“I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive – but you are dead. Now wake up!” – Revelation 3:1b-2a
Confession: I want to be the living one among the dead.
The idea of zombies has become such a fad lately. This definitely does not rank on my list of interests, but my brother got me to watch an episode of the TV show “The Walking Dead” and I was mortified when I did. Where I cannot understand why anyone would find entertainment out of something so grotesque and horrific, at the same time, I cannot deny that the idea of “the walking dead” is not far off from reality; even my own.
Since earlier this year I’ve had that phrase stuck in my head, “the walking dead”, and have done nothing to write about it, until now. This is a new season for me and I am completely done with the old. There are many things I’ve dragged my feet with, but I’m through with that. For a good part of the year I tolerated things that kept me from following my God-given dream of With All Her Might and left me in a place where I felt stuck. I was alive, but not living; I was walking dead.
I had to let go of the load I was carrying to be entirely free and to come alive completely. This is what I had to learn and relearn:
The things I’ve done in my past and the circumstances I face now do not define who I am. I am and always will be a Child of God. There are a lot of times I hurt God by the choices I make. I abuse His gift of grace by making the same mistakes again and again, but I am never defined by those mistakes. I choose to live in a state of grace; I have no regrets. To have regret, for me, is to not fully accept God’s grace and forgiveness. Instead, I choose to bask in it. There is no condemnation for those who belong to God; “God loves those who need Him most” and I am one of them.
I need to be accountable for how I live in God’s grace. I can’t repeatedly abuse the gift of grace and expect to deepen my relationship with God; God wants a broken and repentant heart. If that is all that is required of me, is that really too much to ask? I can’t encourage “With All Her Might” when I am not trying my best to live it out. Integrity and accountability are imperative to being fully alive.
Part of living means facing scary and uncertain circumstances where my body might break; blood may be shed and tears may be spilled, but fear is always a choice. I will not be paralyzed with fear and refrain from daily activities afraid of what could happen; God will keep me where He has me for He holds me by my right hand. There is nothing I face that God does not know about and when bad things happen to me, I will look to God in expectation to see how He will turn things around for my good and His glory. I am an overcomer of my trials because I follow the example of Jesus Christ who overcame death.
When I face hardships that I have no control over, bitterness is never the answer. Bitterness and the refusal to forgive are both dangerous and poisonous for the heart and soul. I will be the walking dead if I do not forgive because forgiveness means freedom; never will I be asked to forgive as much as God has forgiven me. Letting go allows for love to grow.
I have to accept the glorious destiny God has for me. My God-given dream of With All Her Might is waiting to be fulfilled and God has opened the door for me to see it come alive. This is my season of harvest. With nothing from my past or present weighing me down or holding me back, I can step freely into the future God has in store for me, unashamed and with an expectant heart. My future begins today, this very hour.
So many people go through life and never fully live. They let sin, shame, fear, hurt, busyness, idleness, or whatever get in their way of living a fulfilling and meaningful life. I don’t want to be the walking dead. I want to shine in the midst of those who only half-live, to be a light that leads them to life. What about you?
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses… Choose to love the LORD your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life.” – Deuteronomy 30:19a,20a
Choosing to live ALIVE and VICTORIOUS through Jesus Christ.
In Life, in Love, in Dreams,
With All Her Might.
With All Her Might 