Two for One - Part Two: No More Number Two

There's no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 John 4:18)

Once upon a time, I had a good amount of money saved up, that God told me not to use for my trip to Argentina. When He told me this, I obeyed, but in my heart I was thinking "this money is still available to me, so I can use it just in case God doesn't come through." He did provide all I needed for my trip, in a very miraculous way, but that's normal for me because God has always provided everything I need in His perfect timing. After realizing that my saved money was no longer needed as a back-up plan for my trip to Argentina, I put it in my mind towards another back-up plan: to put a significant dent in my student loans, or maybe pay for my next missions trip, or for any emergencies that may come up."

I didn't realize it then, but all of my thoughts were sensible, but they were thoughts formed from living in fear. I was living bound to my fears instead of to the promises of God.

About a month into my trip here in Argentina, I felt like God was telling me to give away all the money I had in savings. Since this was a huge decision for me, I decided to pray about it for a week, just to make sure it was God I was hearing, and not just the emotion of being in a different country, seeing so many needs around me, and wanting to cater to them. Throughout this week of prayer, God revealed to me that, when perceived from the perspective of a mind bound to the promises of God, this wasn't a big request. As I said in one of my earlier blog posts, God has been taking away all of my fears, and has replaced them with love for Him and others. Therefore, when He asked me to do this, and I realized it really was God and not just an emotional response, I didn't perceive it as a big ask. Instead, I immediately thought, "what's this amount of money that I've obtained in my own strength, when compared to the infinite strengths and provision of the God who loves me?!"

It's now very obvious to me that my way of thinking has changed, and I believe it's a result of the change God has made in my heart from fear to love. That said, I hope this has prompted you to self-reflection: what's your back-up plan? What's holding you back from the infinite, grandiose blessings of God? I guarantee, when you find the answer, and start replacing it with God, you too will be abundantly satisfied and showered with the joy of obedience.

Two for One - Part One: Number One Priority

The Beautiful IBRP (Instituto Biblico Rio de la Plata)

My personal devotional time with the Lord has been inconsistent since the day I started it. I've had moments of consistency, 40 days here, half a year there. But I always end up faltering, finding other things that seemed more important (sleep, TV time, time with friends, homework, work work, etc.) and lofting them to the top of my priority list. 

Here in IBRP, it's so easy to have a constant, personal devotional time. Granted, there is a requirement of this school that we all start our day by spending personal time with the Lord at 6:20am. But, that's not really the reason I consider it easy. The real reason is that I've finally figured out for myself that my relationship with God has to be my number one priority. 

Everything else CAN, and does, wait. When I "tithe" my time to God - when I give the very first part of my day to my Creator - He recognizes that it's a difficulty I'm overcoming for Him, and blesses the rest of my day. I get so much more done, have so much more energy, and am so much more content now, all because I live believing that my relationship with God is the most important thing in the whole world. Nothing else matters if my relationship with Him isn't happening.

The outward results of this inward change are tremendous. In addition to my morning devotional time, I find myself going to the prayer room at least once a day, and spending 1-2 hours in there, just dwelling in His presence. I'm constantly overjoyed by the fact that Jesus spent so much of his 3.5 years of ministry seeking time with His Father for direction. If Jesus, the only perfect person who ever lived, needed a personal devotional time, how much more do I? And by desiring to be more like Jesus, I get the privilege of resting in my heavenly Father's presence, just like Jesus did! 

My actions and thoughts have changed, due to the way my focus has changed. I don't have a more consistent devotional time because I've developed a new habit. I have a more consistent devotional time because I've completely, and continually, shifted my focus to God. I've not got it all figured out, by any means. I still have to daily remind myself that He is number one. But that said, every day gets easier and easier to cast away all my fears, and to replace them with a love for His presence in my life. It's so cool!