"I
can't!" and "I quit!" are two powerful statements. They denote a
desire and decision to stop trying in our human efforts. They lead us to
realize that we can, only in Christ (Philippians 4:13).
They
help us to die to our self and to rise to walk in the new life, which God has
planned for us (Mark 8:34-35; Ephesians 2:10). His peace in our spirit confirms
His will, and His joy is our strength (Philippians 4:7; Psalm 28:7).
We
are dead, and our life is now hidden with Christ in God. Christ is our whole
life (Colossians 3:3-4). We empty our self of all of our plans, goals and
dreams, and live according to God's counsel (Ephesians 4:11).
God
changed us from sinners to Saints, His adopted children who will inherit His
Kingdom. All that is His, now belongs to us as well (1 John 3:2; Ephesians 1:5;
Galatians 3:26). We are no longer strangers and aliens, but we belong in God's
family (Ephesians 2:19).
The
Christian life involves much less striving than many Believers think. There is
no need for us to use our humanity to accomplish anything in the Spirit
(Ephesians 2:8-9).
We
walk in the Spirit and exhibit His fruit in our character (Galatians 5:15-25).
This enables us to trust in the Lord with every fiber of our being and not to
depend on our human reasoning at all (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Jesus
died for our salvation from sin and eternal death (John 3:16 -18). Offering our
life to His service in our vocation and calling is our daily commitment to Him
in return.
Prayer:
Father
God, thank You for validating our worth through Your presence in our life. You
set us free to live, move and have our being in You (Acts 17:28). Your mercy
and love granted us forgiveness while we were still sinners (Romans 8:5), so
that we in turn can forgive our self and others who wrong us during our
lifetime (Matthew 6:14).
Teach
us to discern the difference between the carnal or satanic voices and Your
voice in our mind; so You can lead us throughout our day. Remind us not to
expect certain results when we obey Your promptings, because Your ways are so
much higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Thought
for the Day:
We
do not allow success or problems to approve or negate God's will for us,
because we may not see the eternal plan, which God accomplished through us
regardless of the results. - 1 Peter 4:12
