Once we repent of our ungodly ways and walk in the Spirit instead (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), the spiritual truth of dying daily to our own desires and pursuits is that if we want to save our life, we first lose it in Him. When we do, we actually save our life. A paradox, but true nonetheless.
We all get rattled and discouraged when we read the Biblical idea of denying our flesh, goals, dreams, and aspiration in order to take up our cross every single day and follow the leading of God’s Spirit (Luke 9:23). However, this practice allows us to serve as temples of God’s Holy Spirit who abides within us (1 Corinthians 6:15-20).
A whole new world opens up to us in the spiritual realm that is so much more fulfilling than living in the finite, carnal world full of fleshly desires (Luke 9:24-25). God tells us in His Word that if we remain stuck in our human pursuits, we are not worthy of Him (Matthew 10:38; Mark 8:38).
Another spiritual principle that has hard values to uphold for many in the simple list of God's Will for us (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18):
· Continually rejoicing
· Constantly praying
· Eternal gratitude for the good times and even the horrid events
This allows us to honor God with our whole life (Mark 12:30).
However, this is only half of the secret of a fulfilled life. The second half is to:
· Trust in the Lord with our whole heart
· Consult God is every decision
· Submit to Him as He takes the kinks out of our road
· Honor the Lord in everything we think, say, and do
· Turn our back on evil temptations
· And then, the most important ingredient of them all…
Not relying on our human understanding and resources or being wise in our own eyes.
Even in the mundane aspects of life, for instance what we eat and drink and whatever we do, we accomplish it for God’s glory and take no credit for our self (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17). Those who belong to Christ Jesus are maturing spiritually and losing our desire to give credence to the passions and desires of our flesh. The things of the flesh no longer hold any appeal for us (Galatians 5:24).
Prayer:
Father God, help us to take up our cross and to follow You every moment of the day, so we will be worthy of You (Matthew 10:38). We do not want to attempt to save this finite, carnal way of living and in the process lose our eternal life. Instead, we want to lose this temporal, earthly way of thinking for Your sake, for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and for freedom for our own soul (Mark 8:35).
Teach us how to consider our self dead to ungodly ways, and to realize instead that we are alive to You through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:8). We want to live with Jesus as our whole life, because we died to our flesh and our life is now hidden with Christ in You (Colossians 3:3-4). We want to live the reality that we are dead to sin, which no longer rules our body and soul, and instead we are alive to You in Jesus, our Brother, Lord, and King (Romans 6:11-14).
Thoughts for the Day:
In Christ we are debtors not to the dictates of carnality and self-centeredness, but to Jesus for His sacrifice to pay our sin debt for us, as well as to His Spirit who leads and guides us each moment of every day. This removes us from the devastation we used to reap as a result of our fleshly desires, and it allows us to bask continually in the blessings of our Father God.
- Romans 8:12-13
