Today, I am considering something that I read this morning in Mark Batterson's Draw the Circle The 40 Day Prayer Challenge.
Yes, I am doing the challenge again, this time with our church staff.
Today's reading was one that I really enjoyed. Batterson told the story Mark Moore, who heard about a revolutionary food supplement called RUTF, a substance made from peanut paste that can be made cheaply and used to fight malnutrition around the world. When Mark heard about this, he immediately began a to form a company, which he called MANA to manufacture and distribute this food in packets to areas where there was widespread starvation. God worked in miraculous ways to help him build a 30,000 square foot facility that can produce 18,000 packets every hour, sending millions of these lifesaving packets around the world.
The idea for MANA began as a very big dream. Mark pursued the idea because he knew that it was not just a good idea, it was a God-idea. People have good ideas all the time, and maybe a lot of them are from God, but they remain an idea or a dream.
As Batterson said:
"When you get a God-idea, you need to take it captive. In the words of Paul, "Take every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Growing up, I consistently heard this verse interpreted in negative terms. Take captive sinful thoughts and make them obedient to Christ. And that is half the battle. But if we see only the negative implications and not the positive possibilities, it becomes a half-truth. This verse is not just about capturing sinful thoughts and getting them out of our minds; it's also about capturing creative thoughts and keeping them in our minds. It means stewarding every word, thought, impression, and revelations inspired by the Spirit of God."
This really excites me. We all have ideas and dreams. Not all of them are from God, I know, BUT, I think we are too quick to dismiss those ideas, or just let them slip away. If we captured those ideas and went to work on them, what would God be able to do with them???
Our purpose is to encourage women to pursue a growing, passionate relationship with Jesus Christ through support, fellowship and discipleship. We strive to provide many opportunities to help women grow in relationship with Christ; to live the abundant life that Jesus promised, a life of joy and freedom, and to have relationships that are healthy and fulfilling.
1 comment:
I love this thought. How often I go about my business throughout the day and think on so many different things. Taking EVERY thought captive gives that a deeper perspective. Wow. Lord help me live that way! Thanks for the words to chew and meditate on!
Gwen S
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