"To be horribly vulnerable to the Lord was something that characterized the lives of the disciples. There was a willingness to be shaped. That will manifest itself in a number of ways, two of which are prominent in my mind:
1. Luke 17:5 - A willingness to be available to enlargement. Not being satisfied to live in the same dimension of life that you've known. A hunger to follow the Lord no matter what it costs. A stretching of our experience that makes possible the expansion of what I can believe for and the increase of faith to contend for the release of God's kingdom and purpose through me.
2. Ephesians 1:17-23 - A willingness to become a part of the cutting edge in God's purposed plan to break in on the stronghold of darkness and let His light be poured forth. The sharpening process is the most difficult. It requires staying close to the Master, who shapes us by experience and the Word; plus the principle of iron sharpening iron, which has to do with brother sharpening brother.
It's not a matter of confessing a lack of contentment, in that I'm satisfied with where I am, but a desire to speak like Paul of the many things that are still to be obtained, coupled with a desire to press on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God for my life.
The opposite of willingness to develop in God's purposes for my life is a stance of passivity or that 'kingdom freeloader' mentality. It rides the crest of past experience, but never really contends for more. Satan's whole thrust is to kill and destroy and while he's pursuing his purposes of destruction, he restricts, confining believers to an area far below their true inheritence.
A practical suggestion to battle that sluggish or weary attitude is to fix your heart toward the wisdom of 'maintaining what you have and contending for more.' Don't ever assume that just because you learned something means you'll always live it. Amen! Amen! Amen! And don't ever settle for anything less than God's high purpose. The dangers of partial growth and victory are multiple. It reads on the bottom line, 'You're less than all.'
A willing shepherd,
Pastor Ron"