A thought by Kyle Idleman, from his book, One at a Time (p. 36). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)
That is true, isn't it?
Kyle continues, "We feel compelled to make a difference—but how?
"After enough moments of feeling like we should do something but not knowing what to do, we learn to silence that voice. I need to do something gets replaced with Somebody should do something. It’s not that we don’t want to do something, it’s just that we don’t know what to do."
He goes on, "For a long time when I felt compelled to do something, I would pray, God, what do you want to do through me?
"What I have learned along the way is that often my first prayer should be, God, what do you want to do in me?
"Because the work God does in you will lead to the work God wants to do through you. This radically changes our approach to being difference-makers. As much as I might want to skip the in and go straight to the through, God’s approach is consistently in then through."
Kyle says, "In Mark 1, Jesus was surrounded by people in need. Verse 33 says that 'the whole town gathered at the door' where Jesus was staying. Everyone needed him to do something for them. Jesus always seemed to know what to do. He always seemed to understand how to make a difference in someone’s life.
"How did Jesus always know what to do? A number of times throughout the Gospels, Jesus made it clear that he didn’t say or do anything except what he was directed to by his Father. (See John 5:18–19; 8:28; and 12:49) Even Jesus modeled an 'in then through' approach to making a difference.
"After the entire town gathered outside his door, Jesus had another full day of ministry scheduled, but we read in verse 35, 'Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.'
"He got away from the crowds and went to a place where no one would see him to spend time with his heavenly Father. When the disciples woke up, people were already at the door, needing something from Jesus. They went to look for him, 'and when they found him, they exclaimed: "'Everyone is looking for you!'"' (v. 37). There were all kinds of people with all kinds of needs and expectations, but Jesus knew what to do. He replied to the disciples, '"'Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.'" So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons' (vv. 38–39)."
Kyle then says, "Jesus spent time alone with God and was reminded of why he had come. He was refocused on his purpose. He knew what God wanted to do through him because he started the day by giving attention to God’s work in him."
The something we are to do is what God is leading us to do. Yes, yes! #continuethought
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