Who Am I Living For?

My Utmost For His Highest

We take the word sanctification much too lightly. Are we prepared to pay the cost of sanctification? The cost will be a deep restriction of all our earthly concerns, and an extensive cultivation of all our godly concerns. Sanctification means to be intensely focused on God’s point of view. It means to secure and to keep all the strength of our body, soul, and spirit for God’s purpose alone. Are we really prepared for God to perform in us everything for which He separated us? CHAMBERS

When people commonly think of sanctification it is about being made a better person .. I won’t sin  so much … I will be more like Jesus … but do we think about what it means to be more like Jesus?  Do we focus on the sinless life or on a life submitted to the will of the Father even to the point of going to the cross for the sake of others.  I belevie most Americans are so focused on comfort and 401ks – for them – that they really give little thought to sacrifice what they want for someone else … John 15:13 – No greater love has one man than this, than to lay down his life for his friend.  I was listening to someone talk about their life after retirement .. they said “We pretty much do whatever we want to.”  Sounds like the American dream .. work hard until you reach 60 or so and then .. just do what you want to … Is that the sanctified life .. is that the goal that God has set before us?

Some times it is difficult to discern what is cultural and what is scriptural … what are the traditions of men and the commands of God … Like the saying “God helps thos who help themselves”  That is not in the Bible – it’s called a “phantom verse”.  It doesn’t exist … It is accredited to Benjamin Franklin or to the Ancient Greeks … My point being that some ideas seem plausible and appealing but actual draw us away from a central theme of the Gospel … the demonstration of Grace and Mercy toward others.  And all of that is wrapped around the life of Jesus.  Which brings us back to what His life looked like … It was not about Him … but the Father and others ….

I am not ‘down’ on American Christians, I are one, but what Chambers is saying here is that it is not about you either.  Hey I think I will write a book.  Maybe call it ‘The Purpose Driven Life’, oops. Too late! What does that mean in a practical sense –– so how do I live my life --   do I sell everything and move to a 3^rd world country?  Maybe, but not necessarily.  It is not about having or not having .. it is about heart dedication … a willingness to live for God and not yourself … you can have money and possessions and live in a comfortable house and live for God --- living for God means that what have have does not own you  … Some are called to Jerusalem (your hometown) some are called to Samaria … Mississippi … and some are called to the uttermost parts … Haiti … some other foreign country … but where ever that may be … we are called to be witnesses … not verbal witnesses but living witnesses .. living sacrifices …

People who are not doing whatever they want with their life, but rather, whatever God wants ….

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)