What Does Logic Have To Do With It?

I ran into an old friend and we caught up on each other's family news.  I was really behind on hers.  They are adopting twins from the Phillipines.  I heard her exciting and amazing "only-God-opens-doors-like-this" story.  What I noted from our conversation was the hardest part of the process for their family.  It was allowing their minds catch up with their hearts of obedience.  

We talked about God's obvious opportunities, as she was giving God all the glory about how the plan worked out perfectly.  But in the middle of it all...

Their adoption circumstances looked too hard.  She had support, she had prayers, she cried out to God to make it clear and she had thrown out many fleeces.  She wanted to be that sure that this was the right path that God wanted them to go.

I got to thinking about how we seek God's best, we want to do His will.  Sure, we want that!  That is....what we want...right?  Don't we all want to throw out our fleeces and ask God to answer our fleece prayer exactly?  Yes, yes we do....

I believe God does just that.  But our minds get bogged down with logic or reasoning that we simply can't accept.  We tell ourselves that obedience has to be hard and then our resolve to obey becomes stubborn.  Our own logic becomes the limitation that sets our heart's obedience.  

We just need to say "yes" and He takes care of the rest.

God is a creative God and He will lead us through our problems or tell us how to fix our problems.  His simple answers to our daily conundrums and big life decisions require simple obedience and most times, we stumble over that.    

Who said obedience had to be so hard?  Following God shouldn't be complicated.  If we follow what God truly has led or asked us to do, then he won't leave us in the middle of His calling to let us figure it all out for ourselves.  

God knows the end before he brings us our beginnings.  

It's wise to let God engage our logic with His plans. 

God's grace is compelling and engaging.  Grace captivates the matters of the heart. Grace facilitates simple obedience.  Obedience is our expression of love to God.  Our love responses are fueled as we allow God's love logic to lead. 

"And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love." ~ 2 John 1:6

Dance-Baby-Dance!

So You Think You Can Dance?

In Africa, our team learned a child's game that involved acting silly and dancing like white people only could while getting schooled by rhythmical kids.  Well...ok, maybe I was the only who might have felt a tad  inadequate while doing the chicken dance.  It was a game that involved a lot of kids as it showed their sweet personalities.  We cheered from the outer edge of the circle chanting..."Dance Baby Dance".  It good mixer game and needless to say, those kids knew how to dance.


Every time it was my turn there were people laughing of course, I will be the first to tell you that I am one uncoordinated white girl...ahem.  The next dancer was one of your choosing.  So as I scanned the smiling, chanting faces, I tried to pick one who hadn't had a turn yet.  That's why I picked her.


Her demeanor was quiet and timid.  I figured she didn't get picked often.  I knew how that felt as I was always last to be picked.  

When it came to playground games, I was usually on the fringe of fun.  

I think we do this with God sometimes.  Stand on the fringe of opportunities.  We want Him to pick us to play, and but then once asked to dance, we are are shy about getting involved in His work.  The way I see it accepting Christ as your Savior is a choice, but being his disciple isn't.  It's obedience.  It's His command.  The great commission in Matthew 28 is Jesus' first directive to move.


Go!  You can't go if you are standing still or standing on the sidelines, those fringes areas of faith.  God didn't call you to be a spectator.  God involves us because he wants to use us.  This party is really about Him, and proclaiming His name, making it known.  It's not about what we bring to the circle, with our dance moves or special talents.  He knows your abilities, He is more interested in your availability.  We must give Him an all access pass to our hearts!


Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Did you see the word between go and make?  Once you go, there is a second part.  Go and...get involved.  Engage your neighbor, serve in missions, reach the lonely, be an example or mentor.  Share history, share HIS-story.  Wear the Christ that lives in your heart!  Do anything, do something!  We can't do everything but we can do one thing that affects one person to let them know that they matter!  Make a difference, care about someone outside your circle of influence.

What are those fringe faith areas where you have been hanging out?  Go back there and teach people how to dance, make disciples.  Invest in someone.  Show them a few of your dance moves, tell them how Christ has changed your life.  Once they see God's skills....they will see real change.  Show kindness, show love, live compassion.