Growing up in my house it was me and an older brother. My older brother had some common firstborn traits and some not so common. One common firstborn trait he didn’t seem to have was a high sense of urgency/responsibility. In other words, if he had a chore to do, suddenly he turned into Garfield the Cat trying to find ways to make Odie, the dog  (that would be me) do the job for him. Maybe manipulation of younger siblings is a firstborn trait? Maybe? Either way, I always had this high sense of urgency that if something needed to get done, I would just hurry up and get it done and over with.

This month the LOVE>FEAR challenge is pushing me into very uncomfortable soul positions. I am asking God to show me the root of my fear, which leads me to live in bondage/slavery to the law (if I do this, then God will do that) rather than receiving the gift of grace, unmerited favor, and love from God, the creator of ALL things.

This morning in my study time I was pressing into Psalm 50. The Psalm leads off by reminding the listener about God’s authority and His right to rule and reign. You can sense the royal preeminence found in God that the psalmist is trying to establish.

The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty God shines forth. Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages. He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people;

Psalm 50:1-4

By verse 8 God goes to work, getting after the heart of his people, asking his people what they think they can give God that he doesn’t already own.

“I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.”

All the sudden I heard this question rise up from inside of me, “Alisa…Why do you try to get what I want to give you?”

Ugh. Conviction. Sweet conviction.

Because good friends share good things, I ask you the same question:

What are you trying to get that God wants to give you?

Allow me to suggest some things:

• A fit body? To which I say, “Does your body belong to the Lord or to you?” If it’s yours, then you will build it, and you will need to maintain it, and no matter how hard you try…it’s going to break down and so will you. BUT GOD wants to GIVE you a body that spends itself on behalf of the things that are imperishable and eternal…love, hope and faith. A body that is FIT for its mission to MOVE love. And friends….love is always heavy.
• A call, career, or profession? To which I say, “Don’t forget who gave you the skills, abilities and passions to make a difference in the lives of others…to be the hero or heroine.” God wants to give you a passion/purpose that doesn’t chain you to the work, but opens you up to be a free agent of change.
• Security (physical, financial, or emotional)? To which I will remind you, “Nothing is guaranteed in life. Absolutely nothing.” The only secure, unchanging, unmoveable, and unshakeable force that holds life together and all living creatures breathing under the sun, is God, the creator of ALL things. Security is found in Him alone. A bottle of booze, a sleeve of Oreo cookies, or the physical ability to complete an Ironman only has the ability to pacify our insecurities.
  God wants to give you himself.

You have through the month of March to be a FREE agent of change and help us love “the least of these” at HopeFest 2014. For as little as a $25 donation, you can help Revelation Wellness bless hundreds of homeless and working-poor with the gift of hope, love, faith, and yes…fitness. Join our LOVE>FEAR challenge, get your free LOVE>FEAR t-shirt and keep showing up with us to train love!

His love…

Alisa Keeton

#lovegreaterthanfear