I’m feeling undone. I’m overwhelmed. The pains and cares of life seek to pull me under. Heart ache, people I love hurting, brokenness surrounds me. I feel detached from my Prince of Peace, my Life, my Glory, my Hope, my Source of Joy, the Lifter of my Head.
It’s close to midnight, but I decide to take a prayer walk. In times like this, I turn to prayer walks and getaways as my way of pulling back from everything to be alone with God.
I don’t always remember to surrender my troubles to God. Far too often I forget that apart from Him I can do nothing. [1] I forge ahead in my strength, striving to fix my life, leaving carnage all around. Relying on me instead of God is always a bad choice.
Leaving my driveway, I turn left, ascending towards Highway 6. I pry my grubby fingers off of each angst and deliver them one by one to my Father. I think of Peter’s words when he tells us to cast our anxiety upon God because He cares for us. [2]
Sometimes I can forget God is trustworthy. He has my best interest in mind. With my words, I release every care to my Good Father. Turning my palms upward, I peer into the cloudless, starry night.
I cross the highway and enter a dead-end road, which completes my walk out.
I hear a sound. Four deer, who were grazing in an open field, scamper away. God’s creation is all around. A small, wooded cul-de-sac boomerangs me back toward home.
As much as it’s in my ability to do so, I’ve surrendered all my burdens. As I cross the highway again, I sense peace. The problems seem overshadowed by the Lord’s nearness.
I ponder the marvels of being God’s son. A verse comes to mind.
Complete in Christ
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete [filled to the brim, fully accomplished, perfect], and He is the head over all rule and authority; (Colossians 2:9-10).
In the verse, Paul says I’m complete in Christ. In Him, I’m rendered perfect in every conceivable way. I’m filled to the brim and overflowing with Christ, needing nothing.
The imagery is stunning.
As I descend the hill toward home, I marvel at the ramifications of this truth. If He’s filled me, what else do I really need? Do I need people to respect me and honor me? Do I need earthly security? Do I need smooth circumstances? As I ask, I know the answer.
If I’m filled to overflowing with Jesus, which I am, only one concern remains: loving others as He’s loved me. All the pressure’s off. Jesus lives in me. As I yield, as I abide, He loves through me. This is my only concern. He’s taken off my plate the need to always be looking after me.
As John the Baptist said, “I must decrease, and He must increase.” (John 3:30)
Walking it Out
I know this is not the end of my journey with tough feelings. If God blesses me with more days, I’ll face more physical and emotional pain. People I love will lose jobs, suffer illnesses, and face broken relationships. I’ll continue to experience my own trials.
Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 6:33 NIV)
Jesus has overcome the world. I’m in union with Him. He’s in me and I’m in Him. In Christ, I’m forgiven, loved, accomplished, righteous, valued. I’m complete in every way.
Walking out from here involves remembering Christ’s nearness and completeness, no matter what I face and no matter how I feel.
Challenge
What do you need to surrender unto the Lord’s care this moment? In what areas do you feel lacking?
Call out to Christ and ask Him to give you an awareness of your completeness in Him. Walk in it. Experience the freedom of being filled to the brim with Him.
Rest in Christ and His undying lovingkindness toward you. He is your all.
Take a prayer walk.
Prayer
Lord, what an amazing realization. Releasing my cares to You, I’m aware of Your nearness and my completeness in You. Please help me not to take back those angsts I’ve delivered to You. My completeness comes from You.
Empower me to worship You, Rest in You, depend upon You and love like You.
Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.
Subscribe to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.
Robby Buck
Nonfiction books by the Author:
Because joy is rooted in God and is eternal, it doesn’t ebb and flow with the waves of circumstances. In fact, as we grow in our understanding of joy, we can even experience it more acutely when life is hard. Why? Because God uses trials to conform us into the image of Christ. With this awareness, which gives us glimpses of God’s greater purposes, we rejoice because of His masterful work to free us from needing anything but Him.
For these reasons, and many others, joy in the Lord is commanded in scripture. It’s not just a good idea, it’s vital to our journey as human beings. Rhythms of Joy
Novels by the Author:
What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time
By finding two undelivered letters in an old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains
Please Check out the Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.
At the turn of the century, our family went on a short term missions trip to Mexico. During some of our down time, we decided to visit the local market. As we entered, we were amazed at the wide variety of colorful local fare, from flowers, to fruits and vegetables, to intricate crafts.
