Jesus changes things. The cross is living proof.
What was once a symbol of shame, guilt and disgrace has been transformed into a sign of love, faith and hope with Jesus on it. Today the cross is an emblem of His promise.
This dream-driven, career-consumed culture encourages me to ‘find myself’, follow my passions and enjoy the success. Some of my pleasures have worn off quickly. Others have taken years of chasing flashing fantasies until the heart awakened to find these pursuits could not fill the emptiness.
When I stop stuffing my life, independence caves to the reality that the world preaches moments of happiness, based on happenings. If I truly want to save my life, I need to lose it.
There, on a path in search of the Savior alone, I experience the remarkable peace offered through the hand of Jesus.
With outstretched arms and worn out knees, the Spirit shatters a sorrowful soul that’s been chasing the shadows I call success.
Maybe the truth is that what I really wanted was presence. His presence. Presence of others. To be present.
While opportunities are around every corner, undeserved favor can only be found in the Potter’s perfect plan. Tucked behind the mercy of a Wonderful Maker is purpose for the crumbling clump of clay I’ve been tirelessly tossing at every whimsy.
When I’m willing to deny myself, I show the world, “Jesus is King”.
There’s the part in Exodus when God told Moses to throw down his staff. That staff represented a way of life and identity for a shepherd. In fact, God later used the same staff to perform miracles and save a nation. But before I go there, let me share this discovery:
Whatever I’m willing to release to God will be the very places I receive deliverance into the promised land.
The promised land is that place I consider ‘successful’ today. In my career. In my relationships. In my health.
When I throw down my ‘way of life’ – the possessions, position of power and performance – and surrender it to God’s will, I find freedom! That’s the change that Jesus offers me.
The willingness to lay down my life is how God breaks the bondage that ties me to this world. This allows God to transform the heart and raise it up for His work. When Moses gave his staff – his identity and career- to God, the Almighty used what was given to Him to also transform and deliver others out of slavery.
Cards on the table here. I have some things that need pruning to reflect what matters most in my life.
I have been elbowing my way through the weeds of selfish living in a single life.
While I have a deep desire to reflect the selflessness of Christ, by being present with people and God the Father, I struggle sometimes with scaling the rungs on a career ladder.
The difficulty for me that this place of single-life living actually gives permission to have a laser-like, me-centered focus. The world encourages single people, like me, to embrace success and dreams because of the freedom from things that often get blamed for holding achievement back.
I think about Jesus. Single. The Son of Man was about His Father’s business.
This is the life I was meant to live. This is the legacy I was created to carry.
About a month ago, I heard a statement that stuck, “success doesn’t come from striving”, from Amy Groeschel, an amazing woman of God and wife of Lifechurch.tv pastor Craig Groeschel.
I believe I’m already living His plan, mostly unaware and confused, because the world stresses a different definition of success.
So now I want to ask you, what is important in your life? How does that align with what Jesus says should be most important?
What are you investing your time in? Is there anything in your life that Jesus is asking you to give up? What would happen if you laid it down and allowed God to have His way with your future?
As I lay down my ‘staff’, with all the struggles, stress and strife tied with the world’s vision of success, I am picking up overwhelming joy, unfathomable peace and the light burden of Christ that I was meant to live.
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:30).
This one is not my favorite. I think it’s because it’s the one I struggle with the most. I felt completely alienated while I went thru the worst heart break I’ve ever known. Chuck Dennie brought me into his home and for a month there were so many being so kind.. but none of it mattered to me.. I was so consumed with betrayal, and rejection. My whole life is torn from me and you say be still? My children ripped away from me because she wants another man and you tell me pray.. for her? I hurt so hard and so deep. I felt like God wasn’t there. So now here I am.2 years gone by.I’m not serving enough. I give the tithe. But I could do more. I could be the hands and feet like before. I was so much happier then. But that whole time I was being made a fool of in some cheap hotel. It’s just hard to swallow. I can’t look in her eyes it makes me feel it all over. I say to myself “you just need more time” but I keep thinking I’ll become stagnant.I want God to say well done when he looks down at me.. right now I don’t think he would. I’ve been so full of selfish ambition. Prayer. I still pray all day. But they are likely not for anyone but the ones I love and for me most of the time.
