This past July I attended the "She Speaks" conference in North Carolina. This conference was for speakers, writers and other women ministry leaders. Most every lady that I had the privilege of meeting came to the conference with a God sized dream in her heart. The entire weekend was packed with dreamers gathering information to sharpen their God sized vision.
For those just getting to know my heart, I am a BIG DREAMER and love to encourage women to discover the doors of their personal destiny. Not because I chose to want this but because God has chosen me and gave me this overwhelming passion to share my faith with others.
Dreaming is the only time in which you buy something really big and then grow into it. I would never go buy a pair of jeans 3 sizes bigger and desire to grow into them. That would be a girlfriends worse nightmare! But this is a great visual of how God works. The dreams He places in our hearts are huge and we need to grow into them. How we grow into the dream and take ownership of what God is giving us is very important.
Today in the christian market we have so many amazing speakers and writers. I had the opportunity to meet with several of them. Every one having a specific dream and platform.
The word platform really struck me this morning.
God kept reminding me this morning about my personal platform. I am in a huge transition stage with ministry and my personal calling. Within the past year God has asked me to lay down the dreams and all ministry past and present. This is hard for a dreamer with a lot of energy but God has been up to something bigger! He transitioned my family to a new area and new church. During this time of change, which I liken to the season of fall, God is striping away and preparing me to grow into something NEW. God given plans always change taking on new purposes, training experiences, relationships and destinations.
Today's reading states in Galatians 2:6 "But from those who seemed to be something--whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows no personal favoritism to no man--for those who seemed "to be something" He added nothing.
We can get so preoccupied in our personal platforms, plans and ministries that when God begins to do something new we will not recognize God at work. Everything you are trying "to be" or "think you are" is becoming nothing to Christ! This is a dangerous spot!
It becomes fatal when we take ownership of a platform of dreams that God created. We need to hold on to the dreams loosely because when God decides to pull things away or interrupt our plans it means He is about to bring change, we may end up taking things personally and we could end up with damaged dreams and broken platforms.
If I hold on to past dreams and personal platforms, I will miss the bigger dreams. God sometimes uses your past experiences to partner with the next. Do not keep a tight grip on things that you are passionate about because God often "changes" those things.
Always remember the platform belongs to HIM. All our past privileges and present positions are with Christ. When you begin to think your platform is personal and exist all because of "you" then remember what Paul said to the leaders in the region of Galatia. In Galatians chapter 2:6 Paul explained to the leaders that they "added nothing" when they thought they "were something."
I was reminded this morning to be grateful for the NEW platforms that God is allowing to enter my life. However I have to stand on this platform humbly and allow God to add everything.
I want to share a prayer that was given to me from another great writer. This is priceless to me and will remain part of my life. I pray you take the words and make them your own.
Abba Father, King of glory,God of heaven's Armies. You are the Author of Life and my crucified Savior. You are the Light of the World, and I praise Your Holy Name. You are the Living Water that quenches my thirst and the Bread of Life that feeds my soul. You are the Most High God, and I kneel before You today as your servant, as your child whose name is engraved in the palm of your hand.
Father, if there be anything within me that will hinder my ability to serve from the platform you created please expose it now. Give me a heart of humility to see my sin, my pride, my selfishness. Search my heart and make it tender to receive your loving discipline. Cleanse my heart, Oh Lord. Make it ever true. Cleanse my heart, O Lord, and make it more like You.
Father, help me to love You with absolute abandon. You birthed me with a plan and purpose. I desire with all my heart to live it out. Father, give me ears to hear, eyes to see, a mind to conceive and a heart to receive every Word You speak. Fill me with the fullness of your spirit; saturate me with your love and consume my mind with your truth. Equip me with everything I need to preach, to teach and to lead from your platform.
Thank you father for choosing to pour your Love and your Light into me so that I can be a beacon to others. Make it my fervent longing to be a flame of fire continually glowing in divine service to you. Help me make a difference in this world utterly disproportionate to who I am. Thank you that You will be faithful to finish what you started in me.
Amen
Blessing servants,
heather@hbministries.com
