Spiritual Ebb and Flow

 

God loves us even while we are still sinners, but He calls us to walk away from our sinful thoughts, words and deeds. Any goodness we attain by our human effort does not impress Him (Ephesians 2:8-9). We are a new person only because of Jesus’ work on Calvary’s cross (2 Corinthians 5:17). We only have two choices. We either believe for salvation or we fail to believe and condemn our self to Hell (John 3:18).

God’s Spirit conforms us through sanctification into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). He exchanges our humanity for God’s divine nature and His spiritual fruit (2 Peter 1:4; Galatians 5:22-23). We are an extension of the ministry of Christ on this earth. His sinless perfection enables us to live freely from sin and Satan’s temptations, as we depend on Him for our perfection.

God walks with us through life and sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). Do not wait to cry out to God only in times of helplessness; commune with God every moment of every day. When the intimacy of our communion ebbs, our only recourse is to draw closer to Him, not to walk further away. Satan will lie and tell us it was better back in the world. Don’t forget your past vulnerability without God.

The only time discouragement and disappointment enter our life is when we are trusting in our own strength or looking forward to the fulfillment of our own goals and aspirations, rather than relying on the Lord’s strength and anticipating His plans (2 Corinthians 1:21). God comforts us during times of grief and loss (Matthew 5:4). He gives us His desires in our heart (Psalm 37:4). He guides us by Christ’s life within us (Romans 5:10).

Prayer:

Father God, our relationship with sin ceased to exist once we came to love You with our whole heart (Luke 10:27). We are no longer separated from You, but we live in constant fellowship with You every moment of every day. Satan still uses sin to tempt us away from a life in union with Christ. We may fall into a momentary indiscretion, but we thank You that we no longer live in a lifestyle of sin (Romans 6:7,12,14).

Thought for the Day:

God’s grace frees us to walk in holiness by the power of the Holy Spirit within us.

The Balancing Act

Read: Matthew 6:25-34

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."  - Luke 22:42-43

A child’s spinning top and a seal spinning a ball on its nose have little in common except that both of their performances require balance. This caused me to think about the balance in our lives. Often we find ourselves thrown off center by spinning confusion and instability. Each compartment we meticulously created now slants like the Tower of Pisa and everything falls to one side.

Conditions appear out of control. We get disoriented and feel insecure and fearful. We panic and make poor decisions. We try unsuccessfully to manage the people and events in our life in an attempt to make us feel safe again. But this never helps and usually increases our anxiety by creating frustration in others.

As we keep our eyes on Jesus ~ the author and finisher of our faith ~ feelings of peace replace disheartening panic and uncertainty. We live our lives according to His example. He prayed before beginning each day. He lived in the moment and did not worry about tomorrow. Jesus listened to His Father and followed His will in every word and deed. His focus stayed on God’s kingdom rather than on amassing worldly goods and fame. 

As we walk the tightrope of life, rather than focusing on the details of our circumstances that often spin out of control, we can focus inwardly on the peace that He gives us. Then we focus on the balance God affects in our life as He uses our Spirit-led responses to these circumstances. Life varies like the ocean with a continuous ebb and flow. Trusting God more and striving less gives us a life raft to ride out these storms of life. Faith in God’s faithfulness imparts serenity to our inner core that is consistent regardless of the circumstances (James 1:2-4).

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, teach us to keep our eyes focused on You, so that the Murphy’s Law that controls life on this earth does not cause us to get too discouraged or to lose hope all together. Help us to discern Your will in our circumstances, which You use to bring forth Your fruit in our life. Show us clearly how You are working all things out for our good.  

Thought for the Day:

God’s peace within us displaces fear and uncertainty regardless of our circumstances.