Immediately, vendors called their products to our attention for purchase. One of us, I can’t remember who, told them we wanted to look around and that we’d come back.
We spent a good bit of time enjoying the massive amount of tables, reaching deeper and deeper into the space, to the point we almost lost our way back to the front. Most of us bought at least one thing.
Suddenly, it dawned upon us how late it was, so we made our way to the front. As we exited, one of the vendors we first encountered yelled in English, “What about me?”
I felt bad and I’m not even sure we responded, but the question, “What about me?” has become a family catch phrase when one of us wants to insert ourselves.
As I continue to walk this journey with Jesus, the more I realize I’m asking the same question in my heart. What about me? Until recently, I didn’t recognize what a consuming quest this really is.
I know I’m not alone in this inward battle. Our Christian lives are a continual challenge, to live in the realities of Galatians 2:20, the great summary of God’s good news. “I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me.”
Living a life of “I have been crucified” is not easy.
I see what happened to two of Jesus’ disciples in Mark 9:35-37, “James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, *came up to Jesus, saying to Him, ‘Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.’And He said to them, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’They said to Him, ‘Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.’”
They were asking, What about me?
What about me?seems to be built into the fabric of our hearts.
What I want to say is what John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30 NASB)
What about me? is such a restricting, narrowing view. It limits the world and chokes my joy.
It’s You Lord!changes the game from introspection on my little kingdom, into full hope upon the glorious kingdom of God, waiting to explode into eternal ecstasy. [1]
What about me? requires control and strain to produce circumstances which I hope will maintain my happiness. It puts me where God should be and steals any moments of abiding in His gladness.
It’s You Lord!releases care and trusts in a loving God, who is at work in a greater story of making me more like Jesus. [2]
What about me? longs for the love and approval of others. It produces competitiveness, envy and continual effort to be liked and admired by others.
It’s You Lord!produces gratitude and praise, which keeps me peaceful under the yolk of Jesus’ gentle and humble heart. [3]
I desire this change in my heart, the transformation of John the Baptist, more than anything I can think of. But, I know this kind of work is not a self study class. If I’m to move from What about me? to It’s You Lord! it requires the Lord, not me.
Lord, show me in Your word and empower me by Your Spirit to be less about me and more about You.
He Must Increase, but I Must Decrease.
During our family vacation last year, I was walking on the beach talking with my bride about some deep spiritual matters. This was a convergence of three of our very favorite things to do together: be at the beach, walk, and talk about spiritual things.
As we walked, she said, “We all have swiss cheese hearts.”
This was a striking image as I pictured it and I’ve thought about it a lot since then. Certainly, God has created our hearts with a void only He can fill.
Examining my own heart, I’ve identified five major holes which I’ve historically tried to fill myself. I know, with Solomon, that trying to fill my eternal holes with anything of this world is vanity of vanities. [4] Yet, I scream What about me? as I try and plug these holes myself.
Perhaps others can relate.
The Need to Be Admired
In my heart, I see a deep longing to be admired. When people, especially those important to me, make me feel disliked or even hated, What about me? screams out. The “desired to be admired hole” aches with a painful feeling of being unloved.
It’s You Lord! points me to the amazing love God has for me, as revealed in His word and in His actions. Though there are many scriptures about God’s incomprehensible love for us, [5] I’ll focus on what Jesus told His disciples the night before He died, “Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love.” (John 15:9)
The eternal love of God is the only thing which can fill my hole to be admired. Expecting this kind of love from others is toxic. It not only binds me to the approval of men, but produces a self-serving love for others, which is not sincere.
Ugh. This is really bad When What about me? comes to mind about not being admired, I determine to saturated my heart to overflowing with God’s perfect love.
It’s You Lord!
Lord, You love me with a love I’ll never fully grasp, which fills my heart to overflowing. Please remind me of this when people are mean to me and act hateful.
In my heart, I see a need to be accepted. When people, especially those important to me, make me feel rejected, What about me? screams out. The “desired to be accepted hole” aches with a painful feeling of being excluded.
It’s You Lord! points me to what God did for all of His children before the world began: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In loveHe predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-6 NASB)
God chose me, to be His child before I was even born. The passage goes on to say that in His love for me, I’ve been lavished with grace, redeemed with His love, and given His Holy Spirit as an installment of my inheritance.
