Escheat

What is it that you want God to do for you? As if He hadn't done enough already, ya know. But there's still that unanswered question. That abstract and intangible longing you may feel. I'm not trying to create need. But if you're already perfect, I don't know what I can offer you except a congratulatory applause. How did you get there, pray tell? There has to be a formula for filling in the inchoate and undeveloped aspects to our selves. Perhaps it's different for everyone, but perhaps maybe there's some correlation across the spectrum. You, to me, to God.

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after..." (Philippians 3:12)

For the person who has everything

Paul speaks to the neglect of his formidable gifts and abilities. I.e. all he had accrued and acquired in his years of service to the Lord. I believe He's speaking, at least with the portion I've proof-texted, to the idea of moving on to do greater and greater things for the Lord--with the Lord. Because if we're still here, God's not done with us.

"For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but Thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favour unto them." (Psalm 44:3, emphasis mine)

The last line essentially means "God was pleased with them". You'll go through seasons of your life where God burns out successive and deeper impurities to your thinking and aligns you in a fuller measure to His will for you. You'll feel it initially as conviction (but not condemnation) and as that burns off, you'll realize that you're pleasing the Lord with the simple things. Ever becoming more Christlike in attitude and temperament. But after that, you might forget about the simple fact that God is still looking on, still pleased with you. And this is where it gets fun.

Extra credit

"And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." (1 John 5:19)

What if God called on you to begin doing more than your ken? To start affecting things you really weren't aware of up till now? God could always use a few more prayer warriors on the front lines. And whatever gifts you may possess--you do have them--play in to the battle that is being waged outside your door and in the world. What John says above refers to the darkness in the world. Rewind back to Jesus' words to His disciples about how "ye are the light of the world" and you begin to understand how you're called to shine. Into the corners and pockets of darkness that you encounter where you're led. Shadows of depression, confusion, misunderstanding. God wants to dispel these and He wants to use you. Not just to counter it but to obliterate it. And then to maintain it with prayer and follow up with personal interaction. God bless you.

On God's Dime

Canaries and Stool Pigeons (For the Birds part 6)