From Inspiration to Implementation

One of the true blessings of being a son or daughter of God is to experience receiving inspiration through revelation from God’s Spirit. At these times, the Holy Spirit deposits the thoughts of His mind directly into our spirit. We recognize these deposits from heaven as gifts wrapped in unconditional love that release thanksgiving from our hearts and worship from our souls. 

These gifts of wisdom and revelation then inspire us to seek after Him with renewed energy knowing that we will not be disappointed if we seek Him with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:11-13 NASB1995). 

As exhilarating as receiving a word from the Lord for our lives is, we often experience a “let down” shortly afterwards. This phenomenon is rooted in the fact that we carry the infinite Spirit of God within our mortal bodies. Our flesh—the sum total of our habits, both good and bad—wars against our spirit. 

Although I quote Jesus from another context, His description of our spiritual anatomy is consistent throughout our days upon this earth: “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41 NASB1995). As a child on Christmas morning sets aside the toy he has dreamed of for months after playing with it for only fifteen minutes, we can quickly lose the inspiration gained from receiving a word from God. 

Mark Twain used to lament that he was unable to mine the vast amount of unexpressed wisdom buried in the minds of the corpses in any graveyard. Frustration sets in when we begin to feel that we, too, may be buried with the call of God still lodged in our hearts, never released and forever unavailable to those we leave behind. 

How do we make the step from inspiration to implementation?

Discipline is required to manifest the inspiration of God. Bill Johnson, senior leader at Bethel Church, is fond of quoting prophet Larry Randolf as saying, “God is responsible for fulfilling His promises, but He is not responsible for developing our potential.” 

Consider the revelation of God to be the seed planted in our hearts and the implementation of that inspiration to be the fruit of our character and our good works. 

We grow in godliness, working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12 NASB1995), by partnering with the Lord in obedience to the calling He has placed upon our lives.

We have a tendency, most likely introduced to us as children, to see discipline as punishment. Although, unlike our earthly fathers, our Heavenly Father does not use discipline to punish us but rather to form us into His image. 

“For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:10-11 NASB1995)

How can we walk out the call of God in any area of life?

Here are five encouragements to help you implement the inspiration you receive from the Lord.

1) Write down the revelation you receive.

Habakkuk 2:2 tells us to “Record the vision and inscribe is on tablets, that the one who reads it may run.” It’s important to write down your revelation so that you won’t forget it. The Lord gives us revelation in seed form. This means that we often don’t immediately understand the fullness of the revelation. 

Writing it down will allow you to meditate on it and develop the meaning of the revelation over a period of time. You will be able to come back to the revelation after setting it aside for a while. When you read it again, after gaining valuable life experience in the meantime, you will have a much deeper understanding and appreciation for the revelation. 

Writing down the revelation will hold you accountable to it. You will find yourself being led by the Lord’s insights even as you seek out understanding of other topics.  

2) Understand the purpose of the revelation.

The Lord desires to bring transformation into your life. “Without vision, the people are unrestrained (Proverbs 29:18 NASB1995). Writing down your revelation is the best way to not be side-tracked in your quest to develop a more accurate understanding of who you are in His sight and what the Lord would have you to do. Return and read the revelation often. Add notes to it.Seek out ways to develop yourself to become the person that is capable of carrying out the fullness of the vision. 

You will become more Christlike and gain access to His promises as you conform yourself to the revelation you receive from the Lord.

3) Be patient.

“With the Lord, one day is like one thousand years” (2 Peter 3:8 NASB1995). Our Heavenly Father is eternal. Remember that we are on this earth to learn to worship Him forever in eternity. Do not rush to understand the revelation. The Lord is not in a hurry. He desires for you to produce more fruit through embracing His revelation. 

Pay attention to the areas in your life that cause you to fall short of living out the revelation He will bring these to your attention. Submit yourself to the process that He has chosen to walk you through.  

4) Seek guidance.

Begin to develop a network of people that can help you walk in the revelation you have received. Other people can make their own life experiences and expertise available to you for the purpose of growing in faith. Ask questions of others to gain insight into how they have  grown by applying themselves to develop the revelation that they have received form the Lord.

Nonetheless, remember that the Lord has given you revelation specific to His plan for your life, not someone else’s life. Each of us is responsible for working out our own salvation. 

5) Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

Receiving revelation from the Lord is an exciting experience. We have a tendency to want to share our experience with others right away. Be cautious. Remember, His revelation is a gift. He often shares intimate secrets of His character and His plans with us. Be sure to receive any revelation with a humble heart, knowing that the revelation will require you to change. 

Share with others only the portions of the revelation you know you are released to share at the appropriate time. You will know that you have shared too much with others when they do not respond well. They may not understand how significant the revelation is to you. They may not “get it.” They may even become naysayers. 

Don’t let this discourage you. Realize that you have “jumped the gun” and return to your secret place with the Lord. He will give you further revelation concerning how to move forward.

Our Heavenly Father loves us. He desires for us to grow more fully into the image of His Son as we live out our days upon this earth. Allow Him to lead you. Expect to grow. Be patient with the process. Remain open to receive inspiration from the Lord and stand ready to embrace all that He has for you.

Please feel free to respond in the comments with your own experience of stewarding the revelation of the Lord. 

Photo credit: Annie Spratt on Unsplash