I’ve had some really important people in my life reject me. And the pain does not go away. But it’s a pain of loss, not a loss of value.
No person can define my value, no matter how important. Before I breathed a breath, God called me His own. No person can change that by rejecting me.
It’s You Lord!
Lord, You’ve accepted me by Your blood. This is what matters. Please help me remember this.
In my heart, I see a insatiable need to accomplish things. This drive seems to always be running in the background, to the point that sometimes I have to force myself to relax.
I fight a fear of failure. What about me? yells that nothing I do is good enough. And there’s the problem in the open. What “I” do.
It’s You Lord! points me to II Corinthians 5:21: He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Me trying to accomplish some righteousness of my own is the very essence of stupidity. Not only is it impossible, (all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God) [5], but it’s an affront to what Christ has done for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. (Galatians 2:21 NASB)
Will I fail? Most definitely; every day. But am I a failure? By now means.
But as for me, I stand on the righteousness of Christ.
It’s You Lord!
You have given me Your righteousness. You have made me complete, fully accomplished in You. Please help me remember this when I feel like a failure.
In my heart, I see a need to be affirmed, to be recognized, to have my achievements pointed out. What about me? wants my glory to shine.
My, my, my. Me, me me. As I write it’s more than ludicrous. Yet, the temptation rises.
When I think about what Jesus did for me, I realize He wants me to consider myself dead when it comes to my glory. Paul actually wrote this in Colossians 3:3-4: For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
It’s You Lord! helps me realize I’m hidden in Christ. That’s affirmation enough. It’s His life which is to be celebrated, His glory. Why would a dead man need to be recognized and given credit anyway?
Christ is my life. No need to be individually affirmed. One day, I’ll be revealed with Him in glory. His glory, not mine.
Lord, please help me remember this when I feel the need to be recognized and given credit for anything. No need to strive to be affirmed. I rest in You.
In my heart, I recognize the deep need to be satisfied, for my longings to be appeased. As mentioned before, God put longing in every human heart. [6]
Blaise Pascal wrote, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing, but only by God the creator made known by Jesus Christ.”
What about me? believes I must plug these holes myself. But I can’t. I’ve tried being admired by people, accomplishing many tasks, being pliable to be accepted, and competing to be affirmed.
I’m realizing that the sum of these searches for lasting joy only leave my wanting all the more.
I hear with Abram, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” (Genesis 15:1 NIV)
I now agree with Asaph, “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;” (Psalm 73:28a NASB).
And with David, “You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound.” (Psalm 4:7 NASB)
It’s You Lord! is the answer to every hole in my swiss cheese heart.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” (John 6:35 NASB)
These are some holes in my heart which begin with ‘A’. Lord, show me the whole alphabet. (8^>
Lord, I depend upon me so often; even now, after decades of being Your disciple. But You are teaching me to rest in Your yoke. It’s not up to me anymore. It never was.
It’s Your glory, Lord, never mine. When a thought comes to highlight me, please remind me quickly that it’s You.
Lead me, I pray, to quickly disagree with the lies and agree with the truth that I’m complete in You, filled to the brim and overflowing with You in all areas.
In You, I’m always admired, always accepted, fully accomplished, affirmed in Your glory, and fully satisfied by You, my Bread of life. Your rivers of waters completely saturate my thirst.
You want me free, really free.
Please continue to show me ways I choose me and not You, my will and not Yours.
With your journal in hand, write down any What about me? areas in your own life. It could be one or more identified above or different ones.
When is it most often manifested?
Write down ways you think your self focus hampers your life.
What difference would it make if God was your focus and not you?
Write a prayer expressing your desires to make a change and be less self focused and more God focused, recognizing the need for the Holy Spirit to enable you.
If you’re willing, ask Him to continue to reveal self focused ways in you. He will.
Please Check out the Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.
Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.
Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.
Novels by the Author:
Rob Buck
What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time
By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed (John 8:36 NKJV).
Picture yourself on death row waiting for your execution. Suddenly, your cell door opens, and you’re told someone volunteered to die in your place has already been executed. How could this be? Who would do such a thing?
As you pick up your meager belongings at the front desk, the clerk hands you an envelope engraved with your name . Slowly, you open it and begin to read. It is a letter from your rescuer. He writes as royalty, a King with vast riches. He’s paid off your massive financial debt. You owe nothing.
