Hi Friends,
Life is hard. I think we would all agree that it is filled with wearisome challenges, complex unknowns and so many grueling temptations! But praise God, if we are sincerely born again, the weight of living this life is NOT on our tiny shoulders. Listen again to this powerful verse:
“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.” Php 2:13 NIV
So we have established that God is always working in us and He is working in us to encourage us to will what He wills for our lives. Once God saves our spirit and grants us Eternal Life, He continues to work in us to transform our soul to think, feel and will as He does. In other words, once God saves us, He begins to change us so we can live out this new saved life. The way we used to think must be renewed to think higher thoughts like God does. Leaning on the Holy Spirit instead of our old nature, the way we used to allow our emotions to drive us towards self-centeredness now moves us to love God with all we’ve got and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. And, of course, we start wanting this Abundant Life Jesus died to give us. Everything changes, but here’s the truth, we are not in charge of all this transformation, God is. This is what this lovely and powerful verse is teaching us. The pressure of being saved and living out this saved life begins, is sustained and ends with God Himself. (Jude 1:24) God Himself will make sure we are holy, blameless and without blemish. (Col 1:22) God began it all and will make sure it is finished also. (Heb 12:2)
This Abundant Life is meant to be free from the burden of being perfect. We are free to be who we were always meant to be, people of love. As we established above, God will make sure we transform into the original selfless image we were supposed to be “in the beginning.” But this in NO WAY means we can just sit back and let God do it all. This is a relationship so there is a part God will do, that we cannot do, and a part we must do, because God will not do it for us. Let us never confuse who is master and who is servant in this amazing sonship we have been granted! God works in us to will AND TO ACT. As God transforms our soul, our actions will also change to match our maturity level. The more we think, feel and want the way He does, the more we will naturally act the way He does. Our motivation will no longer be “what is best for me,” but “what is best to glorify God.” This leads us to be a blessing to others too because, to love God, means to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. As the Apostle John says, we cannot claim to love God but hate our brothers and sisters. One automatically transitions to the next. (1Jn 4:20) Now, maturing in Christ, submitting to His Way over our old ways, we act like He does, out of love, placing others above ourselves. (Php 2:3)
Humility is the goal. It is the “how” we are able to experience the Abundant Life because it is the foundation of true Love. Selfless Love always is more concerned with the one He claims to love. Selfless Love sacrifices for the benefit of the one He claims to love. Selfless Love gives His all so the one He claims to love can have real Life, here then forevermore. The more we allow God to continue His work in us, the more humble we will be and the more we will have, enjoy and share this Abundant Life filled to the overflow with peace, joy and righteousness in eternal and blissful union with the Holy Spirit. The more I humbly submit to God’s Will, the more I grow to be more like Him. The more I become like Him, the more this Abundant Life is my reality and the more I want to continue to grow! Pray with me: Lord, help me act on Your Will for my life. It is an awesome cycle spiraling upward into Eternity where life’s challenges, unknowns and temptations no longer have control over you. Once you truly taste and see how good this Life is, you won’t settle for anything less, so won’t you join me?
Until we meet again, keep lifting your eyes to God, He’s closer than you think.
<>< Peace, Diane
