Capacity: best shape

I listened to a sermon about a month ago from Dee Duke in which he discussed the fact that we all have a physical capacity. If all the people that you may be sitting in a room with as you read this, or even just you and I, went and climbed a mountain today, we would conquer it (or give up) in different time frames. Some a day, some a few hours, some could basically run up it, others would plod. And it only makes sense that just as  we have a physical capacity, we also have a capacity to love, and the greatest being of loving God. This thought overwhelms and excites me. We can always increase in any given area, and it's not one of despair. Because like anything else in life: I can start today, and choose to keep going. I want to love God more today than I did yesterday, and I want to realize God's love for me more today than I did yesterday. I also want to be able to look ahead and see that where I want to be in a year is maybe not where I am today, but where I can be. As my capacity increases, so does my love, my heart, my life, and my whole well-being. 

I recently heard a song that said, "to know you is to want to know you more." And I don't think I've ever heard a better definition for 'knowing Jesus'. I. WANT. MORE. And to know that I can have more and increase in my capacity to know Jesus more and love Him more is kinda the best. 

I'm a recovering injuree. I'm stepping out in faith and about to go on my first jog in 4 months(which they tell me I still can't). Exactly four months ago today I was in a car accident. And life came to a hault. God's grace and goodness is more than sufficient, and I've seen it over my life. I was in pretty decent shape before May 23rd, 2018, but all of that swiftly left when I was unable to do anything. I huff and puff walking up a hill right now. You'd definitely beat me up that mountain. All of this was super discouraging at first. But now it's actually become exciting and a challenge I've taken on. My goal is to be in the best shape of my life by May 23rd of 2019. And it starts today. 

Friends, who you want to be doesn't happen by accident. You don't build character by accident. You don't fall more in love with Jesus on accident. You don't grow your prayer life by accident. You don't become that saint of an 80-year-old woman that leaks Jesus and prays for people and gives the best advice and who everybody wants to be like, by accident. And you don't lose 20 pounds and have the ability to climb a mountains and run 5 miles on accident. I've come to realize in life that if you're not moving forward, you're actually moving backward. Because when you plateau, you're probably becoming less of who you're meant to be. 

In eight months I want to be in the best shape of my life. And that's all there is to the plan. But I don't just mean physically. Because now I know more than ever before that the physical, spiritual, mental portions of your body are meant to work together. And I want to grow in my capacity in all those areas. I'm either giving all or not all. I want to give God my best, but He won't be getting my best if I'm not at my best. I'm to love God with all my HEART, all my SOUL, all my MIND, and all my STRENGTH. All of me. And I want it to be my very best, my all. I want to be in the best shape of my life, but I also want my heart to be in the best shape it's ever been in. As I was asking for healing, I was also asking God to heal my soul as well. I truly believe that I can be in the best shape of my life. And it all starts here. 

We are promised that we can be filled to all the fullness of God. If we're not full, it's not God's unwillingness to pour out, it's our capacity to be filled. 


p.s. Here's a tip: your capacity to love God, increases by your willingness to love people.