Prior to our salvation, we lived life with one goal and focus…our self. We did what we wanted to do and what pleased our self. Even living a life in service to others was done to please our self, because it made us feel good about who we are and what we were accomplishing. Once we come to Christ, those carnal desires to please our self are still there.
This is
called, the flesh. The flesh wants to have its own way and rebels against anything
to the contrary. At first, Paul’s admonition to die daily is not only foreign,
but also repulsive to us. We cringe from inflicting any hardship on our self.
However, God gives us both the power and the desire to walk in His will for our
life (Philippians
2:12-13). Desiring to
please Him above all else, becomes our goal and focus.
It is
interesting that the only areas of our life that God wants to change are those
parts, which are harmful to us anyway. Hobbies, habits and hang-ups, which are
sinful, are also destructive to our well-being. God replaces our selfish
character with His divine character and our human nature with His divine nature,
and we are much more fulfilled and at peace.
In living
for our self, Satan made sure we were attracted to sin. He made it look enjoyable
and used that to tempt us. In Christ, we no longer enjoy the same activities
and many of them are actually abhorrent to us. We no longer see any value in
them or why they had any appeal to us in the first place. We find more and more
freedom in our service to God because His love lifts us higher and higher.
Prayer:
Father God, there is nothing this world has to offer that can take Your place
in our life. We are never lonely again, because Your presence is with us and in
us through every experience we will ever encounter. Our best interest is at the
center of Your heart and You work out everything, even the worst sickness and
the most dire of circumstances for our ultimate benefit. Thank You for Your
love and direction in our life.
Thought
for the Day:
God’s love lifted me.
God’s love lifted me.
