Ready

 Ready

Blog – 3-15-17

The act of getting ready is an important part of transitions and activities in life. For example, when we get ready for our first child to arrive, there are months spent “nesting,” setting up the nursery, buying the perfect cuddly blankets, stocking up on diapers and Wet Ones, finding the exact right rocking chair, deciding on a theme for the baby’s room and making everything just right for our little bundle of joy. There’s a lot involved in getting ready.

When we prepare for a big event like a new baby, there are also a lot of unknowns and countless fears running through our minds. Will the baby be healthy? Will I be a good parent? Will I know what to do to comfort them? Will I able to handle this huge responsibility and the enormous changes that are going to take place in my life? So many questions, so many changes in store, yet in the meantime all we can do is simply get ready.

Step 6 asks us to get ready for a different kind of change in our life…a spiritual change. It says, “We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.”

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10

This isn’t a physical preparation but a mental one, yet it’s as life-changing as adding a new baby to our household. It’s becoming willing to let go of old habits that don’t serve us any longer and becoming ready for new ways of doing life. It’s trusting God’s promise that we really can change…or He really can change us, I should say!

Let’s face it, some of our habits and defects of character are extremely difficult to give up. If anger is our go-to emotion, it’s hard to visualize ourselves reacting with patience and understanding. Who does that?

If withdrawing is how you handle confrontation, standing firm and talking through issues may seem as foreign as snow to a native Hawaiian. There’s no way!

If alcohol has been your crutch, you can’t even fathom enjoying social situations that don’t center around drinking. How boring!

So how do we get ready for a change in our character, a version of ourselves we have trouble even picturing?

I’m convinced the strength in this step is found in the verse from James that says we must “humble ourselves before the Lord.” Humility, letting go, emptying ourselves with complete, total surrender is the only way we can allow new thoughts, attitudes and behaviors into our lives.

I believe the gist of this step is found in a line from our song which says, “You have the power to change me, burn my kingdom down.” I think about the kingdoms we build around us, unhealthy habits we cling to like an old rag doll. I think about the walls we’ve built around us emotionally. I think about hurts we hold onto like they’re a valuable treasure.

As much as we want to let go of some things, truth is we can’t until we are entirely ready. ENTIRELY ready. This isn’t a halfway, I’ll-keep-a-little-in-my-pocket kind of ready. This is an I’m-all-in kind of thing.

This is where we cry out, “I’m ready, God. Take it all. Take my life and everything I have and use it for Your glory. I can’t do this any more.” This step challenges us to get out of our own way and become ready to let God burn to the ground all the kingdoms we’ve spent so much time building.

The fantastic news for us is when finally reach the point where we are indeed ready, God is ready as well. You could say He was born ready! He’s ready to help us change. He’s ready to take hold of whatever we need to let go of and release His power into our lives. He doesn’t leave us there empty. Absolutely not! He fills us with His love and forgiveness.

He fills us with Him.

He takes our battles, our scars, our regrets and leaves His grace in its place.

It’s up to us to be ready!

And just like a baby brings more joy than we could ever imagine, a life spent in surrender brings a peace and a joy we never dreamed we could have.

Enjoy the lyrics to the song for Step 6.

READY Words and music by Jill Miller and Rachel Barrentine © 2016

VERSE I humble myself before you, knowing you’ll lift me up Empty me out completely, Jesus fill my cup With your love

CHORUS Here I am, Lord, I’m ready for you All my imperfections please come and remove I’m ready for, ready for, ready for you I’m ready for, ready for, ready for you

VERSE You have the power to change me, burn my kingdom down All you desire is surrender, my heart and knees on the ground Jesus now

CHORUS Here I am, Lord, I’m ready for you All my imperfections please come and remove I’m ready for, ready for, ready for you I’m ready for, ready for, ready for you

BRIDGE I’m ready to let go, ready to change, ready to lose myself You take the battle, you take the scars, be my refuge and my help (repeat) There’s nobody else…

CHORUS Here I am, Lord, I’m ready for you All my imperfections please come and remove I’m ready for, ready for, ready for you I’m ready for, ready for, ready for you

Hugs and love,

Jill