I know… out of all the inspirational words I could have chosen from, why begin? When God placed begin on my heart to focus on during this next year, this is the exact same question that I asked myself. But little did I know the power behind that simple word.
A little back-story…
This past year, I have truly learned that life is full of seasons. From losing loved ones to graduating college, a lot has changed; a lot will never be the same. There have been great moments, and there have been moments that I would never want to repeat. While many seasons of my life were coming to an end, new ones were waiting to begin. But to be completely honest, I would have to say I’ve dwelled within the previous seasons, not exactly ready to move forward.
BEGINning
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God” – Corrie ten Boom
We all eventually get to this moment in life… the moment where we question everything and anything while looking at God asking “why?” and “what now?” Ultimately, when we focus on the endings of life instead of the new beginnings, we are refusing to move forward; refusing to trust God in what’s next. However, we are not called to dwell in the past, we are called to dwell in Lord as He guides us through life (John 15:4, Psalm 91:1, John 15:7). We must learn to accept and cherish the endings in life in order to begin to the new journeys God has set out for us.
What it Means to Begin (Personally)
Webster’s dictionary defines begin as, “to do the first part of an action, to start doing something.”
For me, the word “begin” focuses around the future and calling the Lord has placed on my life. For those of you who may not know, I feel called to go into worship ministry and artistry. With this calling, I have prayerfully made my mission in life to expose worship for what it truly is through songs, music, teachings, and personal life. I have a lot of dreams and visions, but I ultimately have no clue where God is taking me… which I am finally OK with! During this next year, I want to begin developing and pursuing my calling like never before. I am entering a new season of life, and I am ready to go wherever God may call me!
"God has placed in each of us a call to ministry. It is the calling that gives focus, direction, and purpose." - Dr. Wheeler, Liberty University
As a constant reminder and inspiration to grow deeper during this next year, I chose to buy a custom Giving Key necklace with my ONE WORD, begin. This necklace is going to be a daily reminder to push towards the calling God has placed on my life.
In Relation to Worship…
As stated in the previous discussion post, Worship is a Lifestyle, “Worship is what being a Christian is all about, and it starts with a relationship. One thing God desires most from us is a relationship. When we actually take the time to seek after Christ, we are investing in a growing relationship with God.” When we begin to seek after ways to deepen or relationship with God, God is glorified…this is worship! When you seek to develop and pursue the calling God has placed on your life, God is glorified…this is worship! When you focus on God and God alone… this is worship, pure, genuine worship! Begin worshiping in these ways. Glorify the Lord in all ways!
My personal goal during this next year is to unashamedly go deeper into my relationship with God by "BEGINning."
Challenge
I have three challenges I would like for you to dive into this week:
1. I want to challenge you to cherish your endings while looking forward to the new beginnings. Your life begins now! Every moment, you have the choice to begin again. Everyday is a new beginning. Take a deep breath, look up, and start again. Today marks the beginning of a whole new journey that God has set out just for you. Do not be afraid; find your strength in the Lord.
2. I REALLY want to encourage you to join the ONE WORD challenge! I want you to prayerfully pick out ONE WORD that you believe God is calling you to focus on during this next year. Then SHARE your ONE WORD! Oh, and don’t forget to TAG worshipXposed in your post.
3. Check out The Giving Keys. This jewelry collection is a great way to embrace your ONE WORD and wear everyday as a reminder.
Thanks for reading!
God Bless!
David Conley
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