There have been three shifts that God has been making in my life over the past few years. It has been a very distinct and undeniable work in my life. It has been a journey from one place in my life to another, a transforming process of heart and mind, of which I was unaware that I needed to take or undergo. At least two of the shifts, I believe, are ones that every Christ Follower needs to make. The third may be more personal to me in my situation and more distinct to my calling but is worthy of consideration none the less. You will not make these shifts from the comfort of your home. They don’t happen when the checking account is full, the kids are all doing well, the mate is loving and attentive, or when life couldn’t seem to get better. They are born out of struggle, difficulty, hardship. They happen when the job is lost, the family is falling apart, the health report is not good. The journey opens up to you when you are crying out, hurt, lost, confused. The process is near when you are discontented and think there should be more to life or that at least life should be better. Unfortunately, you rarely learn about these shifts in church. These are not decisions you make from a pew. These shifts are forged in the wilderness, in desolate times, and often in lonely places. For it is there that God reveals Himself. It is there that you truly begin to follow the path of God. You don’t experience Manna from heaven or water from the Rock by staying in Egypt. And that brings me to the first shift.
He has been moving me from the Empire into His Kingdom. Empire living is living that is deeply embedded in this world’s systems and thinking. It is represented in Scripture as Egypt. We are unaware of how entrenched we are in this world. We are blinded by consumerism, materialism, individualism and many other isms that cause us to live like slaves rather than sons and daughters of the Kingdom. We are free and are meant to live free. We are “born again” into the Kingdom of Heaven. Our citizenship has changed. We literally have to experience our own personal “exodus.” It involves a wilderness experience but the Kingdom lies on the other side.
I have much more to say about this but I will save it for other times. In order to not be too wordy, I will also save the other two shifts for a later date. Let me leave you with this: Are you experiencing difficulty or hardship? Is your heart crying out to God for relief and help? Is there a general discontentment rising up in your soul? Maybe this is just the beginning of a powerful and wonderful journey on which GOD is leading you! Maybe this is the first step on your own personal “exodus.” Maybe the most surprising thing is that you never realized that you needed such a deliverance. Maybe the “wilderness” that you are experiencing now is the path to a freedom and life you have never experienced before! Go with God! Journey with Him! Let Him do the perfect work in you!
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