No couch potatoes in the church!

Are you a couch potato? One thing we don’t happen to have in our living room at this time, due to certain circumstances, is a couch. (One of which is that we have pets that our daughter Natalie no longer wants and we have no other place for them. Anyone want a bunny?) I could let that bother me but for one, I don’t have a lot of spare time to spend sitting on the couch and two, even if I did have more down time, you can bet that between my husband and two teenagers, (that seems so weird to say with Kaleb having turned 13 in April!) chances of me having access to the couch would be slim to none! Ha!

As I was in prayer this morning, I was thinking about the overall church, the Body of Christ. It seems to me that she is malnourished, though not as a person who is starving but malnourished like a person who is severely overweight (symbolic of heavy burdens), not eating the right things; therefore, not getting nourishment and strength. The body is weakened and has lots it's strength.

Not eating the right things can be symbolic of what you allow to enter through your eye gate, ear gate, etc.... Remember the kids song “oh be careful little eyes what you see.....For the Lord up above is looking down in love, oh be careful little eyes what you see.” The song continues on with “be careful little ears what you hear” and “be careful little mouth what you speak” etc... Proverbs 4:23 tells us, "Above all else guard your heart for everything you do flows from it.“ .

The church has been sitting on the couch for too long. The couch symbolizes comfort. That is where much of the church is, reclining in a position of spectating and being entertained, rather than participating. She has made herself too comfortable. If we do participate, it is often only within the four walls of the church and sometimes, it is even done in a spirit of competition or just be to seen by others. Are we truly God-focused or are we self-focused?

He raised us up with Christ the exalted One, and we ascended with him into the glorious perfection and authority of the heavenly realm, for we are now co-seated as one with Christ! Ephesians 2:6 The Passion Translation. You are seated but not as one reclining or spectating. You are seated as in a position of authority. This speaks of being active, making things happen in the spiritual realm, bringing the Kingdom of God to the earth realm!

You are to be active, not inactive for the sake of the Kingdom. But I know so many who are weary, exhausted, and just want to recline and not get back up. I feel that way myself at times. Isn't it obvious that all runners on the racetrack keep running to win, but only one receives the victor's prize? (Sadly many in the body of Christ have quit running altogether.) Yet each one of you must run the race to be victorious. (You cannot quite. It is not an option for you) A true athlete will be disciplined in every respect, practicing constant self-control in order to win a laurel wreath that quickly withers. But we run the race (get up off the couch) to win a victor's crown that will last forever. For that reason, I don't just run for exercise or box like one throwing aimless punches, but I train like a champion athlete. I subdue by body and get it under control so that after preaching the good news to others (the world is waiting), I myself won't be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 TPT

It is time for us to get up and go higher! It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. He enables me to stand on the heights. 2 Samuel 22:33-34

When an athlete signs a contract, they are provided with whatever is needed for them to win. I heard the Lord say, "My covenant has been made and I'm committed forever to my chose one David." Psalm 89:3. We have an even better covenant than David had. We have the power of the resurrection power of Jesus on the inside of us!

God's covenant is not just for a season but it is eternal. Athletes always face opposition and resistance and both of those make the athlete stronger, giving much needed endurance. The Holy Spirit is our trainer. It's time to get off the couch, (the low place) and climb to the heights with Him! My prayer is that the church, the body of Christ, will step out of the spectator's booth and get in the race; disciplined, yoked to Him, not with a works mentality. A good athlete in training knows when to push through (pray until something happens) and when rest. When we do rest, we rest in Him. We keep our eyes on Him. I have read the book and in the end we win!!

Will you rise from your place of comfort to stand on the heights?