Slow Down to Speed Up

"Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; 

HASTE makes mistakes."

-Proverbs 19:2

HASTE- swiftness of motion; urgent need of quick action;
a hurry or rush; thoughtless; rash; impatient; RECKLESS 

"Desire without knowledge is not good— how much more will hasty feet miss the way! A person’s own foolishness leads to their ruin... " (NIV)

"Ignorant zeal is worthless; haste makes waste. People ruin their lives by their own stupidity..." (MSG)

In this fast-paced world it's hard to move slow. But the old saying is true- "slow and steady wins the race." If we are patient, and not hasty, the process during the seemingly overly excessive amount of time it takes to obtain the promise, will actually prepare us to not only get there- but to successfully stay and remain in the land. To not just grab a hold of it and survive in it; to not just enter it and dwell in it; but to sustain it and build your part of the Kingdom in it- and above all, to have the character, integrity and fruit of the Spirit to rule, reign, and thrive in it.

My spiritual mother, an incredibly wise and seasoned woman, used to always say to me- "Sam- Let time do it's work." Half the time, or more like all of it that was passing by me, I thought was silly and wasteful and the only work being done was me not working towards my vision and dreams. Every time she said it, I wanted to scream. Many times in prayer I did. In fact, at times I still to.

The purifying fire of God is no joke. It burns you to death. You want to have an anointing and ability to change the world and impact lives for the sake of the Gospel? Prepare to burn. I just strongly feel led today to share some advice from someone who has made the mistake so many times of running ahead of God that He has literally caused crippling circumstances to stop me time and time again. Here it is:

SLOW DOWN. LET GO. TRUST GOD.

Let His purifying fire burn all the junk out of you so that He can pour more and more of His beautiful Spirit- more and more of the character and love of His Son Jesus- into you. Your circumstances, even if they are a result of your own poor decisions, are still tools in God's hands- if you allow them to be. This, my brothers and sisters, is GRACE. They say your circumstances can either make you or break you. Slow down, and let God make you the Man or Woman of God you were created to be. So when you are released to walk in your calling, you will succeed in everything you put your hands to. Your words, your actions, your works will be a sweet incense to the Lord. You will look like Jesus. The world will see the real Jesus. Not another Christian trying to act like Jesus. But a humble, grateful, dead yet powerfully alive lover of our Father, who radiates and oozes the precious and pure oil of the Holy Spirit.

This is what we need. This is what the world needs. Pure Oil. Pure Holy Spirit. Pure Jesus. A demonstrative life of who He really is. A tangible and visual experience and encounter of the Father's Love. A person who shows the vast distinction between Religion and Relationship. Who activates the Hope and Destinies in others. Who draws out their desire for intimacy with their Creator, the One who loves them- the One who loves us- PERFECTLY.

Run to the Fire.

Die in it.

Come Alive in Christ. 

Then go forward in His Love and Power!