I feel like I’ve learned some kind of secret, how to live a life full of adventure and full of God. The thing is that it’s not a secret. It’s not something written in code that we have to figure out. The Bible says it plainly.
“All who are obsessed with being secure in life will lose it all—including their lives. But those who let go of their lives and surrender them to me will discover true life.”
Luke17:33 TPT
It’s not just talking about the eternal; it’s talking about the now. Early 2020 I was working two jobs as a waitress and a maid. I did it with a good heart. I wanted to build my life and my bank account so that I could be successful, a real adult, and financially stable enough to move to Japan. If I’m honest, I was getting there. My car was almost paid off, I had saved enough to get a place on my own, I was about to secure a sweet job, but despite all those things, I felt like I was running on a treadmill; spending all this time and energy without actually gaining any real ground in life.
I remember coming home one morning from one job to change and go straight to another. My eyes were dark, sunken in, and teary as they fell on my roommate, who said, “You know, you don’t have to live like this? You are bound by nothing. What’s stopping you from quitting your jobs and going straight towards what you know God’s called you to? ” That’s when the truth of Luke 17:33 hit me like a brick.
Once I surrendered my idea of what my life was supposed to look like, God opened doors left and right, showing me what my life could look like with Him every day. Now when I run, it’s not on a treadmill, never gaining real ground; It’s in the slums of Guatemala with street kids.
It’s through the waves during surf club with coastal kids.
It’s anywhere in this world with Jesus gaining real ground for the kingdom.
I feel like we spend most of our lives trying to figure out what God has for us. We see life with God as something that is “next”. We think, “God has (enter your calling here) for me, but I will get there after I overcome (Enter your obstacles here).” We think we have to work our way into our calling. News flash friends, Jesus died so that we wouldn’t have to strive into a life full of Him and that we could live a life of “Now” instead of a life of “Next”. When we allow ourselves to enter into that mindset, we aren’t operating in the very thing Jesus died to give us.
I’ll leave you with this thought, dear reader. What is keeping you from living the life you want to live? What are you waiting for?
What beautiful pictures and such an uplifting message. I love how much your doing for others. I love you so much. Mom-
Words of wisdom, sweet Allie! What a sweet reminder that following Jesus is much more thrilling than the treadmill race!
Alli,
I couldn’t help but repeat your verse but throw in the one before it. Especially since you’re not looking back to Dallas/McKinney like lots wife looked back to Soloman Gomorrah. You’ve burned your ships like Hernan Cortes did in 1519.
“Don’t forget the example of Lot’s wife and what happened to her when she turned back. All who are obsessed with being secure in life will lose it all—including their lives. But those who let go of their lives and surrender them to me will discover true life.”
??Luke? ?17:32-33? ?TPT??
Loved your amazingly perfect words, That conveyed in essence but God is not waiting for us to get our act together, which will always be the “next thing “, that we think we’ve over, or straightened out, in order for us to feel qualified and ready for the opportunities to serve and love well that he has for us. No doubt, tell your lifetime is not enough to continue to grow, learn, become more like Jesus and in reality the more we know the more we realize what we don’t know. When I read your blog I felt encouraged to, “do what you can, with what you’ve got, for the honor and glory of God!“
For sure, God is looking for availability and willing hearts more than those who self righteously think they’ve got their act together.
Powerful words woman of God! Keep running your race and keep the blogs coming :-).