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Lazy Faith

Jeremiah 29:11 (AMP) For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

I believe this is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible, next to John 3:16. You see it everywhere. You see it on pillows, shirts, wall decor, etc. It is the focus verse for many ministries and organizations. It is a wonderful verse of hope. However, it can be an excuse for the lazy person to put their life on pause. Yikes! I used the word lazy to describe some people. I like lazy days that I don’t have to get out of my pajamas. That is my favorite outfit to wear. However, if I do not get out of my house, and my comfort, how can I fulfill this verse in context.

Jeremiah 29:5-10 (AMP) ‘Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there and do not decrease [in number]. Seek peace and well-being for the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its peace (well-being) you will have peace.’ For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Do not let your [false] prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you; pay no attention and attach no significance to the dreams which they dream or to yours, for they prophesy falsely to you in My Name. I have not sent them,’ says the Lord. “For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years [of exile] have been completed for Babylon, I will visit (inspect) you and keep My good promise to you, to bring you back to this place. 

Everything must be judged against the Word of the Lord. Jeremiah was a prophet, but he was not the only prophet among the people. The Bible even calls them out as false prophets. He said a true prophet, “prophesies of peace, when that prophet’s word comes to pass, [only] then will it be known that the Lord has truly sent him” (Jeremiah 28:9). Was it through war or through God that they were going to be brought back to Israel. God moved on the heart of King Cyrus, his name was prophesied long before they were brought out of exile (Isaiah 44:28). We want God to move quickly, but we forget that He still gave us a job to do. What if the Israelites did not go on with their lives while in captivity? What if they did not seek peace with the city they were exiled to? We want so back to live for self and fight for our rights that we often hurt the ones that God has called us to reach. We are told to be a blessing where ever we go.

John 15:17 (AMP) This [is what] I command you: that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another.

Galatians 5:14 (AMP) For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is fulfilled in one precept, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, you shall have an unselfish concern for others and do things for their benefit].”

Remember, the promise in Jeremiah 29:11 was given to a nation, a group. We have personalized it so much that we have rationalized not doing this commandment to love unselfishly. Collectively know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Do not forget what comes after the verse.

Jeremiah 29:12-14 (AMP) Then you will call on Me and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear [your voice] and I will listen to you. Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and I will [free you and] gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’

God has a plan. Do you want some keys to help ward off depression and discouragement in your life? Acknowledge that God has a plan and bloom where you are planted. Do not stop growing just because your circumstances are not what you expected. Keep God’s promises close to your heart. His precepts are true. His Word is true. Do something useful. There has never not been an excuse not to serve. If a dream that you believe He has given you does not bring you to love others unselfishly, or tells you not to yet, then I need to question that dream. He will not contradict His Word.

God asked me this question: What does your heart have to do with your faith? It has everything to do with it. I can be heard-hearted and go through the motions, but my faith does not align with His. I can have all the head knowledge of His Word, but not believe it, because faith without works (application of agape love) is dead. I have heard, “my heart is not in it anymore.” Why? What have your aligned your heart with? Is it the circumstance or our God? I have no idea how long our church is going to be renting a one thirty in the afternoon spot from another house of worship. That does not mean we do not bloom where we are planted. We continue to serve the city and people of our community. It is not making the name Connect Church famous, it is about glorifying and honoring His Name. We have a vision and a promise. We keep going! The promise does not give me permission to pause and become lazy in my faith. That is an abuse of the sovereignty of God. I should still desire to seek Him and to unselfishly love His people.

Jehovah Nissi, Abba Father, we honor You with our worship. Your Presence is enough for us. Your Presence is desired because we desire to honor You. Thank You for sending Your Son to be the Prince of Peace. Thank You for the Holy Spirit that empowers us to bloom where we are planted. The Holy Spirit indwelling us empowers us to love as You have loved, unselfishly. We repent for the times that we have been selfish and lazy in our faith. We repent for taking advantage and abused Your Sovereignty. We know the plans and thoughts You have for us, plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give us a future and a hope. We thank You for the commission to Go. We thank You for Your restoration plan. We are called ministers of reconciliation. We will never stop glorifying and proclaiming Your Name. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. We choose love today. We choose hope today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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A willing offering

Philippians 2:14-17 (AMP) Do everything without murmuring or questioning [the providence of God], so that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish in the midst of a [morally] crooked and [spiritually] perverted generation, among whom you are seen as bright lights [beacons shining out clearly] in the world [of darkness],  holding out and offering to everyone the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to rejoice greatly because I did not run [my race] in vain nor labor without result.  But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith [for preaching the message of salvation], still I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

Colossians 3:17 (AMP) Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

1 Corinthians 16:14 (AMP) Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].

Providence is the protective nature of God, trusting that I have a future. Can we just do everything He tells us in His Word without questioning if He has our best interest in mind? It gets more challenging, we are not promised that it will not be hard. We are anointed for the hard stuff. Paul is telling us to do EVEN IF your life is the offering. The race I run, the labor it brings forth, is not in vain. The sacrifice and service of my faith is for the salvation of others (the real prize)!

When God speaks to you to do something, do not be concerned with why not someone else. I have learned that when He calls you to it, He will equip you for it. When I started speaking, I was not great at it. It was actually very painful to watch. I had to trust that the words He gave me were impactful. My heart motive was not to make a name for myself, but to make Him famous.

I am not waiting on the situation to be right so that I can shine. I have never been into that “it’s my time to shine” when it comes to serving. Why do we need to feel like if we are not elevated then we really are not doing anything. Paul said even if I am being poured out as a drink offering. Pour all of me out Lord. Use everything that you have placed within me.

In the first part of 2 Kings 4, Elisha comes across a widow and her sons. She had a great debt and man she owed the debt to was coming to take her sons and make them bond servants. Elisha asked what she had. She replied only one jar of oil. He instructed her to get all her jars and even borrow from friends and neighbors. As she began to pour out of the single jar into the other, per his instruction, every jar was filled. She poured until the last jar that had been gathered was filled. Then she was instructed to first pay off her debt and then live off of the rest.

What if we applied that same principle to Matthew 6:33? But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also. This is exactly what Paul was telling us in pouring out our lives as a drink offering. The anointing you have needs to be poured out. You are not called to this alone. Notice the widow needed the help of her friends and neighbors. Paul even refers to himself as a bond servant to Christ. Does not mean I have a debt to pay off? No, Christ paid that debt. My hearts desire should want to pour my life out because of His great love sacrifice. However, when I think of my needs first am I really trusting in the providence of God?

Colossians 3:14 (AMP) Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others].

I want the best for you. I hope you feel the same way about me. If it takes me pouring myself out to be a drink offering for Him, so be it! Now, do not take me to the extreme. I do believe in rest. If you do not allow Him to pour back into you, then you will be pouring out of self. We cannot grow glory to glory without taking time with the Holy Spirit and the body that He called me to (for equipping). Pouring out has to be healthy. There is a fullness to this Gospel. I pray you dig more into your Word today to find out just how full your life can really be!!