On the weekend, I shared a few messages I felt that God put on my heart for various groups of people in our church. Here is a brief summary of them:
1. "You're It!"
Did you ever play tag when you were a kid? No one likes to be "it." We'd rather hide and let others do the chasing. But at some stage, we're going to be tagged and someone will say, "You're it!" I sensed that God was tagging some people in the same way. Maybe you have been on the receiving end of the efforts of others and now it's your turn to move to the giving side. It could be as simple yet as powerful as a mindset change … at home, at work, or in your church community. What is God calling you to take up and begin doing right now?
2. "Slow Down!"
Other people have been tagged by so many people and are doing so much that they are working too hard right now. When we are in this zone we start to become stressed and, if we are not careful, we are heading for burnout. We aren't making much time for prayer and, as a result, we are missing out on God's guidance and strength. God is calling out to these people to slow down. It's a warning that we must heed if we are in this situation. Some of us need a 'not-to-do' list. We need to eliminate some things, even good things, because we are trying to do too much. Jesus said that his burden is "easy and light," not over-bearing (Matt.11:28-30).
3. "Well done!"
Other people don't need to take on anything new or even slow down. They just need to see the smile of their Father God and know that He is pleased with their efforts. He sees, he notices, and he rewards us for anything we do for him or others in his name. God commends us for our faithfulness.
So what is God saying to YOU right now? Don't open someone else's mail! If you need to slow down, then don't take the "You're it" word. If God is saying to you, "you're it," then don't take the "slow down" word.
Reflect on this and ask God what he is saying to you – then respond to Him and I believe that you will know an even greater blessing in your life and ministry.