Sunday, December 2, 2012

Letting Go Of My Life


My Utmost For His Highest
 
How can we say, “It could never be God’s will for me to be sick”? If it was God’s will to bruise His own Son (Isaiah 53:10), why shouldn’t He bruise you? What shines forth and reveals God in your life is not your relative consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your genuine, living relationship with Jesus Christ, and your unrestrained devotion to Him whether you are well or sick.
 
Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection. Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true even amid the seemingly unimportant aspects of human life. When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that hits you is the pointlessness of the things you have to do. The next thought that strikes you is that other people seem to be living perfectly consistent lives. Such lives may leave you with the idea that God is unnecessary— that through your own human effort and devotion you can attain God’s standard for your life. In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God’s purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He wants.’ CHAMBERS
Really? Would God do that?  In our affluence we have come to think that God is glorified through that affluence … it is a blessing of God … and if we are not comfortable, financially stable then there is something wrong .. that God could not be glorified through our loss …. I am teaching the book of John to the Haitian Staff at the Children’s Home. I asked them to consider three men mentioned in the Bible …. John 5 – the lame man, John 9 – the blind man, and  John 11 – Lazarus.
 
In each case these men suffered depravation, loss, pain, even death.  God allowed it … and used their restoration for His glory.  My question to the staff was, and is to you, “Are you willing to let God do whatever He wants to do in your life for Him to be glorified?  Are you really?  Or are you merely attracted to the idea, but don’t really want to experience the actual pain or loss associated with it?  Jesus loved Lazarus .. and then let him die .. let his family suffer … John 11:4  When Jesus was told about Lazarus, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."
 
“Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in endless praise.”  Have you ever sung that hymn at church?  Have you really laid your life down? Romans 12:1.  I am not suggesting this as a mental exercise .. for you to consider as something that certainly would be right .. and good .. but in the back of your mind hoping it will never happen to you.  Instead, I am encouraging you to yield your life to God … and say .. “take my life Lord, whatever form that takes, and be glorified through it.”
 
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

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