"And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, 'Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.' Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." - Luke 22:41-44
Making choices. That pretty much describes our life of faith. What choices? My will or the will of the Father. Choosing poorly, well that is called sin - missing the mark - being outside the will of God. Jesus faced temptation. In the desert and then again in the Garden before His crucifixion. The very reason that He was incarnated. Like Jesus, we also are tempted and like Jesus are in need of spiritual strength to run the race - to bring glory to God as we live out our new life.
We make choices every day - every hour. Some may seem inconsequential, but every decision is important. When I was a young lieutenant I was discipled by a Captain who was with the Navigator ministry. We would met for lunch and he would share Christian principles with me. One of those was called the Navigator's Wheel. Living the Christ-centered life. Imagine a wheel. The Hub - the center is Jesus. There are 4 spokes, 2 horizontal and 2 vertical. The horizontal spokes are Fellowship and Witnessing. The vertical spokes are Prayer and the Word. The wheel is the Obedient Christian life. Making the right choices as a Christian is all about being centered and doing what we are shaped to do by our Father. Like Joshua - meditate on the word - not letting the "book of the law" depart from our heart. Not being anxious but praying. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together - staying connected to other Believers. Always being ready to give a defense for the Hope that is in us.
It is good that we remind ourselves from time to time of who we are and whose we are. That we have been given a high calling. That we are being conformed to the image of Jesus by the Father through the work of the Spirit and the power of the Word of God. It is so easy to lose perspective. I think it curious that I still remember that Wheel example. It speaks to the power of discipleship. Do or have you had the opportunity to speak spiritual truth into someone's life? Maybe you think not - but maybe you just don't see it. Maybe you are not an evangelist - but that does not relieve you of your role as a witness. If not to the lost, perhaps to other Believers who need to be encouraged in their faith. Like Jesus, you may see opportunity as an impossibility - way beyond your capacity to endure.
"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." - 2 Corinthians 12:9
God is able to more than we can ask or think - so why not let Him be the power by which you live out your life?
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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