Monday, September 24, 2012

Things That Impress God

My Utmost For His Highest
 
The sense of sacrifice in the Christian life is readily appealing to a new Christian. From a human standpoint, the one thing that attracts us to Jesus Christ is our sense of the heroic, and a close examination of us by our Lord’s words suddenly puts this tide of enthusiasm to the test […] Your sense of heroic sacrifice is not good enough. The thing the Holy Spirit will detect in you is your nature that can never work in His service. And no one but God can detect that nature in you. Do you have anything to hide from God? If you do, then let God search you with His light. If there is sin in your life, don’t just admit it— confess it. Are you willing to obey your Lord and Master, whatever the humiliation to your right to yourself may be? […] Never disregard a conviction that the Holy Spirit brings to you. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to bring it to your mind, it is the very thing He is detecting in you. You were looking for some big thing to give up, while God is telling you of some tiny thing that must go. But behind that tiny thing lies the stronghold of obstinacy, and you say, “I will not give up my right to myself”— the very thing that God intends you to give up if you are to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.’  CHAMBERS
 
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was He said there are two .. Love God and Love Others (Matt 22:37-39).  To love God means that you must surrender to Him and His will, to love others is to lay down your own life for them (John 15:13).  It is easy to talk about  .. even boast about .. the things you have given up to follow Jesus … there is some feeling of satisfaction like you have done a good thing .. and what others to know how ‘spiritual’ you are.  Although Jesus addressed the need for us to reject the things of this world as our source of satisfaction, Jesus didn’t say it was the third greatest commandment.
 
If you do the first two, devotion to material things will take care of itself.  The Bible says you cannot love God and money .. (Matt 6:24)  Loving God will take care of loving money.  And if you don’t love it, letting it and the things it buys, go will be of no significance to you.  But the sacrifices that are significant have to do with the loving God and others.  Submitting to the will of God in the face of all human reason … Treating others as more important than yourself.  Going to someone who has wronged you to be reconciled .. even if they reject you … asking for forgiveness when you have wronged another … those things that are done in secret .. not in front of a crowd … remaining silent before your accusers … letting God avenge your mistreatment … but also letting God rend your heart and take you through the fire.  These are not things that we boast about to others, but things we ponder as we consider how great is our God! Things that God receives as a fragrant offering from living sacrifices (Rom 12:1-2)
 
You shine brightest as you live for an audience of One.
 
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

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