Fitting In or Set Apart? 

November 10, 2020 – Dan O’Deens

I so appreciate the people that God has placed in my life to guide my footsteps in the paths of righteousness.  This week I was able to soak in the wisdom from my boss and a mentor who simply listened and then encouraged me to stay the course and be purposefully ‘joyful.’

Yesterday, my godly parents who know me so well, randomly texted me this message:

“Why work so hard to fit in, when you were called to be set apart?”

Does your ‘agenda’ align with the Heart of your Father or does it look more like the pursuit of the American ‘dream’ of entitlement?

Sometimes when you hear from God it is helpful to write it down on paper.  Are you still listening to God? What is He saying to you?  This is my response to my Master’s voice.

“I choose to step into the mysterious journey of pursuing Jesus by embracing courage, danger, adventure, joy, mission and risk.  Make no mistake, it is never the risk nor the adventure that motivates me.  It is the spreading of the Good News of Jesus that propels me into the mystery of the journey.  It is the joy of knowing that by glorifying Jesus by stepping into the unknown that truly makes a difference and sets my feet to dancing in the missional and redemptive movement of God.”

No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself.  Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.  With human beings this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.  Matthew 19:26 MSG and TNIV

Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness.  Wake up from your sleep, climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light!  So watch your step.  Use your head.  Make the most of every chance you get.  These are desperate times.   Ephesians 5:11, 14, 15, 16  MSG

This is DANO’s AGENDA: (this is God’s calling on my life to be ‘set apart’ for His service)

  1. A unified Church
  2. To love God and love people in that order
  3. To purposefully live, model and train the Great Commandment, the Great Commission and the Great Requirement
  4. To slay the global giant problems in our world
  5. To believe in and develop young leaders and outside of the box thinkers to make a redemptive impact in their world