making Jesus famous

Over the past year or so I've been thinking especially about what it means to live a life of complete surrender to the Lord. I usually like to do what I can to take care of things, to not have to wait on other people, to not have to depend on someone else coming through to get things done. And sometimes that's ok. But other times, it is deeply rooted in pride, and it gets in the way of me seeing God do miraculous things (like I say I want to see Him do).

Mostly through "accident"-not of my own choosing, I've found myself in an increasing amount of situations where I have the:

"I cannot do this on my own.

If God does not show up in this,

this is going to be a complete and utter disaster" thought.

I was sharing about this with a friend earlier this year and my friend said something like, "Julie, isn't that where you always be?!: involved in things where God is so much at the center that we cannot convince ourselves WE were the ones bringing change or doing good. If God is calling you some place, He is going to equip you and He wants you to depend on Him to come through."

And then, how frequently God will echo things He's trying to teach me in lots of different ways, He has continued to remind me about how He wants me to let Him take care of things...

(2) In Jesus Calling by Sarah Young--(if you don't know this book, I'd highly recommend it...it has daily words written based on Truth in scripture, prompted by the Holy Spirit, and grounded in God's character)--there are all these things that keep challenging me:

*"Do not fear your limitations or measure the day's demands to your strength. What I require of you is to stay connected to Me, living in trusting dependence on My limitless resources."

*"Although self-sufficiency is acclaimed in the world, reliance on Me produces abundant living in My kingdom."

*"Living in dependence on Me is the way to enjoy abundant life."

*"The truth is that self-sufficency is a myth perpetuated by pride and temporary success. Health and wealth can disappear instantly, as can life itself. Rejoice in your insufficiency, knowing that My power is made perfect in weakness."

...the list goes on and on.

(2) Our roommate is a 4th grade teacher. One of her students wrote her a note saying that her family is in the process of adopting from Ethiopia. The note said, "We don't really know how we are going to do it (we need God's help). So we are also doing it to make Jesus famous because we can't do it without him." She gets it. I don't need to be wondering what I can do on my own strength. I need to be asking what God is prompting and then go confidently trusting that He will provide and work through me.

God has been confirming (through conversations, through donations, through people we're meeting who are connected with Ethiopia, through things we're reading, through support of our friends and families, through Scripture) that this isn't some crazy plan that we made up ourselves. It is prompted by Him, and He isn't going to hold out on coming through with what we need.

So...

us.

Ethiopia.

plans.

travel.

logistics.

energy.

time.

preparations.

in all of these things, God has been reminding me that He has got it under control.

We need to faithful in praying about our plans, intentional with our resources, etc....but, it isn't about us.

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that is at work in us, to Him be the glory.

~Julie