Here
are some excellent keys to living a productive life: Each morning, our focus is
not on our self, but on what Christ, who dwells in us, plans for the next
moment of our life. We attempt to speak, choose and act according to His wishes
rather than our own (Romans 8:14).
We
come from the premise that God loves us, sets us free from sin's bondage
through Christ's shed blood, delivers us from Satan's lies, and buried our
flesh in Christ as He hides us with Christ in Himself (Galatians 2:20).
God
gives us the desire to serve at His good pleasure, and He gives us His wisdom
and power to accomplish all that He calls us to do (Philippians 4:13). We are
united with His death through baptism (Romans 6:4), and raised to walk in a new
life (Colossians 2:12).
The
Spirit, which raised Christ from the dead, also dwells in us (Romans 5:11). He
breathes the breath of God's life into our mortal bodies. Since we are Born
Again by the Spirit of God, we are also joint heirs with Jesus of the Kingdom of
God (1 John 4:15).
We
are vessels of God's Trinity with all of the power, wisdom and strength of the
Godhead abiding in us (1 Corinthians 3:17-19, 6:15-20). We also dwell in God
through Christ. He is our all in all, our whole life, and we surrender all for
His use for His glory (1 Corinthians 15:28; Colossians 3:3-4).
God
gives, and He takes away; yet, in either case, we bless the name of the Lord
regardless of our circumstances (Job 1:21). We no longer suffer from
condemnation, but are free to live, move and have our identity in Him alone (Romans
8:1-2; Acts 17:28).
Prayer:
Father
God, thank You that we can live in union with You - knowing You on a personal
basis, and enjoying Your presence within us throughout the day. Help us to walk
in Your Spirit rather than by our human understanding (Galatians 5:15-25). We
want to live as expressions of Your love, grace and faith in the world around
us (1 John 4:16).
Remind
us that we never meet a stranger, but simply potential friends and fellow heirs
to Your Kingdom. Help us to let Your light within us shine into the darkness
around us; as we lift Jesus higher, so He can draw everyone we meet to Himself
(John 12:32). We want Your river of life (Revelation 22:1) to flow out of us
and into anyone willing to surrender to You.
Thought
for the Day:
As
Jesus is, so are we in this world in which we live; therefore, we can walk in confidence
through this life as ambassadors for Christ and emissaries for the Kingdom of
God to which we belong.
- John 17:20-23; 1 John 4:17
- John 17:20-23; 1 John 4:17
