The Heart of A Pioneer

Pushing yourself to step out and become a witness for the lost.

Yesterday the Lord began to whisper the word pioneer into my ears. Knowing my Father the way I do, I knew that He had an agenda for that so I began to research history and definitions. The word Pioneer means - to develop or be the first to use or apply (a new method, area of knowledge, or activity).  To prepare, introduce, develop or launch something new. So now history tells of many pioneers. One in particular was Daniel Boone who became a real-life icon of pioneer history. Daniel Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky which was actually a part of Virginia then.  Before the end of the 18th century, more than 200,000 Americans migrated to Kentucky/Virginia by following the route marked by Boone. Now to look at the biblical aspect of a pioneer we have the greatest Pioneer in biblical history known as Jesus. The one who paved the way for us all. The one who went first and sacrificed His very life to cover every sin we may commit yet that we may live freely from condemnation through His forgiveness. Hebrews 12:2-3 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

 

Then there was John the Baptist, who was an obvious pioneer for Christ; he spent his whole life preparing the way for the One whom John was not even fit to carry his sandals. Throughout the Bible you find countless men and women who have prepared the way for God’s children, encouraging us to look beyond ourselves and the temporal to looking into the heavenlies and the eternal. So that we would come face to face with His destiny and purpose for us. All of us, as disciples, are pioneers. In Judges we learn about Deborah. Deborah was the only woman in scripture elevated to high political power by the common consent of her peers. As a homemaker - a wife and mother in Israel �" in her home she learned skills and lessons that would one day save her nation. Her compassion had been awakened by the abuse suffered by her people, out of her compassion she arose and made herself available. Whatever came before her on a daily basis she would always make sure that God’s wisdom was first sought first.

 

The truth is, we were all created to be pioneers in some point of our lives. Unfortunately, what I see in the churches today is many people willing to sit back and watch others become modern day pioneers instead of being that one to step out and make a difference. I believe we live in a time where society makes it very easy to sit in our comfortable chairs and watch others in action. Please know this is not a form of condemnation because I have done this most of my life so I know. I know what it's like to sit there all your life feeling as if you're not good enough or equipped enough to make a difference.

 

 

There's a common saying out there that says: God doesn't called the equipped, He equips the Called. We are all called to serve God. We all have different callings, different gifting. I spent all my life not knowing any of mine. Then one day I began to pray differently. Instead of asking God who I was, I began asking Him who He was in me. Throughout the following weeks and months He began to reveal to my the desires in my heart. I started to see what I could do in the world that made my heart smile. What I learnt was that our calling is usually what we become passionate about. I believe that Christ places that passion in us for a reason.

 

I began a long time ago studying the Proverbs 31 Woman and asking the Lord how I fit into that category. Learning that being a Proverbs 31 woman is not about being “perfect.” It’s about living life with purpose, diligence, forgiveness, and repentance. Not all of those things come so easily to those of us who have spent a life time of being hurt by others. Going through years of challenges that we have allowed to dictate to us who we will be the rest of our lives. My biggest challenge thus far was to allow God to re-program my mind so my thoughts lined up with His thoughts. My heart learned to love as He loves, my eyes began to see as He sees. That was my first step to becoming intimate with the Lord and seeing for the first time the desires He has placed in me. The things that make my heart and my spirit leap for joy. For me it is absolutely in local outreach. To be a missionary for our own neighborhoods. To feed peoples spirits as we feed them physically. As time goes on, the more you feed their bodies out of pure joy, the more they see Jesus alive in you. Maybe your desires are to preach the Gospel. To teach children, to counsel the broken hearted or even to begin learning along side a mentor. Maybe you just want to serve in your local church in areas that aren't spoken about often, that's where I began. That is all the works of a Pioneer Spirit. Some people may have seen me as un social, when in reality I had to allow the Lord to work in me and make me understand that to Him I was important and I mattered. So I needed to be alone with Him quite often.

 

I have always been a boisterous kind of person, but I also never liked the lime light. Everything I do I usually do in secret and sometimes I share in my secrets. So today I encourage you that if your not actively pursuing a pioneer spirit that you go before God and ask Him to reveal your inner passion and then seek after it. Seek after the heart of God instead of allowing your past or society tell us what we do is not important. Today I encourage you to become your own kind of pioneer, the kind that will make an impact on the lives of others. The kind that gives total glory and honor to God. Today I encourage you to stand up and ask Christ to awaken a compassion in you for to be able to prepare the way for those who will come after you and along side of you. My prayer is that all of God's children develop the heart of a Pioneer.