Perry Noble posted some great thoughts on his blog this morning. It’s a list of five great gut check questions. I guess I love the post so much because it’s like it was lifted out of one of my journals or something. Perry basically hit on the five biggest issues/questions I’ve been dealing with since the beginning of the year. Below are some of my thoughts on Perry’s top five.
LISTENING
So much of what I do is just listening to God. I just can’t stress how important it is to truly listen to God. I get hit with so many questions and decisions on a daily basis and many, many times I just have to hear the answer from God. I’ve needed to just flat out hear from God more this year than at any point in my life. I honestly don’t know how anybody gets anything done without listening to the Lord.
TAKING RISKS
I’ve also learned this year that you can’t just listen to God. That’s pointless. You’ve got to listen to Him and then OBEY what He tells you to do. More often than not, obeying God means taking risks. God wants us to do things that require faith so risk is daily companion for the Christ-follower. If you’re not risking much you’re probably not listening very well OR you’re not doing what He’s telling you to do.
UNDERSTANDING HOW BIG GOD IS
God has been stretching me in this regard all of 2007. He’s been lovingly rebuking me and telling me that my vision has been way too small. He’s been trying to get me to see the big picture and the bigger picture beyond that. He wants me to understand that He can do ANYTHING and that He does the impossible everyday.
SURROUNDING MYSELF WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE
I’ve learned this lesson the hard way in two different applications. First, you’ve just got to have an adequate number of folks in your life that you can depend on. I think our church has been under-staffed for far too long. God has me in serious hiring mode right now to make up for that. Second, you can’t just fill vacancies with warm bodies. You’ve got to find the “right” people. You’ve got to surround yourself with people of faith that have the right spiritual DNA. It’s not about pedigree. It’s about heart. (More on this later.)
GIVING GOD MY BEST
I want to give nothing less than my best to God. He’s given me everything I value in my life and I want to bless Him by giving Him the best that I have to give.