What Have You Built Your Life Upon

…fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ… —1 Thessalonians 3:2

"As long as you maintain your own personal interests and ambitions, you cannot be completely aligned or identified with God’s interests. This can only be accomplished by giving up all of your personal plans once and for all, and by allowing God to take you directly into His purpose for the world. Your understanding of your ways must also be surrendered, because they [your ways in your new life in Christ] are now the ways of the Lord. I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. God is using me from His great personal perspective, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him. […] When I stop telling God what I want, He can freely work His will in me without any hindrance. He can crush me, exalt me, or do anything else He chooses. He simply asks me to have absolute faith in Him and His goodness.” - My Utmost For His Highest

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”  - Psalm 37:4

Putting God first will align your ways with His ways, you will desire what He desires, His purposes will become your purposes.  He will conform you into the image of His Son. 

“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” - Romans 8:29 

The shaping process requires surrender .. of everything … not just some things.  One of my favorite praise songs “Knowing You” says

"All I once held dear, built my life upon, All this world reveres and wars to own, All I once thought gain I have counted loss, Spent and worthless now compared to this, Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You, There is no greater thing

Now my heart's desire is to know You more, To be found in You and known as Yours, To possess by faith what I could not earn, All surpassing gift of righteousness, Oh to know the power of Your risen life, And to know You in Your sufferings, To become like You in Your death, my Lord, So with You to live and never die, Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You, There is no greater thing."

Is there something in your life that you still cling to, still trust in - something you treat like a greater thing than your devotion to God?  Perhaps you want to preserve your lifestyle.  Perhaps you want to keep your circle of friends which causes you to compromise your faith for them.  Maybe something else, but it is something.  We all struggle with it.  Listen, the ways of the world will remain embedded in your heart if you don’t surrender all to God by faith.  It’s time to be honest with yourself.  God already knows the truth.  He examines the heart.  You can’t hide anything from Him.  You may fool the people at church when you put on your happy – I love Jesus yes I do I love Jesus how about you – face on Sunday.  But even then, your heart is hardened toward God, resisting what He wants to do in your life, because you love your old life and don’t want to give it up.  Am I being more blunt that you would prefer?  My job is to speak – or write – the Truth in love.  My purpose is not to condemn you, but to encourage you to choose God.

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