Shake it Off
Our world is in the midst of massive transition, since the “pandemic,” the new normal is change. Humanity is being asked to open their eyes to things that ignorance had kept in bliss. Confrontations are erupting in every area of life and culture, from the government to the family, from the business/financial world to the education sector, even from the religious world to the entertainment world.
Everything is shaking!
Idols are falling!
Conformity is being broken!
The Kingdom of God is on the Move!
With all this shaking and conflict arising, so does the sense of fear. Face it, we are people of comfort, habit and predictability, for in those things we feel that we are in control of our lives and the situations around us. When we operate in our comfort zone, we equate that with peace and success. But when that unseen thing comes out of nowhere and we are knocked off our hamster wheel we are forced to question and driven to seek for answers outside of our cages.
The Prophet/Priest, Haggai relayed this message to Israel:
“…and be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work! For I am with you, declares the LORD of Hosts. This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt. And My Spirit remains among you; do not be afraid.” For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations, and they will come with all their treasures, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of Hosts.” Haggai 2:4-7
The Lord says we need not be afraid because we have His Spirit!
What should our response be?
Let Him Shake You!
You see, the internal dialogue of our shame nature from an unrenewed mind pushes us to strive and prove our worth in our doing. At times of shaking, and the uncertainty that brings, reminds us that the cross is not where we prove our worth, but where we realize His! We are not in control, but there is a God who is in charge. He knows His redemptive plan and He knows what our part in that plan is. Sometimes He has to shake us free to level us up!
Seasons of shaking are the perfect time to move to new levels.
New Levels of Trust.
New Levels of Obedience.
New Levels of Seeking.
All in service to Yahweh and His Kingdom plan. We can lay down our striving (that is usually driven by shame) and enter levels of surrender we have never experienced, but allow us to see the Goodness of God more clearly.
This is not an easy choice, but a daily battle.
Romans 8:7 tells us that “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” Our own thoughts, ideas, and perceptions are literally AT WAR with the Holy Spirit that is among us. It is a daily CHOICE unto the renewing of our mind with the Word of God as our weapon of warfare that brings the carnal mind captive to the Obedience of Christ. This is our first fight of faith on our salvation(s) journey.
Salvation is not a one off, one time, one act play.
It is not a Gospel of Salvation, keep me from hell, fire insurance policy.
It could be better described as “acts of salvation.”
Life is messy, uncertain and scary. Because of the beauty of the Cross, we don’t face any of those moments alone, The Father gave us His Son to set us free from the shame. The Son left us His Spirit to be our advocate, our comforter, our teacher in our midst as we grow from children of God to Sons of the Kingdom. Holy Spirit leads us into Kingdom purpose and strength and reveals His glory, His splendor, His strength, His majesty and His power with and through His human family…that is us!
So again I ask, “what should our response be?”
And the answer is “Let Him Shake You!”
May the shaking drive you to your Bible, to Holy Spirit, to a renewed mind, to your kingdom identity.
May it shake you out of your “Shame and Strive” mindset with the insatiable need to be perfect and prove your worth.
AND
May you learn to exercise your faith into a new level of trust and “Surrender and See” the true Righteousness, Peace, and Joy of Christ and the phenomenal Goodness of God!
Peace and Joy,
Kammy