I’ve spent recent Fridays chatting about a seriously goooood quote from the seriously goooood book Extravagant Worship by Darlene Zschech. You can read part I here, part II here and part III here. Today we’re finishing this up with a focus on the end part of the quote:
Jesus grabs ordinary people, people committed to Him, committed to His plan and His purpose, and He uses them….Don’t feel like you are going to miss out. Be faithful, follow after the things of God, be genuine, be passionate in your pursuit, and trust God. (p.180, Extravagant Worship)
I’ve had a frustrating week, folks. One of those can’t-get-anything-done/going-to-pull-my-own-hair-out weeks. The kind when, by the end of it, I’m ready to eat an entire jar of Nutella in one sitting, then marry my pillow and stay in bed for the rest of forever.
Sidenote 1: This is why I don’t buy Nutella. Because I honestly think I really could eat the whole jar.
Sidenote 2: I realize there is nothing truly horrible going on in my life, and I shouldn’t let one stressful week get me down so easily. I’m working on that. I promise.
But it seems to me in weeks like this one–when car troubles and lingering illness and seriously out of control to-do-lists all strangle me at once–I have the perfect opportunity to put into practice what I’ve been pondering these past few weeks regarding living with passion. With commitment. With extraordinary purpose.
I love the five things songwriter/author Darlene Zschech lists at the end of that quote up above. And it’s those five things I want recite and play on repeat in my brain and heart as I finish out this week. I may not have gotten a great start. But it’s never too late to finish strong and finish well.
Are you with me?
1) Be faithful. There is something so attractive to me about faithful people. People who are committed, loyal and dependable. I want that attractive quality, and I think it comes down to choices–every day making the choice to stay faithful to the God who loves me.
2) Follow after the things of God. I have a turquoise wristband I wear sometimes with the word “Relentless.” And that’s how I want to follow after the things of God. I’m slightly seriously stubborn by nature and if I can just fuel that stubbornness into relentless pursuit of Christ, then it becomes a strength.
3) Be genuine. This is huge. Perhaps for those of us who are writers, it may be especially easy to “write pretty.” But does my heart match my words? Do our motives match our message? Let’s be authentic people. Let’s strive for sincerity!
4) Be passionate in your pursuit. I think passion is such an interesting thing because in some ways, it’s natural, yeah? We’re born with natural passions–I’m naturally passionate about creativity and storytelling. Others are naturally passionate about farming or forensics or football. But that word “be” implies something. It means we have a choice. It means in some way, I get to decide: Pursue Christ and my dreams lazily or hesitantly…or with passion. And I believe the more I choose passion, the more it chooses me…and builds in me…and grows me into the person I truly want to be.
5) Trust God. All of life lived well comes down to this, yeah? It just does. Trust God. Trust God. Trust God.
At the end of a frustrating week, at the beginning of an exciting next week (it’s Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference time!!), and all throughout the hundreds of weeks to come, I want to be faithful, to follow after the things of God, to be genuine, passionate in my pursuit…and above all, to trust God.
How about you? How was your week? Of those five things above, which really sticks out to you? Do you find any of those five characteristics to be easier or harder than the others?
Comments 20
I genuinely like all five of those. Such good attributes to adopt. I’ll go with genuine. I’m going through a season where I’m realizing it’s okay to be weak. Feel it and then move on. It’s empowering. Who would have thunk? 😀
~ Wendy
Realizing it’s okay to be weak is a good realization…because when we’re at our weakest, that’s when God’s strength shines through!
I love all of those attributes! I think for me being genuine is difficult. As a pastor’s wife, I always feel like I need to put on a front, but I am learning that when I am real, people can relate better. I’m not any different than anyone else. I have bad times, I wear cranky pants sometimes, I get sucked into yuckiness. But God is good and I am loved by Him. 🙂
It would be hard to be a pastor’s wife and to feel the need to always put on a happy face. 🙂 But I think you’re right – people related to real people. I’m finding as a writer and blogger, it’s important to let sincerity shine through my words…it’s SO easy to, like you said, put on a front. Or be someone I’m not. But by not being myself, well, it’s sort of like telling God the person he made me isn’t enough…and that’s just silly. 🙂
Finish strong and finish well. I love that. Some days, I like passion and those are the days my writing stinks, my house is a wreck, and I’m grouchy…don’t text or call on those days.
And I could so eat a jar of Nutella in one sitting as well. Sooo delish! (I sang that in a really high pitched voice!)
Oh nutella. Oh how I love it. My mom is traveling with me this weekend and she told me she bought a jar. Score!
I love it all – but the two that stood out to me are: be genuine and trust God. To be genuine can be frightening, because we take the risk that we’ll be rejected, especially when we are pursuing our passions, which, for most of us who blog, is writing.
I love Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in God with all your heart and lean not on your own understandings, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. I’ve had to keep that one on repeat many times in my life because my tendancy is to fret and not trust. But when I do choose to trust I am filled with an incredible peace.
Those are two of my favorite verses!!
“And I believe the more I choose passion, the more it chooses me…and builds in me…and grows me into the person I truly want to be.”
Love this, friend.
And I love that we’ve been there to encourage each other through these similar feelings. God gave me such a gift when I found your blog! Have a fabulous time at your conference!
Totally echoing you again – that God gave me a gift when he pointed me toward your blog, too! I love the two-way encouragement and blessings! Yay!
I heard Max Lucado (at a Christian Writers Guild conf) say that you can only impact people to the degree you yourself have been impacted.
If we’re striving to write life-changing fiction, that’s HUGE. Thanks for a thought-provoking post. I’m going to have to go buy that book now!
Natalia Gortova
http://www.nataliagortova.blogspot.com
Thanks bunches for stopping by, Natalia. I love the quote from Max Lucado…so true, so awesome.
I want to trust God.
I want to trust God.
I want to trust God.
When I do that I can be passionate.
I can be genuine.
I can be faithful.
I can follow him.
Amen sista!
I respect people who admit the struggle, and plod on, press through, and pray hard until they truimph. You go girl! 🙂 I’m on the trail with you!
Thanks! Always good to have people on the same path to relate to. 🙂
I can so relate to your week! Thank you for the uplifting thoughts! 🙂
I’m glad it was encouraging for you, Paula! Miss ya!
#2 and #5…yeah. And right now I’m having a week where I want to pull out my jumbo jar of nutella–you know the Costco one–and my jar of peanut butter and one big spoon:) I’m struggling to pursue God with a continuing, steady passion, and I’m struggling to trust. However, I know that sometimes we CHOOSE to trust, pursue, listen, follow, and our emotions will eventually come along too. When it comes down to it, God’s NEVER let me down.
Have a great week at Blue Ridge! And thanks for this post:)
I have never, ever bought Nutella (even when it was on sale AND I had a coupon) because it frightens me. I’m already head-over-heels for peanut butter. I can’t imagine taking it to the next level!
This was a great post. It can be such a challenge to get past the initial “Yeah! Let’s do this!” part of pursuing God and/or our dreams and do the everyday laundry list of stuff it takes to follow through. Stepping out in new areas is challenging, but it’s a new chance to follow Him with everything we’ve got.