Don't Worry

Every week it is my goal to introduce you to everyday people sharing #WhatIfChrist moments. I want to do that because I want everyone to see Christ moving in and through their lives. But first, let me give you my definition of “everyday people.” 

When I say everyday people, I don't mean unimportant people. The world can lead us to believe that only the extraordinary people are worth noticing. Actually my definition of everyday people is just the opposite. You see, extraordinary people are the exception where ordinary people are the norm. And the norm includes our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, children, neighbors, and friends.  They are the ones who make the world go ‘round and ‘round. ​

#WhatIfChrist moments are those moments when things just seem to line up and you know it was not because of your might. It is a moment when you can see God's beauty so clearly in everyday experiences. It could also be when you can just sit back and know you are seeing a glimpse of heaven on earth; God’s Will being done on earth as it is in heaven.

​This week I want to introduce you to Michael Ruffin. When I asked Michael to tell me about himself, he described himself as a husband and father. He acknowledges that there was a time when his work would have defined him, but work is beginning to take its proper role in his life. It is not that work isn’t important, but his family is his priority.

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From the onset of our conversation it was clear that Michael is a changed man. Michael knew of Christ early in his life and acknowledged his need for Christ in college, but that still didn’t bring the total transformation. But because of God’s great love, over the course of Michael’s life, God has been revealing Himself in what seemed to be everyday random occurrences. And actually to the untilled heart some of those #WhatIfChrist moments might have been missed and even thought of as “coincidences.” But to Michael’s tilled heart, he is able to look back and see it was Christ revealing Himself.

​Definition: A tilled heart is a heart that is ready for planting season; for God’s Word to be planted. You see the condition of the heart will either help or hinder our relationship with Christ.

One thing that could be clearly seen in our conversion is that Michael is a changed man. Real encounters with Christ produce real change. It causes us to move from our old life, a life apart from Christ, to our new life, where the Holy Spirit has taken up residence. And the Holy Spirit is not just a guest who sits back quietly because it is not His home. The Holy Spirit lives within us and He is home. Don’t get me wrong, real encounters with Christ doesn’t mean that immediately, drastic change happens. It is not like there has been the wave of a magic wand, but with time your life does become drastically different, almost unbeknownst to you. Because real Jesus-encounters does mean that immediately on the inside you feel a difference. You may not be able to identify or even articulate it, but that change on the inside happens and you just know it. The changes that you begin to make in your life are not forced changes. You just find yourself doing life differently. So much so that it even surprises you. 

The immediate difference can be as simple as your desire to hear the Word. You see building a relationship with Christ is like building a relationship with your best friend. When building a relationship with your best friend, you don’t just sit back and do nothing. You work on your relationship. You do things to get to know that person; spending time with them, understanding their likes and dislikes, you get it.

When you know that God loves you AND you accept His love for you the strangest things begin to happen. You see, the things you used to like and do, that were not God-honoring, you no longer have a desire for them. You also begin to love people differently. Knowing God loves you and accepting His love for you fills you with His love, which overflows to all who crosses your path.

Michael rededicated his life to Christ earlier this year. He sees a drastic change in his life as he looks at who he was and who he is becoming. He can see the fruit of the Spirit in His life. Galatians 5:22-23, 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 

So, it is not just knowing about Christ, it is about living Christ. And when you see life through the eyes of Christ, you see people and things differently, but you also get to see God’s love for you. And God loves you so much, it is actually hard to really comprehend, but He gives us little glimpses.

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It is like when you love someone, you want them to know it and you get joy in showing them. ​

You can show them in big ways, but small ways also speak volumes. For instance, you know your best friend likes pears and you are out and you eat a delicious pear and you can’t rest until you bring them one.

God does that for us. Michael shares a story about a when he was facing a hard time in his life and God put people in place to show him exactly how much He loves him, with things that only God would know was significant to him.

So, “don’t worry.” Life may not look the way you expected. Plans you made may not happen as you originally expected them to. But when you trust God, the plans He has for you far exceed your thoughts, even your wildest dreams. This is seen sometimes in just the small things, but sometimes in big, life-altering things. This is what you hear when you hear Michael’s story and you hear him speak about his daughter, Anna Rose.

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Make sure to head on over to my YouTube channel and subscribe, so you don't miss any of the #WhatIfChrist moments. Be sure to listen to my full interview with Michael.