Philippians 3:7-8 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage that I may gain Christ.
Stretching requires sacrifice, discipline and focus. Unfocused stretching will weaken ligaments, destabilized joints and cause long-term soreness. Similarly, spiritual stretching must be steered by a clear vision and concrete goals based on the Word of God. Stretching is the price we pay for success and significance.
God did extraordinary miracles through the hand of Paul as he was willing to intentionally stretch to shine for the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 19:11-12). However, for God to use him in an extraordinary way he made an extraordinary sacrifice – intentionally. Paul was a well educated Rabbi, yet he did not rely on his intellect or his head knowledge but soaked himself in God’s presence to receive a greater measure of anointing and wisdom. We see that Paul withdrew into the Arabian desert for 3 years to understand his calling and search the scriptures (Galatians 1:17-18). The price of extraordinary anointing is paid in the private retreats of the prayer closet.
A passion to become significant for Christ requires intentional stretching, sacrifice and seeking. “Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” — Joel Arthur Barker. Passivity kills the passion and purpose. Be passionate, purposeful and prolific.
One life – live it for Jesus. Find your God-given purpose; be willing to sacrifice time, energy and money not just to become successful but significant. (Success is achieving our goals but significance is helping others to attain their vision). Grow, give and glorify the Lord.
Grow, Give and Glorify:
- Grow: Grow intentionally every day. Read, retain, ruminate and reproduce Godly values.
- Give: It is more blessed to give than to receive. Givers leave permanent footprints in the lives of those whom they impact.
- Glorify: God can be glorified only through someone who is willing to sacrificially stretch and spend time with Him to do His will.
“Stretching in layman’s language means to intentionally grow, give and glorify the Lord”.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am willing to sacrifice pleasure and intentionally grow to glorify you. Amen.
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