What are YOU doing?...

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed...(Mark 1:35)
         For several years, this has been the verse that speaks to my heart and spirit. Every time I read it I feel a stirring on the inside. At the start of each day Jesus took time to spend with His Daddy. Right after that ... the action began!
And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth” (Mark 1:36-38)
          Over the past several months the picture of Jesus and His ministry here on earth has come to my mind. I look at the fact that Jesus went through a lot of opposition because of all that He was doing. He had enemies for sure and it seemed as if in the end they were victorious over Him.
         But that’s not where my focus has been really. I have been looking at the reality that every day Jesus got up, spent time with His Heavenly Father in the wee hours of the morning and then went about His business as usual. He didn’t miss a beat. They were opposing Him but He was doing His Father’s business, literally like it was business as usual. Even during the course of the day, He, at times, made time to spend with Him and even take some rest. I have been looking at His example intently because even as I face my own challenges – and we all do – I wonder at the fact that at times, when I feel stressed and bothered, I’m not motivated to simply live my life and do what I have to do. It can be so easy to become distracted and forget that you have "purpose."
         Jesus never forgot. He knew He had enemies and every day He got up knowing that they would try to stop Him, hinder Him and even harm Him if they could. But He was focused on what He came here to do. In the midst of His challenges, Jesus still got up and did what He had to do. 
        I also think of Paul and Silas in prison. They could have sat there in their chains and complained and given in to discouragement, but they did not. Instead, they prayed and sang songs of worship to God and as they were doing this, the other prisoners were listening to them. Whether they were doing it intentionally or not they were evangelizing and letting all who could hear them know about the goodness of their God! They were occupying their time constructively, and in the process continuing to tell others about Him through their prayer and song (Acts 16:25). 
        The choices that we make in the midst of our difficult situation can make or break us; encourage or discourage someone. They can even give us the opportunity to lead others to Christ. It didn’t matter what Jesus faced, He still did what He had to do. In spite of the threat that the three Hebrew boys faced they still served and honored their God (Daniel 3:16-25). Joseph may have been separated from his family when he was sold into Egypt but he remained faithful to his God and served Him in a way that brought favor on his life, even when he was thrown into jail (Genesis 39 & 41). Paul and Silas may have been put in prison, but they still chose to glorify their God. Even Daniel faced the threat of being thrown into the lion’s den but he still did what he had to do for God and honored Him (Daniel 6:6-10). What are you doing in the midst of your mess, trial, challenge?
        I think of my own life and as I have testified more than once it has not been perfect. I have had to learn to keep working, to keep trusting, to keep serving God in the midst of messy situations. I have been distracted many times by my circumstances, but God keeps reminding me to keep moving, to keep serving, to keep doing His will, to keep living my life His way. It has been easy many times to stop and complain, stop and give in to fear, or just plain stop. But, as I look back over my life I have seen where God has kept me moving, He has kept me serving Him, He has been helping me to keep focused. In the midst of my challenges He has taught me to keep preaching, keep teaching, keep testifying, keep encouraging, keep singing, keep worshiping, keep living, just keep going.
        My encouragement to you today is this: do what God has called you to do from the midst of your challenging situation. Don’t wait for the trial to be over. Minister from the midst of the fiery furnace, blossom in the midst of your desert, preach in the midst of your lion’s den. Don’t let circumstances or whatever challenge you’re facing stop you from being and doing your best for God. They couldn’t stop Paul and Silas, they couldn’t stop the three Hebrew boys, they couldn’t stop Daniel, they couldn’t stop Jesus ... and they certainly can’t stop you!
        If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as Lord and Savior, I challenge you today to take that step. Life will send challenges your way – you can’t stop that. But watch and see if God won’t help you to keep going and to keep doing and living your best life for Him even in the midst of your challenges, trials and stress.

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