Catching up...

OK, I'm trying to get caught up here. The goal is to be totally caught up by the end of the week. Cross your fingers!
Here's the word from March 11th.

Grounded in the Word:
Romans 12:6-8
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
1 Peter 4:7-11
Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-12, 15-16

Have you ever played the alphabet game in the car? You say, "I'm going on a trip and I'm going to take...an alligator. Or whatever you want to take that starts with an 'a'. Then you go through the alphabet and you have to remember what everyone else is taking. OK, so it usually ends up being pretty silly. Most people wouldn't really take an alligator. I've heard they are unruly and snarly. But let's say you are going on a trip and you can only take three things. What would they be? Your teddy bear? A picture of your mom? Your favorite video game? OK, so realistically if you know your going to be stranded on your trip, what would you take? "Pastor Mara, that's a dumb question," you might ask. "You're very right," I respond. What you take depends directly on where you are going. If you are going to be stranded in the desert, you would want to take things that will help you survive in the desert (preferably a shade tree and a lemonade stand ;). But if you are going to Antarctica, the lemonade stand and shade would do you no good. Instead, you would want hot chocolate and every article of clothing in your closet.
What if I told you to get ready to play a game, but didn't tell you which game to get ready for? You might get ready to play soccer when we are actually playing football and you probably would get hurt. Or you might get ready to play football and we are actually playing duck-duck goose. Either way, you are unprepared for the game. Why? Because you didn't know what it was so you couldn't put on the necessary equipment.
Alright, PM, get to the point. OK, read scriptures at the top of the page. No really. Do it. I'll wait for you...still waiting...are you finished yet....maybe now. OK. So what's the common thread in those verses? We all have spiritual gifts. You probably already knew that. In fact, we all have different gifts. It's what makes us unique individuals. You probably already knew that too because you're smart. I don't know that for sure, but you're reading this blog, so you're definitely smarter than the average bear.
OK, back on track. So let's say that your mission is music. God has blessed you with an incredible talent to write music and play an instrument. Awesome! So maybe that's what you decide to do with your life because that's what God has called you to. BUT, let's say that you really like to do math too. So you decide to be a stock broker, but you still play and write music on the side. OK, let me make a bold statement. Your mission is going to suffer if you don't pursue it all the way. If God has called you to be a worship leader and a song writer and you're spending your days as a stock broker, your songs and your music are going to suffer, and so is your mission. What if Chris Tomlin decided that he wanted to be a professional soccer player and then write music on the side. I guarantee we wouldn't have many of the worship songs that God has given Chris if he had decided to pursue something else too.
Let me tie this all in together. Actually let God's Word do it for me. It always turns out better that way. Read Matthew 21:18-19.
We cannot live every mission. Most people I know these days are talented in a multitude of different ways. You, dear reader, are probably no exception. You probably played an instrument at some point because your mother made you. Your probably played a sport at some point, even if it was just the "I'm not touching you" game in the car to make your siblings angry. You probably have a hobby, like playing video games or collecting stamps or coins or something. Now, if you tried to be a professional at all of those things, you would look like a schizophrenic with A.D.D and ants in the your pants. God has given you a specific calling in your life. He doesn't expect you to cure AIDS and end world hunger and run the government and write worship music. Our mission is very specific and for us alone. Every other pursuit in our lives can get in our way.
When a tree is not bearing fruit, just like the one in the account in Matthew, it's no longer useful for anything. If there are things in your life that are not part of your mission, that are not bearing fruit for the Kingdom, they have to go! Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that hobbies are bad or that we should only do one thing all day every day. But we can't pursue every mission that comes along. If we are pursuing the mission with reckless abandon, that means that we don't let anything else get in our way. Are there things in your life getting in the way of your living your mission passionately and all out? If there are, there's something you can do about it, but it takes a lot of guts. If you're ready, then pray this prayer:
God, curse those things in my life that are not bearing fruit just like you did with the fig tree. Get rid of those things that are not part of the calling you've given me. Help me not to get distracted or waste time pursuing the wrong mission. I want to only pursue the mission you have for me. Continue to reveal your heart and your mission for my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen.