Our True Reality is in Christ

There is no need for us to frequent the "self-help" shelf at the library or bookstore, because the Holy Spirit is changing us through His sanctifying process, until we come to the fullness of Christ in us (2 Corinthians 3:18).

When we come to the end of our self, God's Holy Spirit, who dwells in us, becomes our comforter, guide, wisdom, encourager and the voice of Christ, who also dwells in us by His Spirit, as our way, truth and life (Colossians 3:4; John 14:6).

Christ in us is not a separate entity from who we are. He is as much of an integral part of us as He is to our Father God (John 17:21). Living in the center of God's will is the happiest place on earth.

We surrender the control of our life over to God, because to think that we actually have any control over our life is ludicrous! Life happens and is always out of our control.

Just as Jesus did nothing of Himself, we follow His example. We die to our self and trust only in God. We live in union as one person with Christ in us. He is our whole life (Colossians 3:4).

The sooner we come to this place of total surrender to the will of God, content in the circumstance which He provides (Philippians 4:11), the freer and more joyfully we experience each day, captivated by His Spirit and His will.

As we decrease in our desires and control over our life, He will increase His control and put His desires in our heart (John 3:30; Psalm 37:4). Christ in us is our only true reality now and in eternity.

We are dead, and He now lives in and through us (Colossians 4:3-4). There are no formulas to follow, no effort on our part, no striving or quoting Bible verse, which can make this happen.

We simply surrender all to Him by letting go of our anxiety, negative emotions and idols, which imprison us, and letting God have His way in our life.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for revealing to us that this life in not about us; it is totally and abundantly about You in us (Colossians 1:27). You free us from bondage to the devil, the world and the flesh; and You allow us to walk intimately with Your Trinity abiding within us (Galatians 5:15-25).

Surrendering to Your rest is the only step we need to take to enter into this union life with You (Hebrews 4:10-11). We stop our stress, strain and list-making and follow Your Spirit during each moment of our day. When we walk in the center of Your will we find true peace, joy and rest in Your Spirit (Romans 14:17).

Thought for the Day:

It is no longer I, but Christ who lives in me, because we are unified as one being; He is the head and I am the body, which He uses for His glory. - Colossians 3:3-4

A Pampered Life

A visiting woman to our congregation said to me, "It is quite obvious that you have lived a pampered life." I was amazed that she would say that, but realized that since she does not know me, she was basing her assumption on the peace of God filling every cell in my body, soul and spirit - His peace, which transcends human understanding and shines from the inside out for all to see.

Through every trial, every physical infirmity and abuse, every physical and emotional rejection (1 Timothy 5:8; Malachi 2:14), and every moment of insecurity and fear through which I have lived, I have become a person who clings to and relies on Jesus Christ for my very life. I have not had a pampered life in the natural, but I can honestly agree with her that my Heavenly Father spoils me rotten.

Of course, many people endure hardships much greater than I have, and rise from them to live positive, productive lives without Christ; although, they are never completely fulfilled, because their spirit is still dead in sin. I owe the person that I am today to the sanctifying work of Christ in my life (Philippians 3:8). There is no good thing in me or in my character that did not come from God (Romans 7:18).

God replaced my melancholy personality with the fruit of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23); He taught me through experience that every trial is a seed for a miracle, which He will work out for my good (Romans 8:28); and He gave me the courage to trust in Him during times of abuse, abandonment and discouragement.

He showed me that my true identity is in Christ and not in my human personality and abilities (Colossians 1:27); He reminded me that we do not have to earn love, salvation or sanctification, because they are all free gifts from Him (Galatians 3:1-3); and twenty years ago, He gave me a wonderful husband who loves God more than he loves me, and loves me more than he loves himself. All things considered, I really am living a very pampered life!

Prayer:

Father God, I am humbled by Your love in my life. I am so glad that I have eternity to continue to sing praises to You for all that You have done, are doing and promise to do for me. Thank You for never leaving or forsaking me (Hebrews 13:5), and for teaching me to trust You in the good times and the bad, because You always turn everything around for my good (Romans 8:28). You shower me with blessings and prove to me all through the day that I am the apple of Your eye (Psalm 17:8; Zechariah 2:8) and that you cherish me as Your unique child (1 Peter 2:9). Help my testimony of Your goodness in my life to bring many to a saving knowledge of Your love in their life as well.

Thought for the Day:

God's presence in our life delights our soul - our thoughts, choices and feelings; heals our body; nurtures our spirit through each and every day that we dwell on this earth; and finally receives us unto Himself when we pass from this life to dwell in eternity with Him forever. - John 5:24

Transform Your Personality

Emoticons representing the four temperament types:

Phlegmatic (top left),

Choleric (top right),

Sanguine (bottom left) and

Melancholic (bottom right).

