Enjoy The Journey
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10
Philippians 1:6
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Romans 8:29
For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
When did your journey begin?
It begins at the time of conception in your mother's womb.
But even before you were thought of, you were on God's mind
Ephesians 1:4 – "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight."
Psalm 139:13–16 – "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb... Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
Think about this, if you want to know how significant you were and are. You were chosen in Him BEFORE the creation of the world. You were of immense value before you were YOU. You were significant before you were even aware of your significance.
Why do we work to feel and be significant and valuable when we are already those things to begin with.
2 Timothy 1:9 – "He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but because of his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began."
Ephesians 5:8
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” —
The distinction is powerful in Eph 5:8: Paul does not say, “You were once in darkness.” He says,
“you were once darkness.” Likewise, he doesn’t merely say we are in the light; he says “you ARE
light in the Lord.”
Do not allow people, places and things to define you when your creator has already done so!!!
God is speaking directly to what redemption does: God doesn't merely change our surroundings; through Christ, He changes our identity.
Before Christ: you and I were darkness.
In Christ: you and I are light.
Therefore: walk according to what God has now made you.
Notice the two parts: “you are light” describes what God has made you in Christ. “Walk as children of light” describes the growth that must now occur in your daily life (The Journey).
Think of it this way: WHO you are changes instantly; HOW you live grows over time.
This is why a renewed mind (Rom 12:2) is so very critical, why having the mind of Christ is so very essential (Phil 2:5). When God saves you, He does not gradually move you from darkness into becoming His child.
We are redeemed, justified, reconciled, and made alive in Christ. But our thinking, habits, desires, reactions, character, and conduct still need to be increasingly brought into conformity with that new identity. (Ownership)
When you think ownership think this:
Scripture continually establishes a clear distinction between what God provides (which humans cannot create) and what humans are required to manage (which God will not do for them).
The Principle of the Harvest: God created the seeds, fertile soil, rain (the early and latter rains), and growth cycles. However, He did not harvest the grain into sheaves or grind it into flour. The Book of Proverbs addresses this directly: "He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son" (Proverbs 10:5).
Consequence of Inaction: The natural consequence of neglect is not divine failure; it is the natural law of cause and effect that God established in creation.
Biblical faith never separates divine grace from human effort; rather, divine grace powers human effort. As Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 15:10, "I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." God supplies strength, wisdom, and opportunity, but the execution requires our active participation.
So the Christian journey (life) isn't “grow until you become light.” It is:
“Because God has made you light in the Lord, now grow in learning how to live like who you already are.”
God doesn't label us by our history; He calls us into our destiny. He sees who we were, redeems who we are, and speaks to who we are becoming in Him = The Journey
Calling Forth Destiny Over Past History
Gideon (Judges 6:12): When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he was hiding in a
winepress out of fear of the Midianites. God addressed him not by his present fear, but by his
future destiny:
"When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, 'The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.'"
Gideon's response vs. God's focus (Judges 6:15): Gideon tried to echo his past and present limitations ("my clan is the weakest... and I am the least in my family"), but God focused entirely on what He was calling Gideon to accomplish.
What is God calling you to accomplish on your journey today!!! Have you allowed your past and present limitations to make you comfortable and lazy?
What are your gifts that He has given for you to use for the Body of Christ?
Romans 12:6–8
"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."
We ALL have gifts that God wants to use. LET Him. Roman 12:6-8 is not a suggestion from God but a commandment.
1 Peter 4:10
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms."
When you continuously rehearse your past—whether through your words or through your habits and behaviors—you are operating under a system of belief. Because what you truly believe about your identity inevitably drives how you act, continually bringing up your past creates subtle, spiritual, and psychological traps.
Here are some of the characters in the Bible who offered God their past.
1. Moses (Exodus 3:11–4:13)
2. Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:4–8)
3. Saul (1 Samuel 9:21)
4. Zechariah (Luke 1:18)
In every case, these figures looked at their history, limitations, and natural abilities, whereas God was speaking to their purpose and divine backing.
As seen with Gideon, Moses, and Jeremiah, God's answer to "I cannot" is never a list of reasons why the person is capable on their own; God's answer is always: "I will be with you."
How is living below your calling a false comfort?
Identity Anchor (Living Below Your Calling)
* The Action: Playing small, avoiding leadership, hesitating to step into new responsibilities, or staying stuck in old cycles because "that's just who I am."
* The Unseen Danger: Our actions reveal an underlying belief that our history is stronger than God's promise. When Gideon hid in the winepress, his actions shouted, "I am from the weakest clan" (Judges 6:15). By acting out of our past limitations rather than our new identity, we erect a self-imposed ceiling over what God can do through us today.
Mistaking "Familiarity" for "Safety"
* The Action: Returning to old behavioral patterns, defense mechanisms, or mindsets when stress or growth opportunities arise.
* The Unseen Danger: The past is comfortable simply because it is known, even if it was broken. The Israelites in the wilderness repeatedly wanted to go back to Egypt because, despite their slavery, the routine was predictable (Numbers 14:2–4). Actively retreating into old mindsets creates a false sense of security that keeps you tethered to spiritual captivity.
Let's recap:
1. The Journey: “you are light” describes what God has made you in Christ. “Walk as children of light” describes the growth that must now occur in your daily life.
Think of it this way: WHO you are changes instantly; HOW you live grows over time.
2. The Ownership: You are redeemed, justified, reconciled, and made alive in Christ. But your thinking, habits, desires, reactions, character, and conduct still need to be increasingly brought into conformity with that new identity.
The Christian life isn't “grow until you become light.” It is:
“Because God has made you light in the Lord, now grow in learning how to live like who you already are.”
Conclusion:
Singer Jonathan McReynolds said it best.
May your struggles keep you near the cross.
May trouble show that you need God.
May your battles end the way they should
May your bad days prove that God is good.
Let our whole life prove that God is good.
When we are born we look like our Momma and our Daddy
But when we die we look like our decisions
Dr. David Jeremiah
ENJOY THE JOURNEY