I read a wonderful book last year by Joanna Weaver titled “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.” Boy, how that book infused me with new perspective and refreshed my thinking! I had the privilege of meeting Joanna and spending a weekend with her when she ministered at our annual Women of Purpose conference.
An excerpt from Wilbur Rees’ “Three Dollars Worth of God Please” was in that. I was so impacted by this excerpt that I found the rest of the piece online so I could read it in its entirety. Talk about being convicted!
God had been speaking to me about where I was—personally, professionally, spiritually—for some time. I’d been convicted of doing things “inside the box,” operating from a practical and realistic perspective instead of from a heavenly, miraculous perspective. The evidence was everywhere: in my personal life, my family life, my spiritual life, my ministry. And the end result was that I was stressed, discouraged and feeling stuck.
I was challenged and encouraged to think outside the box—think about dreams, visions and goals that know no boundaries. As Star Trek would say, “To boldly go where no man has gone before.” I must admit, that’s hard for me. I am, by nature, a practical, planful person. To think like this and stay there is a huge stretch for me.
I began to review the past twenty years of my life, after giving my heart to the Lord and I realized that things had changed. I’d changed. Oh, I love the Lord with all my heart. I do! But something was different. And as I pondered it, I realized that I’d begun to settle for “what is” instead of believing for “what can be.”
I had allowed life to get me down. And there’s been plenty of life events for that to happen. Trying times, sad times, exasperating times, stressful times. And it’s been in those times that I’d forgotten what God can do in any and every circumstance. I prayed for a miracle while I planned in my mind what I would do if that miracle doesn’t occur—my “plan B.” I’d been providing a safety net for God.
Can you imagine that?! I had been providing a safety net—like He really needs one. And then I realized that the safety net wasn’t for him—it was for me. To save myself from more disappointment, more stress, more grief. And in the process of doing this, I took away God’s power and authority in my life. The power to change me, to rock my world, to turn things upside down, to give me a new perspective—because of my unbelief. I’d been walking around with $3 worth of God in my pocket, wondering why things hadn’t changed.
I have been challenged by God himself to have so much of Him within me that I just can’t contain it! It will change me—it has changed me--from the inside out and broken down the barriers of reality and practicality and instead went beyond imagination and possibilities to places I’d never been before—or at least in a very long time!
And when there isn’t any more room for Him in me, He’ll start overflowing from within me—oozing into and penetrating everything and everyone around me, affecting everything I do, say, think, feel, imagine. Now that is quite a makeover, isn’t it? That’s what I needed then. That’s what I need daily now. That’s how much of God I want! How about you?
Has life gotten you down? Do you find yourself worrying about things instead of surrendering them to God and knowing that He will take care of them? Do you feel like you’ve been beaten up? Pushed around? Gone through the mill? Are you at the end of your rope, saying to yourself, “I cannot handle one more thing.”
How much of God are you walking around with in your pocket? A few dollars? Some cents? Even a few hundred dollars doesn’t do him justice. He wants us to be free to dream dreams and imagine amazing possibilities and to watch Him work in them. Are we working so hard we’re not enjoying life anymore? Are we going through the same routines day in and day out? Something needs to change. Now is a good time. How much of God do you want? What will you do about it?
For me, I changed careers, reevaluated my priorities, stepped out of some responsibilities to ensure my daily living lined up with my values, even had to rethink some things I enjoyed but didn’t really have time for. I can honestly say that I am getting quite good at imagining possibilities and dreaming of “what can be” and, dare I say it, I actually enjoy it! How exciting—and challenging—it’s been to be stretched into new areas of thinking and doing, but oh, it’s been so worth it. Why don’t you give it a try?