With ALL My MIGHT

I’m writing for Five Minute Friday and this week’s prompt word is MIGHT. 

In our Aussie vernacular, might often means may - I may do this or I may do that, meaning maybe I will and maybe I won’t.  

It’s rather non-committal, which is no way to live.

I’ve done that way too much in my life, out of apathy and fear. 

But lately, this verse has been jumping out at me.   (You know when you keep tripping up over a verse it’s time to take notice.) 

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.   Ecclesiastes 9:10

This verse speaks to me of doing things with might, with passion, wholeheartedly, purposefully, with commitment, while we can.  

The Lord showed me some interesting things in my quiet time this morning.  He often does.  

Yesterday, while in an op-shop (thrift store), I found a lovely red top, well made, my size and style, fairly simple, and the right colour to go with a couple of my pants and skirts.  

I’ve decided I like red.  It’s time for some colour, after years of wearing black, grey and navy.  

So what has that got to do with what the Lord showed me, or even with our prompt word? 

Heaps, as it turns out.   He reminded me of something He asked me to draw up in my journal a while back.  

He has been gradually speaking to me about gemstones and their biblical meaning and significance in my life. 

Rubies are red and they have great significance in Scripture and throughout history.   They represent wisdom, beauty, passion, boldness, sacrifice, love, and more.

Lately, He’s been talking to me about living fully, with passion, with boldness, with all my might.   

For me, rubies are a reminder that I need to live boldly, with passion and purpose, to shine with the wisdom and gifts He has given me, not to keep quiet or play small just to keep others happy, stop them from feeling insecure, or to stay in relationship with them.

I’ve done way too much of that in key relationships for my entire life. 

And I’ve kept things plain and boring and quiet for way too long.  I’ve ignored my passions and gifts and what lights my fire for way too long.  It’s time to be colourful and bold and passionate about those things that I’m good at.   It’s time to live my life with all my might, not half-heartedly, not quietly.  

That doesn’t mean I need to be obnoxious or deliberately provoke reactions in people.  Been there, done that, as a younger person, and it didn’t end well. 

But living a life that’s less than living with all your might is not honouring to Him.  Loving the Lord wholeheartedly looks like living the life He gave us to live.  

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might.  AMP C

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and with all your soul and with all your strength [your entire being].   AMP

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.   ESV

Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got!   MSG

I’m not sure exactly what that looks like but I do know it’s time to stop holding back, just in case I upset someone with who I am.  It’s time to wear colour again, to sew creatively instead of just sewing to mend clothes, to play the guitar without feeling guilty, to read fiction without thinking it’s a waste of time, to write regularly, to build relationships with people that others might see as boring or in some way less-than, to share what I see, to talk about and write about my perspective because of my lived experience.    

Loving God with all our might means not holding back out of fear, out of guilt, out of judgement (from ourselves even).    We need to be all in and if that upsets someone, then so be it. 

We need to live a life that brings glory to Him, that exhibits His glory to others.  That can only happen to the degree that we live wholeheartedly, passionately, fully, and in an ever-deepening relationship as we know Him more fully.

Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!   Ps 105:3,4

And it’s not about living to gain glory for ourselves, but too often we play small out of some kind of fear of making it look like it’s about us.   It isn’t.   We each carry aspects of His divine nature and gifts, and we should live in such a way that those things are available to people.  

When we truly know His love and live from the position of being loved, not striving towards it, we can be filled with His fullness and give Him the glory. 

Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory….   Ephesians 3:17-21

 

He is worthy of a life fully lived, lived with all our might. 

 

You are worthy of it all
You are worthy of it all
For from You are all things
And to You are all things
You deserve the glory