Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Changed From The Inside Out

My Utmost For His Highest
 
"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith . . ." —Jude 20
 
“There was nothing of the nature of impulsive or thoughtless action about our Lord, but only a calm strength that never got into a panic. […] Impulsiveness is all right in a child, but is disastrous in a man or woman—an impulsive adult is always a spoiled person. Impulsiveness needs to be trained into intuition through discipline. Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. […]  But it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours of every day as a saint, going through drudgery, and living an ordinary, unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God—but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people—and this is not learned in five minutes.” CHAMBERS
 
Living in this world will provide ample opportunity to abandon our new life of the old.  To stop trusting in God and trust in ourselves.  Particularly when things are not going like we think they should.  How we respond to this life and what it brings each day is a reflection of the spiritual discipline that we practice every day.  We are to be salt and light.  Our saltiness, the intensity of the light,  comes from an abiding relationship with God, not a decision to do better, to try harder  or be different  on our part. I must remember that it is not me but God in me that makes the difference.  My part is to be obedient, to draw close the God.  Zechariah 4:6 “It is not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord God of Hosts.”  The Spirit changes us from the inside out.  ELGIN
 
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

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