“O LORD, open my eyes so I may see….”
II Kings 6:17a
Over the past couple of months, I have been reading and studying the book Greater by Steven Furtick with the Online Bible Study run by Melissa Taylor. I have to admit this was a challenging book to read. It completely challenged my view of God in me. I have always accepted that God loves me, so much He gave His son for my salvation. I have also accepted that believing in God (and consequentially Jesus) was an action, not simply a thought. If I truly believe the Word, it must change me. I think I am a pretty good person. I treat others well and though I have sinned many times in my life and will probably sin many more, I try to learn from these mistakes and change. However, this was not what Pastor Furtick looked at in his book. He asserts that we can all live a greater life as believers by trusting that God is able to work through you, and this power is accessible to you if you are willing to boldly follow God’s lead.
This was not something I thought about. I always imagine myself doing great things, but my insecurity and doubt always leave such thoughts in the realm of dreams. I am not saying all my dreams were meant to be reality, but I do know there were many times God expected me to act in obedience and I did not because of fear and doubt. As I read this book, it slowly dawned on me that my insecurity was unnecessary. God’s power is available to me when I am obedient to His commands. God’s power in me “is only potential until [I] convert it into strength — by faith and action” (Greater, Ch. 11). All those years were wasted doubting my ability and my strength, when all I needed to do was tap into the endless power of God.
The questions started piling up as I read this book and I slowly began to converse with God, looking for his guidance and wisdom as to what greater opportunities did he expect me to grasp. If you have been following my blog for the past couple months, you can see much of my progress. Ultimately, God expects me to be faithful to the task of caring for my family and those around me. As I have begun to be more faithful to that command, God has begun to reveal other truths, which He has allowed me to put into print to share with all of you. I never imagined God would use me to share His truth.
God has not revealed to me the next steps or the ultimate goal, but I do know that He continues to expect me to be in His Word, surrounding myself with other believers and processing His truths by writing blog posts such as this one. He expects me to continue to love my family and those I come in contact with using all His strength. This can be difficult. Sometimes people seem unlovable, or, frankly, I do not feel like sharing Christ’s love. However, when I am centered in Christ, I can extend some of the grace God has shown me to others, and to myself.
So, I am going to continue to pray as Elisha did (and Paul echoes in Ephesians 1:18-21): “O LORD, open my eyes so I may see…”(2 Kings 6:17a). Not only do I want to stop focusing on my weak moments in life, but I want YOU to do so too! Join me in opening our eyes to God’s power in our lives. Are you at a point in your life where you feel like nothing is going right? Is your family falling apart? Have you been searching for a job for years? Have you been dealing with sickness or pain that does not seem to go away? I do not claim to know or understand the depths of your hurt or insecurity, but I will say you are not alone. These trials may not go away if you grasp the power of God, but I do promise His power in you is more than enough.
I hope that you will join me in praying as Elisha did. “O Lord, open my eyes that I may see.” I hope that you will join me as I continue to access God’s power in me and be obedient to His commands. I will leave you with encouragement given by Pastor Furtick in Chapter 11 of Greater:
Pray until God allows you to glimpse something of His perspective on your life: that while you are surrounded by great opposition, you are empowered by a greater God. God’s glory and power are all around you and within you. The greater life has already been laid out for you.
ogennyo said:
It is an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to read your blogs Rebecca. I am so happy, blessed and delighted that these studies have moved your faith to action as it is to my benefit and I sure to the benefit of all who read. May the Lord bless you richly as you continue on this wonderful journey and pray that as you do that you become like a little child and find excitement at every new thing you discover.
Megan Bucher said:
Loved this!
Marilyn said:
Thanks for sharing your journey.I love discovering how God is leading me when I get out of the way and try not to do it my way. Greater has been a real growing time in my life. In sharing my personal experiences I have learned more about my friends Christian journeys as well.
Jennifer N (OBS Group Leader) said:
Thank you so much for sharing this. It was very encouraging. I am praying that God guides each of your steps. Imagine all of the things we have missed because of fear? Knowing God has given us His Spirit (and not a spirit of fear)-brings comfort. Bless you!!
prince26155 said:
Rebecca, as you share your thoughts and your journey you have encouraged your fellow travelers. We are with you in this continual journey to “Greater”. I think it will always be out in front of us. Each step will bring us closer to it, but there is always going to be a “greater”.
dbpbd said:
Great viewpoint! Praying that He continues to guide you into the greatness you have destined in your life!!!!!!!!
Nicki Edwards: Day to Day Trusting God said:
Great post. It sounds like you have grown so much doing this study, just as I have.
God bless you. And keep up the great writing.
Love
Nicki
shecat125 said:
Pray until God allows me a glimpse of His perspective if my life………
Some how I missed this while reading this book. Thank you for bringing it to the forefront of my mind…
Love this.
vannettachapman said:
Enjoying your posts, Becca.