I want to change this world! I have always had a desire to do something big and it benefit the world. I think I'm not alone though; Michael Jackson said it so well in "Man in The Mirror":
I'm gonna make a change
For once in my life
It's gonna feel real good
Gonna make a difference
Gonna make it right
That is my dream... to make a difference and to make my life count. I have high aspirations of seeing what is so called "normal" shifted and redirected. But Michael also makes an even greater point later on in his song:
I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearerIf you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
If I want to see a difference made, then I need to make sure that change is evident in me. Not only do I need to make sure it's evident, but that it has dug itself way down to the depths of my very being and taken root in my core. How do I do that? How do I prepare myself for such change? How do I make this world a better place? These are the questions and ponders I met the Lord with today.
I've heard it said, "Nikki, don't get so caught up in the spiritual that you miss what's going on down here on earth." In other words, don't be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good. Have you ever been on the receiving end of that statement? Have you ever thought twice about it? I hadn't until today.
This afternoon as I sat in the chapel of my church worshiping and praying, the presence of the Lord was so sweet and peaceful. I was feeling so refreshed and just enjoying my time with Him that I had the thought "why can't it always be like this?" I quickly felt the Lord respond with "it can" in the most gentle way imaginable. Then I was flooded with the memories of all the conversations I'd had with people (in the church and out) who had told me in essence to not be to heavenly minded. It's interesting how all this time I had been storing those memories inside of me and holding on to them as if they were truth. This moment quickly turned into a lesson...
What does heavenly minded look like? What does earthly good look like? Were the disciples any earthly good because they loved Jesus and spent every moment possible with Him. And because they spent so much time with Him they learned how to love people and how to release healing and freedom. That sounds like some world changers to me. They weren't perfect people but their time with Jesus was evident in the way they impacted the world.
Why have we as the church, the body of Christ, myself, allowed this lie of needing to have something the world can relate to in order to make a difference to so impact us? It is not truth! People are searching for truth! They are searching for love! For freedom and healing! They are not looking for something they can relate to because they already have that. But what they don't have, we do.
The Father. Jesus. Holy Spirit.
The revelation I had today was that I want to be so heavenly minded that everything I do reflects the Father and releases Heaven on earth... that'd be a pretty big change for the world!
No more hiding behind religion. No more trying to walk the line of politically correct and loving Jesus (side note, Jesus was often not politically correct)! I want to spend my life so engulfed in Him, in His presence that He permeates out of my very being. Not afraid of how I may look to the world. Because if I allow Him fill me up He will give me the wisdom, the right things to say, the love to give. All of those things stem from being with Him, not by distancing myself from His presence.
I want to leave you with this... His presence is all we need! Here are some (just a few) verses that remind us of that:
Rest - Exodus 33:14
Love - 1 John 4:16
Power - Acts 2
Joy - Psalm 16:11
Strength - Joshua 1:9
Protection - Psalm 31:20, Psalm 23:4
Provision - John 15:5
Just as I was encouraged by this today, I pray that you will be as well. I pray that you will choose to break off the lies of religion that try to hide themselves in our minds and in place of that seek Jesus. Seek His heart and be confident to know that in Him this world WILL be changed!
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