Obstacles to N+1

4/19/2023

Make sure to see the fuller conversation about helping each other to BE priests, not just spectators. N+1

What are some obstacles to a “+1” Life in Jesus and His Body?

1) Lack of depth or self-awareness, and therefore lack of taking things “personally” or applying things to oneself

2) Gloom and doom pessimism and fear and self-judgment rather than optimistic personal application knowing He completes that which He Begins “according to our Faith” - our willingness to lean into Him because He is Good.

3) Defensiveness

4) Comparisons and “yeah buts”

Do any others come to mind, or experience?

* Divided heart and double-minded... thereby choking out the Good Seed. “Cares and affairs” or “responsibility” distractions.

* “Being domesticated” --attention on the practicals of the children and house and purchases and needs etc instead of forcing eyes and thoughts to go deeper.

* Being too busy or distracted with trivial things to take the time to consider, pray, and search for the reasons why something didn’t resonate as it should. Assigning vague feelings of discontent instead of coming to clear conclusions about what needs to change

* Lack of Consciousness of God and therefore inability to See and Sense specific, personal discrepancies

* Lazy lack of love. I think one of the largest personal +1 Opportunities is to have a devotion to helping others +1 by truly wanting to see them GROW. Anything less is a serious lack of care. It is content with being a “needy” child spiritually, treating the Kingdom like a pastime, and never moving on to being a Father/Parent. “But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.” (Jeremiah 23:22) When I’m with others, I know in my heart if I’m there to veg or I’m there to Work, to be an Agent of Change. Having a mind to Work may not always result in something being said or done that one could point to and say, “That was priestly work.” But if I’m simply there to veg, there is no chance any lasting Work will ever be done. It is way too easy for me to veg than to Work or to at least have a mind and outlook to Work.

* Lack of Preparation before the Throne leading to ineffectual interactions

* Not taking the initiative and asking for and seeking input and help from others

* Lack of an earnest and prayer-FULL passion regarding every single obstacle listed above. Thank you, Family.

* Postponing “hard” things. This is a sin of arrogantly thinking there’s more time, not believing it’s Life and death crucial right now. Thinking I am somehow qualified to define what hard is when He asks me to simply trust Him. The truth is, it’s not hard for Him. He is sooooo trustworthy.

* Not believing there is a point of loss or Real price for not. Having some false belief that you’ll have time or that you’ll get a second, third, or 100th chance. That God is sovereign and that takes you off the hook as far as responsibility... “it’ll all work out” lie.

* Doubting God’s intimate involvement and control. “Stuff happens randomly.” Not having a constant awareness that the unseen rules the seen.

* Striking the ground casually a few times instead of with power and determination when working through life obstacles to add the +1. When you desire to See and Experience God more in a certain way or area, not sticking with it. Forgetting. Letting life happen to you instead of “I won’t let you go until you bless me in this area.” Hold on tightly. Persevere.

* Thinking that someone else will see it more correctly and ask a needed question...laziness there and shrinking back from the Work in front of me. A clergy-laity mindset of “it’s someone else’s responsibility to do something about this issue I’m seeing.” Lack of willingness to put yourself in stretching situations, out of self-protection/fear of failure.

* Comfort or social seeking or social yakking instead of prayerful co-working with Abba and tractor-beam communing. Careless words and self-serving small talk filling the air during times together, eliminating the ability for Real interactions and +1 opportunities.

* Not being willing to go the extra mile or offer your cloak in service to others.

* Measuring +1 based on me rather than Jesus. +1 better than me can only cost a little more than I’m already paying. +1 more like Jesus can cost quite a lot.

* Little crosses still require dying and losing control 100%, not just trying a little harder. The cross may be small, but that doesn’t mean I can get away with only being half dead ;)

* Growing weary, fatiguing. Instead of digging in every single day no matter what the obstacles are, He is worthy of the fight! (Gal 6:9)

* If I’m at all turning to the wrong place instead of Jesus, my ONE place/only relief valve/One to look forward to, when I hurt, and am trying to find other things to “feel better” that pretty much guarantees all I can see is myself and my “problems” and how I “feel” and I’m not going to be able to See anyone else. I’m going to hurt others AND myself. Not worth it. If my eyes are on me (insecurity/which is pride) how can I focus on you?! Eyes can only be in one direction :-).

* “Why so downcast, oh my soul, put your Hope in God.” Clear direction for when the plus one owies want to cause me/us to focus inward.

* Carrying around the past in relationships, instead of believing that If forgiven, then the past (even 5 minutes ago) is GONE and we’ve no right to carry it into tonight or tomorrow, for ourselves as well as each other.

* Not clearly seeing it as Jesus himself who is the one who is simply loving on me and helping me. Only wanting the best for us all. Jesus in His Body...treasuring that.

* Being willing to be wrong and learn too.

* If I put a “limit” on how much pain I’m willing to face in changing, then I’d miss the chances to see His miracles in doing the +1. He is a good master and never asks too much though!

* Being without vision. Losing crystal clarity for why I am here. (To serve you however I can even if a cup of cold water). Letting years roll by with “events” and “details” and thus no fruit that lasts. Instead of forcefully advancing, passively coasting.

* Allowing yourself to “zone out” and take a back seat in the battle and justifying why it’s ok to do so instead of holding His dream and the Prize clearly before us and being willing to fight for it until He gets what He deserves. It’s a Fighting heart that doesn’t live on the emotions or feelings of the day, but on Truth.

