You're Almost There!

“You're almost there!” What do you feel when you hear those words? Do you feel hopeful and excited? Do you feel confused, wondering what or where I'm talking about? Or do you feel nervous and jaded, wishing it were true but having lost hope? 

We often feel the chasm between where we are and where God has called us to be. If we've put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we know we are saved; but we also know that we fall short in so many areas. 

And I'll just speak for myself. I have poor time management. As a result, I don't sleep well some days and find myself fatigued. I don't commit to a steady diet. As a result, I don't have the energy and strength I could potentially have. I have trouble saying ‘no’. As a result, I overcommit to things and miss out on the most essential. 

But those are just some bad habits that most of us struggle with. What about things that are more serious: Addiction? Dysfunctional relationships? Debt? Depression? Disobedience? I don't believe God wants us suffering from these things. I understand that some things are uncontrollable and unmendable as part of God's purpose, but I don’t believe that should be our natural mindset. I believe in most cases, God wants us free. Because not only do such problems torment us, but they can prevent us from accomplishing His purposes for our lives. 

God wants us to be making disciples of all nations. He wants us to be spreading the good news about Jesus, building relationships with people so they are welcomed into the body of Christ, and nurturing relationships within the Church by means of discipleship. He wants us to serve the body of Christ and the community at large. How can we do such things when our own lives are a mess?

I don't believe God has called us to have a problem-free life, but can we please stop calling every dysfunction our “thorn in the flesh”? I believe God has called us to be free from many of the ailments of life that keep us from walking in our purpose. That freedom is going to come from obedience to God's Word. If you understand that you are on a journey towards freedom, my encouragement to you is that you are almost there! If obedience were not possible, God would not have commanded it. 

I believe that right now, God is asking you to have faith that you can be free! I believe God is asking you to have faith that you can become obedient! That you can become all that He has called you to be! That you can have the life that He has called you to live! And I think Jesus has shown us a very powerful way we can exercise such faith:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭7‬-‭11‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬)

Did you catch that last part? God as a loving Father wants to give good gifts to His children. However, He wants us to actively pursue those gifts. In the areas of our lives where we lack discipline, courage, strategy, integrity, and self-control; God wants us to ask, seek, and knock for breakthroughs! If God has proven one thing to me, it's that nothing I've ever achieved in my life has ever come apart from His grace. Even if my breakthrough came as a result of my own habits, discipline, and motivation, I can only credit God for enabling those habits, disciplines, and motivations. So I want you to earnestly begin desiring freedom and believing by faith that it's yours.

“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” ‭‭(1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬-‭15‬) 

So why do I use the words “almost there”? And what does that even mean? Next week? Next month? Next year? Let me have you consider this:

If you believed you were very close and right on the verge of breakthrough, how would that change your drive, perseverance, and dedication? 

For me, I would be fighting fierce, praying with passion, seeking the Lord with consistency, and ready to do whatever it took to win! That's the attitude I want you to have towards your own freedom! 

Let's hear once more what Jesus has to say:

“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’ ” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬-‭8‬)

I want you to notice three things in the above verses: (1) Jesus wants us to pray persistently without losing heart. (2) God will come through quickly and will not delay. (3) He is looking for faith on our part. 

I don't know what “almost there” means. I don't know what “quickly” means. I don't know what “without delay” means. But here's what I'm gonna do: I'm gonna ask, seek, and knock like it's tomorrow! And even though I'm not there yet, I'm gonna believe now that I have what I'm asking for, when I'm asking in accordance with God's will! 

All praise, all glory, all honor be to the Mighty and Everlasting Name of Jesus of Nazareth! Amen and amen!