A couch, a lovely couch, a comfortable couch, a family couch, a youth group couch. What does a couch mean to you? To me it was the only piece of furniture we owned that was not a blessed “hand me down.” Our couch we bought before we had Charlotte thinking the chaise lounge section was the perfect place to feed a new baby. It was the couch that Wrigley should not have sat on but he did. It was the couch that countless teenagers spent the night on, sometimes spilled on, especially red juice, oh dear, the couch that was full of laughter relaxation, snuggles, to many kids jumping on it, movie night, and recovering sickies (so many nursed back to health on the couch both mentally and physically). This was our couch!
And now the couch is in the dumpster and there was a moment that the Lord had to speak and remind us that not a lot of ministry gets done while we are sitting on the couch. No race has ever been won while sitting on the couch. The workout plans are actually entitled, “Couch to 5K, Couch to 10K maybe even couch to Marathon.” These titles lead me to think that sitting on my couch and being sedentary does not accomplish great things. God calls us to be victorious
So for me seeing my couch in the dumpster (now really it was old and falling apart and had not fared well in storage and it was 10 years old, but I loved that couch) made me ask the Lord can you bring me a spiritual parallel out of this moment?
This is what came out of it, God often calls us out of “comfort” (Oh my couch was comfortable, and way too easy to pop popcorn and snuggle up). He often calls out to “lonely places.” When someone sits on a big sectional people are drawn to sit down with them, and with lots of children they all snuggle in. Great things for the kingdom of God are not accomplished out of comfort, ease, or in the company of all your best friends. Great things for the kingdom of God come when you take great leaps of faith (maybe off the couch) when you sacrifice, and are “uncomfortable” (believe me 62 hours of plane flights, people not understanding my fast English, living in Kolkata were not comfortable, but transformational). When you leave the ones you love in the hands of God and ask God to show you those the world has labeled unlovable and unreachable - you leap off the couch and run that marathon and say here I am Lord SEND ME!!
Isaiah 62:1-4, “For Zion ‘s sake I will not keep silent ( I will not stay on the couch) for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines like the dawn her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your righteousness and all kings your glory you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow, You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand a royal diadem in the hand of your God No longer will they call you Deserted or name your land Desolate” (or lazy on the couch!!).
So jump up today, where do you need to leap off the “spiritual couch” in your life? Where have you needed a break? Maybe it was more comfortable sitting out, staying home on Sundays, not reaching out to your neighbor, and only loving those who love you back. God is calling you to lay down some comfort, step out of things that are easy, and “Attempt to do something so great that it is doomed to failure if God is not in it!”
What sins are you committing that helps you fit in? Is there gossip, judgement, selfishness, or addiction that is keeping you surrounded by others? God often calls the Saints to walk alone. You may not be lonely. You also may not be the “Saint” God is calling you to be. So leap off the couch and ask God for fresh vision for today. Give your place of rest and recovery to a hurting soul and help nurse them back to health, so when they are healed they also will leap off the couch. Through Christ we can do more than we can ask or imagine for the kingdom of God.
And now the couch is in the dumpster and there was a moment that the Lord had to speak and remind us that not a lot of ministry gets done while we are sitting on the couch. No race has ever been won while sitting on the couch. The workout plans are actually entitled, “Couch to 5K, Couch to 10K maybe even couch to Marathon.” These titles lead me to think that sitting on my couch and being sedentary does not accomplish great things. God calls us to be victorious
So for me seeing my couch in the dumpster (now really it was old and falling apart and had not fared well in storage and it was 10 years old, but I loved that couch) made me ask the Lord can you bring me a spiritual parallel out of this moment?
This is what came out of it, God often calls us out of “comfort” (Oh my couch was comfortable, and way too easy to pop popcorn and snuggle up). He often calls out to “lonely places.” When someone sits on a big sectional people are drawn to sit down with them, and with lots of children they all snuggle in. Great things for the kingdom of God are not accomplished out of comfort, ease, or in the company of all your best friends. Great things for the kingdom of God come when you take great leaps of faith (maybe off the couch) when you sacrifice, and are “uncomfortable” (believe me 62 hours of plane flights, people not understanding my fast English, living in Kolkata were not comfortable, but transformational). When you leave the ones you love in the hands of God and ask God to show you those the world has labeled unlovable and unreachable - you leap off the couch and run that marathon and say here I am Lord SEND ME!!
Isaiah 62:1-4, “For Zion ‘s sake I will not keep silent ( I will not stay on the couch) for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines like the dawn her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see your righteousness and all kings your glory you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow, You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand a royal diadem in the hand of your God No longer will they call you Deserted or name your land Desolate” (or lazy on the couch!!).
So jump up today, where do you need to leap off the “spiritual couch” in your life? Where have you needed a break? Maybe it was more comfortable sitting out, staying home on Sundays, not reaching out to your neighbor, and only loving those who love you back. God is calling you to lay down some comfort, step out of things that are easy, and “Attempt to do something so great that it is doomed to failure if God is not in it!”
What sins are you committing that helps you fit in? Is there gossip, judgement, selfishness, or addiction that is keeping you surrounded by others? God often calls the Saints to walk alone. You may not be lonely. You also may not be the “Saint” God is calling you to be. So leap off the couch and ask God for fresh vision for today. Give your place of rest and recovery to a hurting soul and help nurse them back to health, so when they are healed they also will leap off the couch. Through Christ we can do more than we can ask or imagine for the kingdom of God.
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