The letter is signed with your rescuer’s name. In the postscript, which follows, he tells you that by using his name you’ll be able to draw what you need from any bank throughout the world.
Rescued from Eternal Separation from God.
As a man on death row, we were once separate from Christ, excluded from heavenly citizenship, strangers to God’s promises and without hope in the world. But by trusting in the blood of Christ for the salvation of our souls, we have been reconciled, brought near, made fellow citizens with the saints, members of God’s own household.[1]
He’s lavished His grace upon us, completely forgiving us of every sin.[2]
We’re freed from the debt of sin and have His righteousness transmitted to our account.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we may become the righteousness of God in Him (II Corinthian 5:21 NASB).
But there’s more.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved]by His life. (Romans 5:9-10 NASB)
Saved by His Life
In the above verse, it appears as if Paul is saying that as amazing as it is to be rescued from God’s wrath and declared completely righteous, being saved (healed, preserved, made whole) by Christ’s life is even better.
I wonder how this could be.
But, consider the following verse:
For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:19-20 NASB)
We died with Christ and we’re now to live in dependence upon Christ’s Holy Spirit who lives within us.
As Jesus promised in His last supper discourse, His death meant the Comforter would be sent to be with us forever.[3] Living in total dependence upon His Holy Spirit within us is not just a good idea, it’s how the Christian life is to be lived; the normal Christian Life. Jesus tells us if we try and live otherwise, we’ll accomplish nothing;[4] a spitting in the wind.
It’s beautiful how this truth played out in Jesus’ day to day life. Consider how free He was from having to be concerned at all about what He wanted or what He was to do. He experienced the joy of emptying Himself[5] and relying totally upon Father God, seeking only what He wanted. Jesus told His disciples, “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”[6]
And
“Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”[7]
Jesus was free to be consumed with His Father. Being saved by His life means we’re freed from having to be concerned with us.
Our life is now hidden in Christ.[8] No longer are we to worry about maintaining our happiness. No longer do we need to strive in our own strength to be holy like Jesus. Our lives are to be marked by the fruit of the Holy Spirit, not our strained efforts.
We get to enjoy His life and what He wants for us. We get to depend on Him to love the people He brings across our paths.
Prayer
Lord, the ramifications of Your salvation are mind blowing. Not only did You rescue me, but You’ve given me Your life. I’m beginning to experience the joyous freedom of being freed from me. I accept your invitation to trust You with all my cares and to live my life completely for You. Please show me when my concern for me overshadows what You want. I yield to Your life in me. Please show me how to walk with You and depend upon You as we go. I love You. Amen.
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John the Baptist (John 3:30 NASB)
Weakness is not popular. In fact, if you do an internet search on common weaknesses, you find pages of ways to spin the classic interview question, “What are your weakness?” I understand. Until recently, I’ve been exuberant in my efforts to hide my weaknesses or to overcome them by excessive striving. Exhausting.
But this is changing. I’m learning weaknesses are actually beneficial. Two extraordinary truths are moving from mere facts to experiential realties. One detaches weaknesses from having anything to do with my worth. The other flips weakness upside down, completely reversing the outcome.
Christ is Our Identity
As believers in Jesus Christ, our lives have been hidden in Him.[1] Because Jesus has redeemed us with His life, we’re clothed in His righteousness.[2] When God sees us, He sees Christ. Spiritually, we’ve been raised up in Christ and are seated with Him in heavenly places.[3]
Being in Christ, God values us as His Beloved Son. This trumps all human opinions about us, even our own. Though we strive to forge out our identity by what we do and how we think we’re perceived, God’s thoughts about us define who we are. Since Christ doesn’t change, our identity is sealed.
Weakness never defines who I am.
In Christ, Weakness = Power
The Apostle Paul had a weakness. He called it his “thorn in the flesh.”[4] We don’t know exactly what it was, but it tormented him so much that he pleaded with the Lord to take it away.
The Lord’s answer, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NASB)
Power perfected in weakness sounds strange. But to the extent we think we’re strong, we won’t depend on the Lord. Our work is wasted. Detached from the Source of True Life, we may be exalted, but He is not.
Embracing our weakness and drawing on God’s strength fills us with His resurrection power. As Christ is formed in us, God gets he glory. We must decrease, while Christ increases.[5]
Paul put it this way, Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.(2 Corinthians 12:9b-10 NASB)
Our weaknesses highlight our need to abide in Christ, our inner Source of Life and Strength.
Lord, I’m sorry for how I’ve tried to cover up and overcome my weaknesses without You. Weakness leads me to You. Thank You that my weaknesses have no effect on my worth because You value me. The most important thing about me is being loved by You. I want to embrace my weaknesses and stop trying to fix things on my own. You never intended to make a better version of me. I died and my life is hidden in You. When I know I’m weak, in You I am strong. Teach me to yield always to Your life within. Be glorified in me. Amen.
“And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;” (Genesis 12:2 NASB)
William Wilberforce dared to dream that people who had money and influence would use them for the good of their fellow man. His belief that every human was made in God’s image and therefore worthy of respect and kindness motivated him to fight to abolish slavery in England. Born the only son of a very prosperous merchant, he didn’t see what he was given as something for himself. Inspired by what God said to Abram about being a blessing, he lived open handed, desiring the blessings of God’s to flow freely through him.
As I ponder Wilberforce’s impact, and desire to emulate his life, I’m inspired by his selfless living. Scripture is filled with verses about surrendering our obsessive concern for ourselves.
Each of us should consider the needs of others above our own[2]
Our attitude should be the same as of Christ Jesus, who emptied Himself unto obedience to God, even death upon a cross[3]
Paul speaks of the joy of being poured out as a drink offering for the faith of others[4]
Jesus tells us to love others sacrificially, even as he washed the feet of men who would deny him and betray him[5]
These verses, and others like it, require a growing trust that God has our ultimate wellbeing in mind, in spite of what may be happening before our eyes. The less we focus on us, the freer we really are. Imagine if all the energy we expended on self-satisfaction, self-justification, self-glorification and self-effort could be laid aside and funneled into something far greater, loving others? What if we learned to decrease, so that Christ in us might increase?[6]
I think William Wilberforce not only fought to abolition human slavery, but his selfless living brought freedom to his own soul.
The prophet Zechariah also spoke of freedom. Referring to the revival of God’s people in Babylon, he wrote, “O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing.” (Zechariah 8:13b NASB) At the end of the same chapter he wrote, “In those days ten men from all nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” (Zechariah 8:23b NASB)
In conclusion: We, the people of God, are called to surrender ourselves to the care of our Good Father; to turn our eyes unselfishly to others. No longer are we to fight for our own happiness. In Christ we have complete Joy. We are now to turn our eyes, in love, to others; obeying Christ’s dying command to love other’s as He’s loved us.
As we love the folks in our paths, God receives all the praise. He Himself is our blessing. To the extent we trust our lives to Him, people around us are blessed.
Lord, in your presence is fullness of Joy. You complete us. We are in need of nothing but You. Help us surrender more and more and trust You with our lives. You are our Blessing. As we move, abiding in You, may we be a blessing to others. Amen.
Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures. Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post once a week. Thank you for reading.
As I write I’m watching the meltdown of a squirrel. He (I’m assuming male) is perched on the base of the wire which holds our bird feeder, making noises and tensing his body angrily. He’s chattering loudly and then squawking so intensely that his tail shoots straight up into the morning sky. I don’t speak squirrel, but I’m pretty sure he’s completely frustrated. Since we added a witch hat shaped cone over our feeder, he can’t rappel down the wire anymore and drop down to feast on seeds. Every time he tries, the cone dumps him to the ground.
I must admit I get great pleasure watching him fail, but I also identify with his emotional outbursts. I’ve felt the futility of trying over and over again, yet falling off the cone of life onto the ground. My pattern is to sit in the pain of another foiled attempt, but then inevitably to climb the tree, rappel the wire and convince myself maybe I can grab the edge as I fall and grab a few seeds.
The squirrel may not be ready, but I am. I give up.
Pick an area. Family relationships, friendships, managing possessions, health, time, etc. I’ve come up short in all.
This morning I’ve come to the end of myself. Like my squirrel friend, I’ve frustrated myself trying to pattern my life after the Jesus I read about in the Bible.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus calls us to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect,[1] to love our enemies[2] and to keep our thoughts and words pure. These high standards are meant to bring us to surrender and dependence.
