Under the Right Conditions
The degree to which God works in our lives and the world around us is directly related to the degree to which we create an environment that welcomes Him.
Incredible things are happening all around us. As we speak, the conditions for life are being met, and as a result, you're able to sit wherever you are and read this. The right amount of oxygen exists in the atmosphere, the temperature of the earth is just right, and gravity is just strong enough to keep us grounded. The conditions of the earth are right, therefore life can exist.
Do we operate under the same laws, principles, and framework as the planet we live on? We accept the laws of physics because they are plain as day in front of us, but when those laws apply directly to our lives, do we miss the mark? I believe so. God created this planet so that we, and life in general, could exist. It's not a coincidence that life just so happens to exist on earth.
The conditions are right, and life follows. The conditions do not follow life. Life follows the conditions.
Fire Is One of Nature's Great Miracles
I've always appreciated a good fire. There's a natural curiosity in all of us for it — it's why we'll sit around a bonfire just staring into it for hours on end. When I call fire a miracle, I usually get weird looks. We take it for granted because we have unlimited access to it now, but there was a time when your distant ancestors struggled mightily to get fire, and when they did, they cherished it. They used trial and error to find that with the right amount of heat, oxygen, and fuel, fire would light. Fire brings the ability to boil water and cook food, killing off harmful bacteria. Fire brings warmth, light, and life.
We can control the inputs that produce fire, so it's easy to think it's not a miracle. Today all I have to do is strike a match or flip a switch. But no matter how easy or hard it is to produce, the conditions necessary remain the same — there always needs to be enough heat, oxygen, and fuel. Without the conditions, there is no fire.
We get hung up on the fact that we are creating the conditions, and that's what makes us forget what a miracle it is. It's a miracle because fire, like all natural phenomena, is a naturally occurring and continuous gift from God. The great thing about these gifts is that we get to play a role in them — we get to create the conditions and watch the miracle take place right in front of our eyes. If we don't create the conditions, the miracle never comes to fruition.
Conception works the same way. It's amazing to me that a man and woman can come together and create a life. I believe wholeheartedly that conception is a miracle, and that God creates the life that starts at natural conception but we get to create the conditions necessary for that miracle. Like fire, if the conditions are right, life will be created every single time.
God gave us the ability to create the conditions, and He requires our participation to make miracles possible.
We think we do most of the work, but without God, we're not making fire. We're just rubbing sticks together.
Conditions for Life
Fire and conception are just two examples of the miracles we find in nature. I think the laws that govern nature also govern us — physically, spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually. When the conditions are met, miracles will happen. Not some of the time. Every single time.
God has an incredible dream for your life. He has created you for unimaginable greatness and given you all the talents and abilities necessary to carry out your God-given purpose. The truth is, your life is a miracle. The fact that you're living and breathing right now is nothing short of one. Albert Einstein said, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." I fully believe that everything is a miracle — and just like the miracles in nature, the miracles in our own lives only happen under the right conditions.
God is a God of cooperation. He wants us to participate in the miracles He works. He gives us fire, but only if we provide the heat, oxygen, and fuel. He gives us the miracle of life, but only if we create the conditions for conception. When Jesus cured sick people, He told them, "Your faith has saved you." He's the one working the miracle, but He reminds us our participation is essential. He could give us everything without us doing a thing — but that's not how He works. He wants our cooperation, and He wants us to create the right conditions for the miracles of life to come about.
Creating the right conditions for God to work miracles in our lives is a central theme in a concept that I call Fully Available: creating the conditions for God to work miracles in and through us.
Being Fully Available means that in every aspect of your life, the conditions are being met so that God can work unimaginable greatness through you.
God will not work His miracles in your life until you do your part. The measure of your availability to God is the measure to which you've created the right conditions for miracles to happen.
Too often I hear people say that if only God would give them a sign, they would believe in Him. It's a shame to hear this, because God wants to give you a clear sign — but He loves you too much to force one on you. He'll wait until you act, until the conditions are right. God won't drive a parked car. He wants you to act and cooperate with Him so He can do incredible things in your life.
That's the essence of being Fully Available: taking the talents and abilities God has given you, striving to live to your potential in each one, and turning them over to God — who will work miracles in your life. It’s a radical cooperation with the will of God. You already have all the tools you need. You just have to create the right conditions to use them. Remember: the conditions don't follow the miracle. The miracle follows the conditions.
