We humans often carry around a high and inflated opinion
of our self. We feel that we have our life in balance and under our control,
and we do not need God or anyone else to help us. We use self-discipline to
channel our life in the direction in which we want it to go (Philippians 3:6).
We eventually burn out or get overwhelmed by the
multitude of stress that we put on our self and which we allow this world,
which is full of trouble and sorrows, to put on us.
Throughout our life, God gives us many opportunities to
partner with Him and to receive His multitude of blessings. These are choices
that require faith in Christ's sacrifice on Calvary's cross and a commitment to
God's will for each moment of our day.
As the years progress in the palm of His outstretched
hands, we find everlasting peace, joy and love that we can find from no other
source. Our passion to follow Jesus and our dedication to His Kingdom become
our guiding light through the dark passages we encounter (Philippians 3:10).
The more time we spend in God's presence and walking in
His Spirit, the more intimate our relationship with Jesus grows. This
relationship is not only an intellectual union of knowing about God, but it
involves a union of our emotions, choices and spirit with His presence within
us as well.
The more we focus on God in our life, the quicker this
transition takes place. When we submit our old, carnal, sin-filled nature to
God, He fashions us into a new creation, gives us the mind of Christ and sanctifies
our soul by His Spirit as we die daily to the desires of our flesh.
Nothing is more important to us than clinging to God each
moment of every day. When we do, we rarely reap the abundance of trials and
tribulation caused by destruction from Satan, or the discipline of God for our
errant thoughts, words and deeds (Galatians 5:15-35).
We are no longer earthly-minded. We are more interested
in spiritual pursuits, even in the midst of the daily grind of household
chores, vocational demands, community involvement and family responsibilities.
We keep our focus on Jesus in every endeavor, and He keeps us in His perfect
peace (Isaiah 26:3-4).
Prayer:
Father God, teach us how liberating life can be once we
consider all things as inconsequential when we compare it to the wondrous
opportunity that You provide for us to intimately know Your Trinity
(Philippians 3:8). With this growing relationship, we learn contentment with
whatever You choose to provide for us in our lifetime (Philippians 4:12).
We adapt more easily and move where You call us
regardless of the sacrifices, which You call on us to make, because Your love,
peace and joy continue to reign supreme over our thoughts, emotions and
choices. You replace the temporary systems of this world, with the eternal promises
You prepared for us before You ever created the world (Ephesians 2:10).
Thought for the Day:
If we cling to our accomplishments and possessions in
this life, we rob our self of the abundance of blessings created especially for
us by our loving Creator and God; therefore, God's Spirit enables us to release
our desire to cling to this world's riches and to receive the gifts which God
already prepared for us.
