expect things, and things expected of us as well. The problem with expecting is, especially in expecting things with God , Is that when we do this, we forget the moment when we decided to follow Christ, saying in some way shape or form " I am a sinner and in desperate need of your love and grace. My heart is yours, YOUR WILL BE DONE ." We expect God to move this way and that way, but never stop to think of the way God wants to move, or how he is feeling about this moment. We put God in a box, and when he so easily breaks open that box, we get scared and shut the door, or we get angry and frustrated because our expectations are not met.

Looking back on the 21 years of my life I can give you numerous examples where I have expected God to move in the way I thought was kosher to my life. Blatantly putting God in a box and shutting( more times than most slamming) the door to him. I can also give you example of times where I went in not expecting anything and God move in the way he planned to move in before I was even born(Jer. 1:5); I call these the best and most passionate times in my life.

I am consumed with this question daily since first thinking about this; " What would it look like to be a man who answers Gods question in Genesis 3 of ' Where are you my son?' and saying " I am right here have your way." Actively pursuing the heart of God, journeying through life with Jesus and not EXPECTING ANYTHING BUT THIS: for the God of the universe to show up and move in me on a daily basis. Being completely open to what and how He is doing this. I am convinced that this how we are called to live our lives."

As we prepare for the summer and what is ahead, it is my prayer that we would not expect anything except for God to show up and move, however he wants. I look forward to the summer and witnessing this with all of you.

God Bless

-Chris