Dharius Daniels - Stop Underutilizing God

We are trying to be Christians without God. We’re attempting to overthrow the spirit of heaviness without God, and we’re trying to advance in our careers without God. Purpose is misunderstood; abuse is inevitable. In other words, you will always intentionally or unintentionally mismanage what you misunderstand. This is why the enemy aggressively attempts to get us, as believers, to operate in ignorance. I want us to be okay with using the term «ignorance» to describe certain areas of our lives because, in one area or another, we are all ignorant. It has been used in culture in a condescending way, but the truth is, it is used in that manner because people conflate ignorance with intelligence. Intelligence pertains to your capacity to comprehend something, while ignorance simply deals with the information you have or have not been exposed to. So, just because I’m uninformed doesn’t mean I’m unintelligent; it just means that once you provide me with the right information, I’m going to receive a revelation that could cause a revolution in my life. I’m not dumb; I just don’t know everything about everything. Are you hearing what I’m saying? The enemy understands this, and he aggressively tries to keep us in states where we are either uninformed—that’s one type of ignorance—or misinformed. That’s another type of ignorance, and the misinformed category is more dangerous than the uninformed, because at least when you’re uninformed, you know you’re ignorant. When we are misinformed, we are both ignorant and arrogant—arrogant about what we’re misinformed about. Some people will argue you under the table while being as wrong as can be. It’s baffling how someone can be so confident while being so wrong. He wants us to operate in this condition because he knows that whatever we misunderstand, we mismanage. Mismanaging something isn’t always a wrong utilization; it can also be an underutilization of that thing. Watch this—when I don’t understand what something is, I can take this iPad, right, and I can use it only to send emails. That’s not wrong management; it’s not wrong utilization, but if that’s all I use it for, that’s underutilization. Sometimes, we underutilize something because we have not been informed with the right information about its capabilities and its potential to contribute to our lives. Today, as we explore part four of this series, «Christian,» in this sacred space where we are experiencing what we call revival, I think it’s important that we do not underutilize God. I’m going to say that one more time: we are trying to be Christians without God. We’re trying to overthrow the spirit of heaviness without God, and we’re trying to advance in our careers without God. You’re trying to stay married without God; you’re trying to choose the right person, not knowing that wolves come in sheep’s clothing. You might meet people one way in one season, but life changes people in ways you cannot predict. I don’t care how solid someone is—if you are with someone long-term, you’re going to hit a season where you wake up to a stranger. Now, you must relearn how to love that person whom life has shaped differently. You’re not smart enough to handle things on your own; you need God. It’s foreign to hear something like this, and because you recognize the importance of God cognitively, you may assume you’re practicing it experientially. I could say, «Hey, do you know you can’t do this? You can’t have level three without God.» Cognitively, people will affirm this, but experientially, when I ask, «Are you living that way? Is there a childlike dependence? Is there a resilient reliability? Is there a passionate pursuit of Him because you seek what you need?”—I guess I need to repeat that: you seek what you need. If you lose your keys and you need to get somewhere, you will turn your house upside down trying to find those car keys. I’ve got to get to work, and I don’t care if I have to unmake my bed if I just made it up. I don’t care if I have to turn cushions on the couch over; I don’t care if I have to open every drawer and every cabinet. When I’m looking for something I need, I seek it until I find it. Did you hear what I said? God requires the seek, because the seek is what notifies you and reminds you of your need. He said, „I’m not making you seek because I want to be hard to find; I’m making you seek because you need to be reminded of how much you need Me. You’re trying to drive without keys.“ You will find Me if you seek Me with your whole heart. I came today with my heart burdened by the Holy Spirit to put the seek back in you, because some of you have swag but you’ve lost your seek, and you’re smart but you’ve lost your seek, and you’re savvy but you’ve lost your seek. You see some success, but you’ve lost your seek, and because you lost your seek, you’ve lost your satisfaction. He said, „I’m the only one who can give you real satisfaction.“ Yes, He says, „When I told you I’m going to make your cup run over, I’m talking about Me. Did you hear what I just said?“ Yes, He said in Psalms 23, when I talk about filling your cup until it runs over, I’m not just talking about things; I’m…