ARTICLES

ARE YOU READY?

by Mari Anne Andersen

Are YOU ready for YOUR defining moment that will change your life as you know it? Are you confident when that opportunity comes, you will know what to do and how to walk out your moment? There are times in our lives that opportunity knocks on our door - and we are not ready. How do we prepare for our defining moment like David, Joseph, or Jesus? What if tomorrow morning you wake up being completely unaware that this day you will make a decision that will define your life for years to come?

Senator Dan Coates said, “Character cannot be summoned at the moment of crisis if it has been squandered by years of compromise and rationalization. The only testing ground for the heroic is the mundane. The only preparation for that one profound decision which can change a life, or even a nation, is those hundreds of half-conscious, self-defining, seemingly insignificant decisions made in private. Habit is the daily battleground of character” (Reader’s Digest, June 1966).

We are confronted daily with making choices in our lives that define and shape our character that either shove us in a direction that can delay our process and lead us into consequences of destruction or that will
lead us into our “suddenly” defining moment. I believe our daily, small choices and decisions are preparing us for our BIG debut that launches us into our defining moment of greatness and destiny. The scriptures are so full of every day people who were ready to meet their defining moment which brought them into their promise of destiny and others who were not ready and how tragedy unfolded for them.

Our character flaws are in no way harmless, but can actually lead us into deception, denial, and ultimately destruction. Our heart is the place that brings out whatever is buried there - especially in situations of challenge, difficulty, disappointment, pain, delayed answers or promise. Scripture tells us to above all else, guard our heart, for it is the wellspring of life. It’s like a well-cared for garden that will flourish and grow, producing abundant fruit that is rich and lush. A garden that is ignored will overflow with weeds that grow quickly and become increasingly difficult to pull out. It’s amazing the more you neglect the weeds, the quicker and easier they grow and take over.

Do you know some of your character flaws that are preventing you and God from bringing about your defining moment? What are those character flaws that others might see in you but you cannot see in yourself? Is it being quick to anger, lacking self-control, not being faithful to your promises, procrastination, laziness, gossip, negativity, a critical or even skeptical spirit? Don’t deceive yourself. Character flaws indanger our lives in Christ - they will either make us or break us.

We may not see ourselves in this way, but others might see those areas in our lives that are harmful or hurtful. Sometimes we can easily excuse ourselves and we think or say, “I’m not so bad. That is just the way I am. it’s no big deal - at least I am not stealing or cheating.” Eventually, if we ignore our character flaws they will grow so large they will be the only thing people will see and unfortunately, those weeds will cover over the good things in our lives and hearts.

“Quick! Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyards of your love, for the grapevines are all in blossom.” (Song of Songs 2:15 - NIV)

In Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Wow! What a recipe for a noble and honorable character! Listen to the way
The Message translation states it:

“But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard - things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct
our energies wisely.”

C. S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, “Every time you make a choice, you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature; either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself.”

We all have signals that we give off - and some of those signals can be “red-flags” of what we desire, strive for, or lust for. There is a person in the Old Testament that made some shallow and empty choices that defined him and brought about sad consequences. Lot had several red-flags that scripture clearly talked about - his flesh seeking to be fed through greed and selfishness which led him to compromise (2 Peter). Lot was living and staying in a place that was filled with sin and corruption and eventually it wove its way into his thinking and being. He became too comfortable in that place and even when God brought His angels to help Lot by protecting and leading him out, he didn’t want to leave. Scripture tells us the angels literally had to drag him and his family out of Sodom - (Gen. 17-18) “And when they had brought them forth, they said, ‘Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, or stop anywhere in the whole valley; escape to the mountains of (Moab), lest you be consumed.’ And Lot said to them, ‘Oh, not that, my lords!’” Lot hesitated and was reluctant in leaving. Why? Can we ask that same question in our own areas? What makes us linger, hesitate or refuse to leave a situation when we know it is wrong and we know God is trying to make a way out for us? First, let me say this, the heart has already been embedded with compromise, fear, familiarity and comfortability, in other words, a “slumbering spirit” which brings about powerlessness and sin. We are sleeping through life and part of our heart is not fully awakened to feel, love, and experience the fullness of our Father. In particular areas there is no manifest strength of character - the conscience fails and that leads to an increase of sin - or we miss the mark.

Psalms 1:1 - “Blessed is the man who does not WALK in the counsel of the wicked or STAND in the way of sinners or SIT in the seat of mockers.”

Our need or fear is that we will never get another chance if we don’t take things by force or make them happen for ourselves. With Lot, he was tantalized by how things looked even though he knew Sodom
was an immoral town, for its reputation was well known. Somewhere in Lot were some character issues because that place held him. Though Lot never took on their religion or behavior, he was still walking, standing, and sitting along with them. He was surrounded by constant sin - constant perversion, lawlessness, and ungodliness. His conscience slowly was being seared and his spirit fell into slumber.

Lot did not drink water from his own cistern or fresh living waters of life. He didn’t shake himself from the dust that was rising up or the chains around his neck that held a grip on him which became tighter and tighter. He was not alert when his Master came but he was still sleeping. How sad to know when our Father comes for us to help us literally by rescuing us out of the dangerous and threatening situation, we cannot yield or surrender to His way or His love!

My challenge and prayer for each of us is that we have more of an awakened spirit to see, deal with and repent from the character flaws that hold us back from our defining moment. We will NOT linger or hang around in these character flaws, but we will express, confess, and turn away from the compromising sin that is crouching at our doors. We will have an evacuation plan to flee the sin or temptation to sin, and have ears to hear and eyes to see that Father is wooing US into a place of safety, a place of peace and rest, and a place of destiny to define OUR moment of greatness. Choose life - His abundant life.