Radical Reorganization

What do you think it will be like come Spring 2021? I would venture to say that many of us have organized and reorganized...and organized again our closets, our shoes, and dressers during the year of 2020. Maybe out of boredom...maybe out of just sheer control because controlling anything these days is nonexistent... or maybe you are just really neat and this is not abnormal for you.

As I have pondered on this, I cannot help but to think about the heart of a person. The messiest rooms in the house lie in the human heart. We like to keep our pillows plump, laundry has a place to go before it gets put in the washer, and if you are like me, I sweep or vacuum daily (dog hair...eeek). But no matter how much I try to control on the outside to make things have order and put together (which I see nothing wrong with), there is always a room in our heart that needs an overhaul or a little shimmy around.

Last week, I preached a sermon called "What If It's True: That Jesus is The Wonderful Counselor". If you want to dive deeper into what it actually means for Jesus to be our Wonderful Counselor and how the belief in that claim is to transform our lives, click the link above. I share my personal transformation story of stepping out of years of different forms of abuse, a lifestyle of homosexuality, and how Jesus found me.

In saying that, I will let you all in on something that I like to call, "Radical Reorganization". You see, when I met Jesus at 28, I knew that I was no longer going to be the same, but I was starting on a road of constantly hearing Jesus say, "No, Cortney...that cannot go with you." "Choose Me." "Surrender." "Take a step there." "Stop. Rest." These words do not ever go away when following Jesus. His sweet Spirit is constantly keeping us in the process of becoming. Radical reorganization occurs, believe it or not, every day that you open your heart up to the Holy Spirit's work in your life. Let me explain...

When Jesus began His public ministry, it says that "from that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt 4:17 ESV). The word "repent" simply means to: Pay attention! Stop! What is coming and what is happening is going to cause for your life to make a decision. You will have to reckon with this! You will have to choose."

The beautiful part about Jesus being our Wonderful Counselor is that He leads us in this process daily because the kingdom of God is here and now...and it is closer than we know. It is at hand. When we meet Jesus, all of our preconceived notions, assumptions about how the world works, our values, family structure and beliefs are flipped upside down. We have a new King who has a kingdom that we are now stepping into and we have to relearn how to live. We have been born again, but now we must learn how to live how He says we are to live.

So where is God calling you into radical reorganization in your heart? Where is He wanting to transform you? Are you believing something of our culture that is actually not part of the kingdom? Is there a teaching you have heard in church throughout your life that is not actually stated in the Bible that has caused cycles of shame or fear? Where is God asking you to make space in your heart for His purposes? What are the things in your heart that need to be forsaken?

These are the things we must seek His counsel on each day. Open your heart up and let Him show you how to become the you that He says you are--that is the only way for us to transform into the image of His Son.

By Grace,

Cortney Rae