Will You Be Ready?

Our generation is a "go get it" generation. We are constantly chasing relationships, money, happiness. Constantly yearning for more. We do all we can to one up or to catch up, for that matter. We have such a fast pace mindset. Almost to the point where "waiting" for things to happen is foreign to us. 

Lately, I have been hearing more of what "I" want and when I want it and a lot less of "God's timing". One huge reason I know this to be the case is because God's timing requires patience. And patience for even the most patient person is hard. Being that we are in the time of "microwave", meaning everything happening fast, patience is something we just don't have a lot of. 

Now I didn't come on here to harp about  how everything happens in God's timing. Although that is very important. My reason for writing this is to ask a question. A simple, yet very loaded question. 

I find it very funny how God talks to me sometimes. Because a lot of times I don't even realize He is speaking to me. I mean I hear things but I never say "oh God just spoke to me". It's not until I sit down to have quiet time with Him or when I sit down with Him to write these blogs that I realize "oh that phrase from three days ago was for this moment". It's amazing how things just mesh.  

I say all that because, I was listening to a very famous singer this morning... John P Kee. Very awesome man, with a very awesome ministry. The particular song I was listening to was called He'll Welcome Me. The song talks about Living for Christ and when He comes back He will welcome me home with Him. He went through the whole song and said  a lot of different things on the verses, the hook and the bridge. But none of those parts stuck out to me like this one particular part did. What stuck out to me is an ad-lib he sang. I love when singers ad-lib in songs. To me, it's the flavor of the song. I feel like they say things that come straight from the heart because a lot of times it is random. This particular ad-lib was at the very end of the song and if I wouldn't have been paying attention I would have missed it. Now, I have heard this song so many times, but this time God brought my attention to him saying "Will You Be Ready?" Now in the sense that he said it He was speaking of, being ready for Christ's return. But the way God tuned my ears to it was different.

So, that's my question for you. Will You Be Ready? 

I'm sure you are looking like for what, Brittany? Well you tell me.  And in all honesty I'm asking myself, too. All the stuff we want and yearn for. The money. The relationship. All of it. Will we be ready?

If we chase it long enough it might fall in our lap. Will we be ready to handle the responsibilities that follow the things we want so badly? Thinking about it is kind of mind boggling. Because WE don't know what we are ready for. We can just do our best to prepare and hope it's good enough.  And that's not what God wants. He wants us to depend on Him for the preparing.

When I was in nursing school I would study for a test for days and feel ready. When I would sit down to take it I would break into tears because I didn't know what I was looking at. Maybe it was because I didn't understand the questions or maybe like most times I had focused on the wrong material, either way it would end up ALL BAD! That's exactly how life is. We study everyone else's life (the wrong material) and say "oh man if I had what so and so has, or if I could be "blessed" with such and such, I would do this like that and that like this". So we run to get it and when it falls in our lap. WE FLUNK! Only to realize too late that with more patience and preparation from God we could have passed with flying colors. 

Sometimes we have to flunk so we will realize, "okay God I should have probably consulted with You on that". Sometimes our failure to consult with God can result in some big consequences and some not so big. And thankfully through our consequences we learn.

BUT God would rather us learn by passing the test not failing them. 

Our test, test our patience. Almost to the point where sometimes like me you break into tears, but our reliance on Christ allows us to wipe our tears and keep it moving. 

As God put patience on my heart He took me to James 5 verse 10. 
"Brothers and sisters, follow the example of the prophets who spoke for the Lord. They suffered many bad things, but they were patient"

In reading this I am reminded of Paul and the disciples. After Christ's resurrection they preached and their preaching led to plenty of suffering and persecution BUT they were patient in it all because their reward in the end was going to be so great. 

We should follow this. Let's allow Jesus to take lead. Let's allow Him to do things in His timing. No it won't be easy. But through doing this and following the path He sets out for us we have a VERY strong chance of being ready. We have a better chance of things flowing how God intends for them to. Remember your overall reward will be SO much greater.

So the next time we begin following  own course we should ask, "Will I be Ready". 

Trust Jesus' plan. Be patient.

Brittany 

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