You Have to Work at It

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“But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia.”    – Galatians 1:15-17

When I was a boy I loved the game of football.  It was a deep passion of mine to play the game and excel at it.  All through my elementary years it came easy for me.  The older I got though, the more difficult the sport became.  The plays became more extravagant and the other boys seemed to be bigger, faster and more prepared.  Then at age 14, came the summer that I was old enough to go to football camp.  To learn, practice and to play with the best players at the collegiate level introduced me to an entirely new perspective on the game.  Once again my confidence was restored and I left knowing so much more about the game, simply because I spent dedicated time learning football and nothing else.  Alas, a month after camp, I blew out a knee and my football days were over; but the passion and education I received have never left.

So it is with God’s grace and the acceptance of the Holy Spirit in your life.  After Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, he spent some time with Ananias where he received the Holy Spirit.  Paul began preaching the “good news” all around Damascus as the message of grace filled his heart and overflowed.  His passion was beyond control and it became everything he wanted and needed in his life.  He then went away to Arabia to study, learn and to get closer to the Holy Spirit.  He did not turn to the other disciples or apostles of the time.  He drew what he could from Ananias, but realized that to be the best for his Lord, he needed to get away from other mankind.

We don’t know how long Paul was in Arabia or where exactly he went.  We do know that he was an extremely knowledgeable man before his conversion and he knew that to excel at anything one must put everything they have into it.  We read the scriptures and stand amazed at the depth of knowledge that Paul shares through his writings.  The other disciples – Peter, John, Luke, Mark, Matthew . . .  all spent daily time with Jesus Christ for the better part of 3 years.  They learned from Him daily as they walked along the roads and mountainsides of Israel.  Paul, on the other hand, realized that he needed that alone time with His Savior to truly understand his mission and purpose in life.

You are just like Paul if you think about it.  At one point in your life you questioned Jesus Christ, God and the whole Christian church.  Then there was an unveiling in your life, when your eyes were opened to see the grace, love and mercy of the Savior.  At that moment, when you accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, your heart was overflowing with passion and purpose and desire to tell everyone you knew.  If this is not nurtured and strengthened, over time your life returns to it’s pre-salvation state of seeking something more.  Many Christians fall into this trap.  After accepting Christ the fire burns out and they fall back into their sinful ways.  Many look at this and challenge the salvation from our Lord and then look elsewhere for something with meaning.

The real message to learn from Galatians 1 above is that discovering your purpose and living for the Lord takes work on our part.  It is not something that can be coasted through.  Choosing to live for Jesus Christ, takes commitment, time and persistence to continued learning.  This is done through daily quiet times.  Get away from your life, those around you and the busyness of each day to spend quality time with the Holy Spirit.  Dedicate the time each day to focus on learning from God directly.  No man can make you a stronger Christian or help you identify your purpose.  That must come from the One who created you as a Christian.  You don’t have to go to Arabia, but you do need to get away to be with the Lord one on one.

Prayer:Almighty God,
Thank you for Your wisdom and knowledge, shared through the scriptures and the Holy Spirit.  Help us to find You each day to expand our faith, trust and confidence in Your truth.  Teach us Lord through a daily quiet time to walk in Your footsteps.  Rejuvenate our souls to the point of overflowing such that we must share Your good news with all that we meet.  Help us to accept the responsibility of apostleship with You and the challenge of expanding our purpose through Your will for our life.  In Your precious name I pray - Amen
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