It's A "Get To"

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:16-19

We just wrapped up spending three days in conference mode- spending pretty much every minute worshiping and praising God, and taking in some wonderful messages that God had for us. It really was a fantastic weekend, and there is a big part of me that is sad that we aren't going back to church tonight. I have to say, it's going to take some time to completely process everything we heard over the last few days, there really was some remarkable thought going into what we were hearing. I don't know how much I'll actually be sharing here... I just don't think I could do most of it justice, really. But this thought, this "get to" thought is one that will stick with me for a long time because it is such a basic thought, yet it's a mindset that I want to claim for my own, so I'm going to just keep repeating it over and over.

I'm just thinking about all the promises in the Bible, and we have always heard about the promises that we will experience if we seek God and follow his laws and direction... but the idea I heard this weekend is that we need to change our mindset about how we view all these promises. Take this verse above, "that you will be filled of all the fullness of God." The current mindset is of looking at it and thinking to myself that maybe someday I will reach that point, maybe someday I will get to the point of arriving there. Instead of looking at it wistfully though, as a maybe someday in the future, I should be looking at it as a sure thing. It's a "get to"; I will get to be filled with the fullness of God. Living for God and walking in his presence at all times is something I get to experience because I am His child. It's a "get to" for being a part of the body of Christ. I get to know the same God who knew Paul, simply because so many years ago I asked Jesus into my heart.

I am filled with the same Holy Spirit that has filled so many before me, and I get to bear the fruit of that Spirit. It's not a "maybe I'll bear fruit if I'm good enough." "Maybe if I can follow enough of God's rules I will get to the point where I'm good enough." No, the fact is that if I am saved, I have already done what needs to be done, and if I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I get to bear all the fruit. I get to.

Breaking a mindset can be a tough thing! Yet if I just change the way I think about things the tiniest bit, it can give me the confidence and the boldness I need to do the things that God wants me to do. Try it for yourself once, let's try "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Instead of saying I can, let's try the get to. "I get to do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Wow! The 'get to' is a declaration of anticipation, and I have to say, it's working for me.

I am definitely praying that this new mentality catches on like wildfire in our churches today. If we all stop seeing ourselves as not being worthy, we could change the world in spades. We are worthy! God knew each and every one of us before we were born, and He knew how we would be formed, and He knew that He would love us- in fact, He loved us before we were even a thought. He loved us so much, that He sent His only son to die for us, so that we get to spend all eternity in Heaven with Him.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16