It came to me after spending Thanksgiving with my brother. He is tall and I am less tall. Later, I was out for a walk, which happens to be my very favorite prayer closet. What does that mean? It means walking is a favorite place for me to be with God. It is a time when God joins me and is lavish with His wisdom. I see things clearly and hear Him and sing praises and heap my thankfulness and just enjoy time with Him. So as I walked, I started contemplating how different the world looks from 6’5”. I prayed, let my imagination – things I think about – be elevated to the things on your heart, God, – praying, declaring over people – situations and nations – Lord Yes.
It was interesting to consider seeing rooms and people and places from my brother’s height. Walking, talking, listening, seeing, and experiencing everything from that perspective is different. Thinking on this different perspective in the natural made me realize the perspective you are calling me to is yours God, not mine. My perspective on everything from your kingdom height, God, is TOTALLY different from my brother’s perspective at his height 13 inches above me. And so Lord, I give you my eyes, ears, heart, mind, feelings, thoughts, opinion, judgment, reason, every single bit of my flesh and say Lord, show me your way – help me to corral my everything to rest on you and Philippians 4:8 – think on, focus on all that is good, right.
And then I started considering life without the Lord and that perspective. Then life with the Lord, but how different that can be based on our experiences and the things we believe about God and Jesus and Holy Spirit. Then I started sensing the Lord’s compassion and how He calls me to love. Just love. Not judge, not opinion, not anything, just love. In radical living, it has been a constant choice to live for God and not man’s view.
Galatians 1:10
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Many have wondered how their God could ask us to live the way we do in radical obedience to Him. It doesn’t always look the way others expect, or sound the way they think it should, or finish well in their eyes. Now I know with all my heart that it always ends well with God. Jesus shows me this. It looked bad when he was hanging on the cross. It just wasn’t the end of the story. Often we have been judged by those that expect a different story. I stand knowing that my Daddy loves me and He is a good Daddy and I will not be shaken. Well meaning family and friends have offered advice and opinions and their own wisdom, and still we have stood with you.
We choose you God every time. Even when it looks crazy, we choose you. Even when it hurts, we choose you. Even when it brings condemnation and judgment and disdain, we choose you. Jesus endured it all. It is a tricky place to sit, in mess and muck and mire, and yet, Jesus knew he was on assignment and chose, in spite of all the circumstances, to love. I am still learning this, but I am encouraged that even in the story that looks bad, God is not finished and He wins every time. I can live with that.
Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Excerpt from Loving and Faithful