Our God, who raised Christ from the dead,
gives life to our mortal bodies (Romans 8:11). He also wants our soul – our mind, will and emotions - to prosper (3 John 1:2). Holiness is never obtained by
outward habits, but only by an inner love relationship with our Lord. The law
never sets anyone free, but simply shows us our need for a Savior (Galatians 3:24). Grace leads
everyone to repentance, but not everyone responds; some cling to their pride in
their humanity and reject God’s truth.
We rely on our human resources and
talents to accomplish our work for the Lord. We want to do it our self and we
do not want anyone to tell us what to do or how to do it. However, this
attitude comes from pride, and pride always precedes ultimate failure, even if
we succeed in the moment (Proverbs 16:18). God reminds us not to put our confidence
in our human abilities (Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 3:3). Conflict is the common result of pride and it opens a door for Satan
to influence the circumstances in our life (James 4:6-10; 1 Peter 5:1-10).
I used to run around breathless, because
I tried to meet everyone’s needs in my human efforts. I did not follow the
Spirit’s leading, and I followed my heart instead. I ended up bitter and
disappointed because people sometimes resented what they considered my
intrusion. We often consider human needs above the Lord’s desire for our life.
We consider others better than our self, but we forget to have humility of mind
in every area of life (Philippians 2:3).
Actually, in truth,
the work of God is simply to believe in Jesus, whom God sent (John
6:28-29). He requires nothing
else from us. God promises to guide us if we ask Him (Proverbs
3:5-6). Prayer is our greatest
ally in walking in God’s will (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). We respond to Him in love for what He has already
done for us. We serve others only as we are lead in love by the Spirit of God (Romans
12:1,10).
There is no need for
us to denigrate and deny our self in order to please God. Many false religions
purport this behavior in order to prove they are worthy of God’s love. Some
even use guilt and masochistic behavior to humble a person. We cannot obtain
salvation or do penance for our sins by self-denial. We only become like Christ
as we submit to the Spirit’s transforming work in our life (2
Corinthians 3:18).
Prayer:
We bless you, our God and Father. You
comfort us in our afflictions and give us Your hope and mercy. You show us how
to comfort others by Your example of comforting us. We may suffer for the name
of Christ, but You comfort us through Your name (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). We hope in You
and wait for Your salvation, because we have confidence that You always hear us
(Micah 7:7). We exult in You, Lord, and rejoice in your salvation. You
are our strength and our help (Habakkuk
3:18-19).
Thought
for the Day:
The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble; He knows
those who trust in Him. - Nahum 1:7