Twilight, that span of time that occurs as I transition from being soundly asleep and fully awake is often an important time for me. It is the fleeting span of time that that I am both consciously aware of my surroundings but equally aware of the dreams that have played out while I slept. It is often that I feel God speaks to me during these precious moments. It is so short, but He sparks profound thoughts within me.
One of these such times precipitated the following thoughts......
My husband was recently blessed with a fulltime position as Worship Pastor. The church has a new Youth Pastor on staff. Her name is Tifphanie. She is an amazing lady and powerful woman of God. This uniquely gifted woman has the innate ability to DRAG people out of their comfort zones and into the gifting within them. Many times these people come kicking and screaming, but they nonetheless come. I was recently one of the recipients of this wonderful gift of hers.
Tif asked me to say a few words at a youth rally that was being sponsored by the church. I was apprehensive, but willing. I know that I have a tendency to ramble and get of subject. I am much better when I can write and can delete everything that is off subject when I edit. I agreed to speak and what follows was essentially my thought.
During my most recent "Twilight" moment, I woke thinking about a painter and his canvas. It seemed at first to be a random thought, but it was one that I could just not shake. I took the opportunity to research some information about the canvas painters use. I discovered that many are made from linen. I thought about this for several days trying to listen to what the Lord was trying to show me. My first thought was about how we have to be a blank canvas for God to create His masterpiece in us. I was just not satisfied with this vein of thought.
As I pondered more about linen, I was reminded that the Old Testament Priest was clothed in linen. Because linen is a breathable fabric it allowed him to remain cool and prevented him from sweating. The priest could not go into the Holy Place with his body sweating. Sweat is a sign of human work and effort. The Word of God expresses to us that we can't earn our place in God's Kingdom. It is given freely. We are restored to our position in the Kingdom by the blood of Jesus. It is not by our work that we enter into the presence of God. We enter only through the blood of Jesus.
I was then reminded of DNA. Our DNA makes us who we are. It identifies our eye color and every intricate feature of our flesh. I can do nothing to make myself change DNA. I can't work to have blue eyes if my DNA says that I will have green. I may change my hair color, but that does not change that my hair will grow again and remain the hue that God placed within my natural design.The bible tells us that we are the Body of Christ. He is the head and we are His body. We exemplify Him in this earth. Science tells me that I can take a strand of my hair and skin cells or blood from my body and they will all have the same DNA. This leaves me with the conclusion that the DNA from Christ's head also is present in His body. I am a new creature in Christ. I am dead in Christ but yet I live. I live because I have become His body. I therefore hold His DNA which allows me to do all of the things that the Kingdom of Heaven mandates that I do in this earth. His Kingdom can come to the earth through me because (don't shoot me for daring to say it) I am Him. At least I should be Him. I should embrace all of the DNA that now flows through me and allows me to be Jesus in the earth. I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
How does this apply to my no sweat thought? I am glad you asked. Since I don't have to think and work for my eye color because of the genetic code in me, I don't have to work or think about the genetic code that is Christ within me that allows me to be all things to all people that I might win one to Christ. All of the things that he has called me to do to fulfill man's Kingdom Mandate on the earth (Gen. 1:26) is already within me. I can't do anything to work for it.
We are called to do certain things in our daily lives to ultimately fulfill man's collective purpose on the earth. We have certain talents and gifting that gives us the opportunity to bring the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. I have realized that God was showing us in the Old Testament, by symbolism, the same things He clearly states now in the New Testament. We can't work for what He has in store for us. It is freely given and is already placed within us as children of God. All we have to do is allow it to come forth.
The well known saying "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" comes to mind. As children of God we don't sweat the small stuff. We also don't sweat the big stuff. It is truly "NO SWEAT" !
