Yep, it's Os Hillman again. If you can stand a quick self-evaluation, take a minute to read...
I have noticed three distinct types of believers throughout my 24 years of walking with Christ. First, many of us come to Christ out of a need for salvation. Our hearts have been touched by His call on our lives. We reason and analyze the claims of Christ and make a decision for Him. It is the convenient time to accept Him in our lives. This first stage is often characterized by a "Bless me, Lord" attitude toward God. It is the first stage that primarily brings salvation into our lives. Some never really go past this first stage.
The second stage is the crisis stage. A crisis takes place in our lives, and we are motivated to seek Christ with a whole heart. However, this motivation is not out of pure love for Christ; rather, it is motivated by the desire to get out of the pain of living. The motivation is to solve "the what" versus "the why" in my life at the time. This stage is best characterized as "Help me, Lord."
In the third stage we begin to experience the gospel of the Kingdom. It is the place where Jesus resided in His walk with His heavenly Father. It is the place of conviction. The number of people who live at this level are quite few, but these people are experiencing the reality of a walk with God that is foreign to all others. They are seeing daily occurrences of His involvement in their lives. They are motivated by a deep love for Him. They know Him. These people have an attitude characterized by these thoughts, "Have me, Lord; though He slay me, still will I trust Him."
Where are you today? Have you merely accepted His salvation to simply float along? Or do you seek Him with a whole heart only when a crisis occurs? His desire is for you and me to live a life of conviction, motivated by our love for Him and His love for us. This is where we will experience the gospel of the Kingdom.
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You guys, I can't tell you how excited I am to be in the third stage today! I can't even begin to post on a blog the kinds of pain He has me in at the moment, but I can share with you that each and every way my heart is aching is continuously bringing me closer to the One who made me. Am I tired of the pain? You bet I am! But am I asking Him to take it away? Not anymore, and I mean that. If it takes pain to know Him, to see His hand the way I've been seeing it, then bring it on! Do you know the Lord like that? Do you count all else loss? Cleeeeaarly I'm not perfectly 100% devoted, ever. I know that. I'm still just a person with a sinful, evil, human heart. But seriously, friends, I love Him like I've never loved Him today, at this moment, in this season of my life...because I know Him like I've never known Him. Have you taken the time to know Him? Have you fallen in love with our Savior?
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3 comments:
Hey Kristie. Once again I am blown away! I really enjoy reading what you post on here. This is truly inspirational to me. We all need to be in the 3rd stage. All I can say is "Lord, please help me to put all my trust and fears into you. No matter what the situation or circumstance. I am yours." That shyould be our prayer! I just wanted to let you know how much I love what you say on here. It is amazing and truly straight from God through you. :)
By the way....that first comment was from me...Cortney.
Oh yes! I am with you! I am so glad that I have been given eyes to "see" what living in the 3rd stage is like. I can tell you that I never want to go back to stage 1 or 2 ~ EVER! I love Him too much and I am having so much FUN living for Him, even through the pain. Yes Lord, Yes Lord, Yes Lord, Yes!
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