Give Up to Go Up

I talk to so many people on a regular basis who are ready for breakthrough in one or more areas of their life, but they are unwilling to “give up to go up.” There aren’t many things in life where we can advance and see growth without putting in some intentional effort. I know there have been a few places in our life lately where I have just felt “stuck.” Ya know what I mean? Just not where we want to be, or where I know we should be. Everything else is in place and we are positioned for advancement in these areas, so I knew it has to be something I am doing. And the best place to look when you’re in that position is in the mirror and then UP!

As I have been fasting and praying for a solution and BREAKTHROUGH, I heard a clear “give up to go up.” And I don’t mean “give up” as in quit. I mean “give up” as in surrender, sacrifice, & stretch.

Surrender. First and foremost, we are called to surrender our lives to the Lord. Surrender means cease resistance and submit willingly to authority.  If you’ve never done that and don’t know what it means or what it looks like in your life, I’d love for you to e-mail me & have a personal conversation with you about it. Essentially, it’s admitting you’re a sinner (Romans 3:23), believing that God sent his Son to die for us because of our sin (Romans 5:8, Romans 6:23, John 3:16), that He rose again 3 days later  and the blood He shed for us creates an opportunity for us to have eternal salvation. It’s as simple as confessing and repenting (turning away) of sin and professing that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9, 10:13).

For those of us who already have a relationship with Christ,we still have to make the choice to surrender. Surrender means seeking the Lord in such a way that our desires begin to align with His will for our life. It means denying ourselves daily,taking up our cross and following Him (Luke 9:23). When selfish desires,the enemy, or our flesh try to lead us to think, act, react, or respond in a way that does not reflect Christ and his character, we have to consciously choose to be obedient to the Word (the Bible). The only way we can do what it says is by knowing what’s in it. (It requires discipline + you guessed it, the next “S” word…sacrifice….to consistently be in God’s Word.)

So that’s the first step. SURRENDER. Not my will, but thine be done. Lord, help me to truly MEAN that.

Sacrifice. Sometimes we have big dreams, big goals, and big wishes…but they will never become reality because we aren’t willing to sacrifice anything. Not sacrifice our time. Our money. Our favorite tv show. Our hobbies. Our pride. Our entertainment. Our social media. Certain foods.

I believe we honor God with our first fruits. We honor Him with the first fruits of our finances in the form of tithing. (My personal opinion based on Scripture is10% given to our church. Anything you give above that is gifts & offerings.) We honor Him with the first fruits of our time through prayer/quiet time in the morning and attending church at the first of each week. We honor God physically by beginning each year with a fast. If you’re new to fasting, I recommend listening to Jentezen Franklin’s book called Fasting. Total game changer for my spiritual life and walk with the Lord, and this helped me understand the WHY and the HOW TO.

Jonathan and I are currently doing a pretty strict Daniel Fast and I’m limiting social media time. (The thing I miss the most is SPARK! Well, caffeine in general.) We are avoiding bread, dairy, sugar, meat, anything processed, and caffeine. But more important than those sacrifices, we are in a season of intense prayer to show a sacrifice of our time. No tv or movies. Limited screen time.I know it sounds intense, but we want to show the Lord we are serious about serving Him, seeking His will, & being more fruitful and Christlike. Jesus fasted and prayed, so we fast and pray.

Side note: I saw a car the other day with a bumpers sticker with two of the kiddos names & little banners on the back, and then another bumper sticker that said “I’d rather be ___________.” (It was a hobby.) It might have been a joke or just a funny bumper sticker, but it made me stop and think. From an outside perspective, based on my calendar, my checkbook, my social media accounts, my thoughts, and where my heart is, is it super clear and evident what is most important in my life?? Would an outsider looking in be able to tell what I am most passionate about? And how about the people closest to me? Do they have any doubts as to where they fall?

Sacrifice. A sacrifice is something you give up, usually for the sake of a better cause. What are you willing to give up to go up? (P.S. It might be something “good” & well meaning that is keeping you from God’s best.)

Stretch. This is where is gets fun. I believe God calls us to be stretched and learn to operate outside of our comfort zone. This is where He can really show up. Being outside of our comfort zone means choosing faith over fear because it requires dependence on the Lord rather than our own strengths & abilities. It allows Him to pair his super with our natural for a supernatural result that could only be explained as “from God.” It feels so hard & scary, but I can say that I have learned to be more comfortable being uncomfortable. I am working on being radically obedient in 2019 (which is really just Biblical obedience, but in today’s society, Biblical obedience seems radical). This means often doing, saying, praying things that feel intimidating & too big for me. I believe the enemy would like nothing more than to keep us shackled and bound by our own fear. Fear of rejection, of the outcome, of our own inability. But when we choose to allow the Lord to stretch us and operate in FAITH, out of obedience, the Lord shows upon our behalf in such a cool way. You know…that abundant way.

Maybe your 2018 went exactly like you wanted. Maybe your life is exactly where you’d hoped and you’re completely satisfied in all of your relationships, with your finances, in your spiritual life, with your health, in your business. My prayer is that you’re content, but never complacent. And if you just so happen to be in a place like me where you are ready to see breakthrough in one or more of those areas, I hope you’ll ask God where you can surrender, sacrifice,and stretch to see more FRUITS and more FAVOR and more BLESSINGS in 2019.