- Wikipedia

Less of Me, More of Him

When I called upon Jesus to save me in my 18^th year of life, He moved in and spent the next several decades transforming who I am into who He is (Romans 8:29). I was born with a melancholy personality. With this temperament I inherited a very thoughtful, analytical, creative, respectful, non-aggressive persona who is very naively accepting, self-sacrificing to a fault, and very sensitive to the moods and needs of others. I am a very loyal friend in spite of any distance or time between visits. I try to make everything perfect and everyone happy.

 

On the other hand, I also inherited the penchant to be very moody, irritable, insecure, fearful, claustrophobic, easily depressed, pessimistic, critical and suspicious. I struggle with bitterness, I hold grudges and I am often intolerant. I need order and equilibrium in my life. I prefer making plans and I do not like surprises. I can reluctantly do things on the spur of the moment, only if it does not threaten my security in any way. I am fussy over details and I like to have a place for everything and to have everything in its place.

In addition to these inherited impediments, I grew up in a dysfunctional home. I allowed others to walk all over me. My Father’s volatile rage and my mother’s manipulation kept me quiet as a mouse and as fearful as a scaredy cat. In my teenage years, after a horrific experience with my dad, I learned to protect myself by hiding behind anger. I started to stick up for myself. When people would not take me seriously, I used anger to make them pay attention to what I needed. Of course, this did not work very well, because I ended up hurting people in the process.

Now, I have learned that Christ in me is my hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). The Holy Spirit sanctifies me more and more over each moment throughout my lifetime. Each day I see less of who I am and more of who He is within me. He uses my strengths for His glory and He transformed my hatred into love, depression into true joy, discontentment into peace, irritation into patience, criticism into gentleness, backbiting into goodness, pride into meekness, excess into self-control, and fear into the faith of the Son of God, as I am controlled and guided by His Spirit (Galatians 2:20, 5:16; Romans 8:14).  

Over the years of my walk with the Lord, the Holy Spirit continues to replace in me the negative attributes of my personality with His spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). He gave me love – affection for others; joy – exuberance about life; peace – serenity; patience – willingness to stick with it; gentleness – compassion from the heart; goodness – kindness that pervades our entire being; meekness – humility and service; self-control – guided by the Spirit; and faith – trust that God knows what He is doing.

I still struggle with the negative characteristics of a melancholy personality, but they no longer control me. They are there, influencing how I feel and what I do; but I can easily put them aside and walk in the Spirit at any moment in order to accomplish God’s will for my life. Those who know me can attest to the fact that I would no longer be considered a melancholic person. This is because as I decrease, Christ increases within me (John 3:30).

He also healed me from a tendency to live as a codependent woman. I am aware of my limitations, and I do not make decisions or allow others to force me into doing things, which excessively demand what I am not comfortable with giving. However, if God calls me out of my comfort zone, this is a very different matter all together. I can do anything according to His will, because He strengthens me to accomplish everything He calls me to do (Philippians 2:12-13; 4:13). I no longer live for myself or for anyone else, but only for Christ who is living in and through me (Galatians 2:20).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for releasing us from the bondage of our personality. You make melancholy people happy, choleric people peaceful, phlegmatic people industrious and sanguine people focused. By Your Spirit You transform our lives into something beautiful. You lead us each step of every day and You fill us with the power and the desire to do Your will in ever situation. We give You the praise, honor and glory for all of the successes in our life.

Thought for the Day:

God’s Spirit transforms our lives from self-centered and self-seeking to Christ-centered and God-seeking.

         

 

         

 

His Hand in the Glove

Read: Colossians 1: 26-28

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” - Galatians 2: 20

While cleaning out a hall closet, I found an old, rectangular floral box full of mementos. One item in the box was a pair of white, Victorian lace gloves, yellowed with age. I slipped my hand into one of the gloves and immediately thought of how it resembled Christ in me, my hope of glory.

We are the glove and Christ is the Hand. The glove lies lifelessly in the dresser drawer or on the end table or hidden away in a coat pocket until the Hand has need of it. Then, the glove completely conforms to the Hand. The bit of lace has no power or animation apart from the Hand. In fact, it is actually useless in and of itself. The glove moves only as the Hand directs it. It is the exact image of the Hand.

I love this illustration. It takes all of the striving out of the Christian life for me, and gives me a clear image of Christ IN ME, my hope of the manifestation of God in my life. As I continue to conform to His image, God is in absolute control. This idea also clearly personifies Galatians 2:20 for me - I no longer live, but Christ lives in and through me.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for reminding me that without You, I can do nothing; yet with You in me, all things are possible if I only believe.

Thought for the Day:

Conforming to the image of Christ is as easy as a glove fitting onto a hand.