Move Over

Nobody likes a cold shower. A while back, our hot water went out. A quick google search on tankless water heaters led us right to the culprit. Our water heater has a small screen that keeps debris from entering the system. It can get clogged and restrict the entire water heating process. When we pulled it out, I was convinced it wasn’t the problem because there wasn’t as much trash on the screen as I expected. We tried cleaning it anyways and, to my surprise, the heater went right back to doing its job.

Pastor has been talking a lot lately about the church stepping forward and moving into the promise. I found my mind wandering the other day, thinking about what that looks like in my life. The Lord has really been doing some nudging and making changes for me that are bringing me to a new level of readiness. A few blog posts ago, I shared how He had brought fresh peace to my life, and it was time to start pushing back against the enemy. I’ve been pushing and the gates of hell keep retreating further back which gives me joy and drives me to push harder.

The enemy uses chaos in my life to create a fog so thick it overwhelms me to the point of mental paralysis. When I set my mind on the concerns of God, I can feel the angels holding back the cloud of chaos, like Moses parting the Rea Sea, allowing me to walk freely forward to my promises. But there are times I have a Peter moment. Matthew tells the story of how Jesus foretold His death. Peter was so overwhelmed that his reaction earned him the much-quoted verse in Matthew 16:23 “Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

All it takes is just a small step away from the concerns of God into the world of human concerns and, similar to the thin layer of sediment in my water heater, it completely restricts the flow of the Spirit. I allow self to get in the way of God’s forward momentum. Selfishness is the act of being concerned for one’s well being without regard of others. When I stop focusing on God’s concerns and start focusing on my human concerns, I am disregarding God’s plan. In turn, His plan stops, the cloud of chaos consumes me, and I am unable to continue moving forward in peace.

Selfishness looks different on all of us but will always be the act of caving to the opposite of God’s desire for our life. Even if it seems like a small problem to us, it will always restrict the flow of the Spirit. It will always hinder not only our walk, but the walk of others. Our selfishness will hinder the Body because we aren’t doing our job. Our selfishness will hinder the Kingdom because we won’t be reaching the lost. It is time for us to realize that it’s not about me. 1 Cor 6:20,” …I have been bought with a price…” My life is not my own. If I’m whiny today and don’t show love; if I don’t feel like what I have to offer today is enough; if I just don’t have the energy to smile at a stranger; if I am aggravated with my spouse or kids; if I am worried about someone else’s bad decisions, then I am a disregarding the concerns of God and hindering His plans. I must move over and get self out of the way so God can freely move in my life and the lives of others.

Lord Jesus open my eyes to my selfish desires. Show me when I am stepping into human concerns and away from Your concerns. Loose Your angels into my life to ward off the spirits who come to tempt and draw me away from Your concerns. Teach me how to be help to Your Kingdom and reveal to me when I am being a hindrance. In Jesus’ Name.