Not all initiative, the willingness to take the first step, is inspired by God. Someone may say to you, “Get up and get going! Take your reluctance by the throat and throw it overboard— just do what needs to be done!” That is what we mean by ordinary human initiative. But when the Spirit of God comes to us and says, in effect, “Get up and get going,” suddenly we find that the initiative is inspired.

We all have many dreams and aspirations when we are young, but sooner or later we realize we have no power to accomplish them. We cannot do the things we long to do, so our tendency is to think of our dreams and aspirations as dead. But God comes and says to us, “Arise from the dead . . . .” When God sends His inspiration, it comes to us with such miraculous power that we are able to “arise from the dead” and do the impossible. The remarkable thing about spiritual initiative is that the life and power comes after we “get up and get going.” God does not give us overcoming life— He gives us life as weovercome. When the inspiration of God comes, and He says, “Arise from the dead . . . ,” we have to get ourselves up; God will not lift us up. Our Lord said to the man with the withered hand, “Stretch out your hand” (Matthew 12:13 ). As soon as the man did so, his hand was healed. But he had to take the initiative. If we will take the initiative to overcome, we will find that we have the inspiration of God, because He immediately gives us the power of life.

It can be a struggle to understand when it is our own voice, our own strength or the voice, strength and initiative from God. We are told to wait on the Lord, be patient and wait upon Him, and now we are told, we are to take the initiative. Which is it to be?In every spiritual example we can find, God does require us to accept His grace, gifts and blessings. We are required to reach out and up, we are required to believe. The key once again is our connection.

When we are connected to God, we know when God speaks to us, we know when He wants us to move or stay or simply wait patiently.  When we are connected to God we hear His voice very clearly and know it is God guiding us. When we know it is God guiding us, we are always inspired to do exactly what He wants.  JDV/DJR