He wants me to give up more and more of me so I can depend more and more on Him. As John the Baptist said, “He must increase and I must decrease.” John 3:30
Consider Jesus’ words, spoken the night before His crucifixion, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
Last night, I felt more desperate than ever. However, in the midst of my agony, I wasn’t hopeless. I knew God was near. As I called out, He comforted me with His life.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. II Corinthians 1:3-5
The pain is still very real, but He’s opened up space for His Living Waters of delight to flow in my soul.
“I” give up. “I” surrender and choose to depend upon Christ who indwells me by His Holy Spirit. I’m Not always sure how His life is to be released in me, but I’m asking Him to teach me how to abide in Him moment by moment and how to love each person He brings my way.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, last night I felt such agony with my life situations, but you comforted me with your presence.
In my pain, you brought hope and light. You gave me clarity and even joy. My deep guttural cries did not go unnoticed and unattended. You’re at work. You won’t relent. You won’t give up until you have all of me.
I’ve wanted freedom and have given you my heart, but I didn’t realize my surrender would require such deep surgery.
To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. Isaiah 61:3
Trying to live the Christian life without relying on the Indwelling Spirit of Christ is like running an engine without oil.
On a couple of occasions I’ve neglected the vital upkeep of adding motor oil to various vehicles. One resulted in the demise of the Wheel Horse tractor I inherited from my grandfather. And if it wasn’t for the durability of Toyota truck engines, the other would have left my brother and I stranded on the side of the highway between Columbia, SC and Athens, GA. Good thing he noticed the red light on the dash board. It was almost three quarts low.
Sometimes I’m a slow learner, but I got it now; Engine oil is critical for lubrication, minimizing friction and cooling the pistons. It’s the very lifeblood of an engine.
Only with Jesus can we Live the Christian Life
I’m learning the same thing about the Holy Spirit in my spiritual life.[1] For years I thought my job as a Christian was to model my life after the Jesus I read about in the Bible; trying really hard to have peace, patience, kindness, self-control and joy. If you’ve tried this yourself, you know the futility of this kind of effort. Sooner or later we all discover that there’s only one person who can live the Christian life and it’s not us; it’s Jesus in us.
Coming to the End of Ourselves
Often it takes a crisis for us to realize we can’t live without Christ. We come face to face encounter with our failures and inabilities. Not fun, but necessary. More often than not these failures are revealed in our relationships with those we love. When this happens, we find ourselves at a crossroad in life.
At the Crossroad
In the midst of emotional turmoil we often choose to numb our pain with our coping mechanism of choice, but this delays the inevitable. Pain is an alarm to be heeded. Pain screams, “Take your hand off the stove!” Denying the pain only deepens it’s affect until it takes over our lives completely.
Another choice is to realize our desperate need for Jesus. Humbly turning to Him, we admit our inabilities to love without Him. There may be dark nights of the soul, huddled only with our Lord, but full surrender leads to life changes. “Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5b
Summary of the Christian Life
Out of Paul’s sufferings He wrote:
Spiritually, we have died. Christ, by His Holy Spirit, has taken up residence in our lives. We no longer have to try harder, but must depend upon Him to be our patience, our goodness, our peace, our self control, our joy.
Ours is to rest in the fact that He is at work in us.
Ours is to yield to His Spirit, realizing that apart from our vital connection to Him, we can do nothing of true value.[2]
Trying to live without dependence upon the Holy Spirit is like an engine without oil, a ‘grinding it out’ in a swirl of activity; movement without lubrication, joyless friction.
Burnout or Joy
Recipe for a life of burnout: Live in the swirl of activities with no awareness or dependence upon the Holy Spiri; going through the motions in your own energy and strength. Just do it. It’s all up to you.
Recipe for a life full of joy: Realizing we were designed to run on the oil of gladness. [3] choose a life of overflow as you yield to the Spirit of Jesus in you to love whoever God puts in your path.
Challenge: Is there an area of your life in which you’re just going through the motions, an area in which you feel burned-out in? If so, come to Jesus. Realize that you were not designed to operate without His Spirit, the Oil of Gladness. Recognize your inability to live even one moment without full dependence upon Christ, allow His Spirit to refresh your life giving you His Joy.
“He must increase and I must decrease.” John 3:30
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for dying for me and securing a place in our Father’s presence. Thank you for sealing us with the promised Holy Spirit, a pledge of our inheritance and the power and lifeblood of our lives. Keep me ever yielded to you that I might love others as you have loved me.
[1] The Holy Spirit is widely symbolized by anointing oil. See Luke 4:18
Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.
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