* Lack of transparency, with others, or fear of transparency with others.

* Getting stuck in an anxious (and selfish) radio of “how to do the +1.” Turning “+1” into a principle I need to make sure to “do,” instead of *making Jesus’ smile* be my one goal, in communing with Him as a person about each person and situation. Striving/laziness vs. being a deep Lover of Jesus and others.

("Radio" = our spinning, chattering, analytical noisy thoughts that are not of Christ -- our radio of self-indulgence, self-justification, accusation and judgment, mopey, looping, fantasies, comparison, pride, fears, and more.)

* I keep thinking of my phone and being master of it and in no way a lemming following dings or flesh impulses. I wonder how much I’ve missed +1 at times because I was looking at my phone (even for “useful” reasons) rather than Jesus or children or other people.

* Looking for contentment in a situation or relationship, rather than a continual “How can Jesus have more of this person and of me?”

* Lack of really READING God’s word and immersing oneself in teaching. Just skimming or getting through it or checking it off the list instead of reading or listening to change and grow and become someone you currently aren’t.

* Insecurity/over-analyzing/second guessing/ Holding back to speak up in the moment to +1 another because I don’t want things to be uncomfortable (or I’m not “sure what to say”), which is really just self-protection. On the flip side without guile/a true Israelite and Agape love motivating me to say something be honest.

* Knowing that thinking “Am I sure?” Or “maybe I’m wrong” are not reasons at all, but excuses. Even if I am wrong, there is still an opportunity for Plus 1 for myself. So it’s a win-win.

* Being so anxious and fearful about yourself and all the things you need to change that you just become aware of yourself in an introspective way, instead of calmly opening your hands, communing with Jesus in the garden about the things He wants you to grow and change in and making those small Faithful steps toward Him and towards growth. Too much focus on my perceived +20 “need” can outweigh the +1 gift for others and Jesus

* Becoming dull by indulging my flesh - sleep, food, entertainment. Refusing to humble myself quickly when the pricks of conscience and the Spirit let me know I’ve crossed a line in my heart.

*You are what you eat. Feeding your flesh candy, cake, and ice cream (news, sports, videos, technology) numbs you to what’s going on in front of you. You have no capacity for +1 +1 because you only have the world to offer.

* I noticed recently, that the thing that causes me to treat Family around me as objects in my world is when I am consumed with trying to do the right thing from situation to situation. Versus seeing each situation and person through the eyes of Love and the Holy Spirit. That gives perspective on what to pray about and how to love on them!!! By Jesus’ grace and by his new covenant... I’ll go that way all the more!!

* Lack of being vertical - Feeling overwhelmed with “I’m guilty of ALL of these right now.” Instead of Faith that says - Jesus, right now, help every one of us in this “room” find a way to apply one thing from all this to our next five minutes...and the next five please give us grace to turn to You and remember and apply one more and one more.

* Unbelief that says, “It’s probably just my problem, so I won’t ask them (simply and prayerfully) about this thing they said that didn’t seem like Jesus, etc.” Writing myself out of the script because of the filthy radio of “I’m not good enough” that will kill people I know, if I don’t shut it down. “What did God say?” The end.

* Getting used to rituals. “This is the way we’ve always done it.”

* Being slow to turn the “radio” off or letting our minds try to figure things out, and letting those be the Tune that we listen to instead of closely and intentionally listening for the sweet voice of Jesus’ Tune.

* Being a prayerful, Caring, Loving, Connected, Priest with others.

* Thinking about things whether a situation in front of me or thinking back through a day on what happened with the people I was with but stopping short of actually communicating with Jesus as a person about the specifics. I’ve caught myself there and realized that’s like being stuck in a flat gray world and when I looked up and actually started talking to Jesus it’s like, Ahhh, there’s the Life, color, dimension and often it’s the beginning of a way to act — direction for a question to ask or encouragement to send. The path opens up, His word lights the way. Listened to a track from “Prayer, Reach for the Stars” recently where the spur was to push our prayers and others toward God — active, forceful, with no place for passive unfocused merely floating thoughts.

* Running things through the brain and too little talking with God for real about it

* Independence — not seeing Need for others, not wanting to take responsibility for others, not pushing through to build an Intertwined life...

* Pride-not wanting to admit to yourself and others of being wrong, so you lose the opportunity to change

* Yes, similar to some others- with Being self-conscious in the wrong way about all that is lacking and having Unbelief of what God says. Instead, needing to get better rooted in what He says and Believing and Trusting what He can and will do if I let go and get to the depths of where He wants me to go and change. And then stepping outside of myself to think of others with being faithful to Really care about them and not be afraid to let them into my life to help +1 me and me not being afraid to be wrong in wanting to help +1 them.

* Feeling like “I don’t fit in,” “I’m just awkward,” out of place, less valuable because... dwelling on those thoughts that revolve around me vs. security in just belonging to Jesus and turning off that radio and caring about the people around me.

* Being willing to follow through and not shrink back!

* One obstacle to a “+1” Life in Jesus and His Body is to be slow to be a blessing to Him in very practical ways when relationship challenges surface. I never want to let ANYthing get in the way of honoring His desire to see us truly be One, as He and Abba Are One (John 17).

* Lack of anticipation, joy, and gratitude for what Jesus wants to and will do when I have faith and stay connected to Him.

Make sure to see the fuller conversation about helping each other to BE priests, not just spectators. N+1

•  PreKnown Not Predestined: Just Do Your Part!