Thomas, I appreciate your honesty and cherish the heart behind such confusion as a gift. I believe God may have shown you where He wants you to begin but the hurt is perhaps preventing you from wanting to accept that this is the place to start. It is easier to see that splinter in someone’s eyes, hear it in their words and feel it in their actions, but God didn’t call us to ‘fix’ people. He asked us to examine our hearts, transform and renew our minds constantly and let Him take care of the work in others. When we focus on the pain they have caused us, we lose sight of the work God is doing in us. I am sorry for what you have gone through. You have a choice today, stay where you have been and hope your heart will change or try on a new mindset and see where it takes you. The enemy would like nothing more than to keep your thoughts rolling over the details and this pain, but you have a choice with where you want to be. May I offer a piece of advice? I understand it is difficult to feel like praying for someone who has betrayed you. What if you started off praying for God to give you the desire to pray for her? And him? Start with the desire to want to pray first and that’s it. Because I hear you saying you wish you had that desire but you just don’t, so maybe begin right here and let God meet you there.
This one is not my favorite. I think it’s because it’s the one I struggle with the most. I felt completely alienated while I went thru the worst heart break I’ve ever known. Chuck Dennie brought me into his home and for a month there were so many being so kind.. but none of it mattered to me.. I was so consumed with betrayal, and rejection. My whole life is torn from me and you say be still? My children ripped away from me because she wants another man and you tell me pray.. for her? I hurt so hard and so deep. I felt like God wasn’t there. So now here I am.2 years gone by.I’m not serving enough. I give the tithe. But I could do more. I could be the hands and feet like before. I was so much happier then. But that whole time I was being made a fool of in some cheap hotel. It’s just hard to swallow. I can’t look in her eyes it makes me feel it all over. I say to myself “you just need more time” but I keep thinking I’ll become stagnant.I want God to say well done when he looks down at me.. right now I don’t think he would. I’ve been so full of selfish ambition. Prayer. I still pray all day. But they are likely not for anyone but the ones I love and for me most of the time.
Thomas, I appreciate your honesty and cherish the heart behind such confusion as a gift. I believe God may have shown you where He wants you to begin but the hurt is perhaps preventing you from wanting to accept that this is the place to start. It is easier to see that splinter in someone’s eyes, hear it in their words and feel it in their actions, but God didn’t call us to ‘fix’ people. He asked us to examine our hearts, transform and renew our minds constantly and let Him take care of the work in others. When we focus on the pain they have caused us, we lose sight of the work God is doing in us. I am sorry for what you have gone through. You have a choice today, stay where you have been and hope your heart will change or try on a new mindset and see where it takes you. The enemy would like nothing more than to keep your thoughts rolling over the details and this pain, but you have a choice with where you want to be. May I offer a piece of advice? I understand it is difficult to feel like praying for someone who has betrayed you. What if you started off praying for God to give you the desire to pray for her? And him? Start with the desire to want to pray first and that’s it. Because I hear you saying you wish you had that desire but you just don’t, so maybe begin right here and let God meet you there.
This one is not my favorite. I think it’s because it’s the one I struggle with the most. I felt completely alienated while I went thru the worst heart break I’ve ever known. Chuck Dennie brought me into his home and for a month there were so many being so kind.. but none of it mattered to me.. I was so consumed with betrayal, and rejection. My whole life is torn from me and you say be still? My children ripped away from me because she wants another man and you tell me pray.. for her? I hurt so hard and so deep. I felt like God wasn’t there. So now here I am.2 years gone by.I’m not serving enough. I give the tithe. But I could do more. I could be the hands and feet like before. I was so much happier then. But that whole time I was being made a fool of in some cheap hotel. It’s just hard to swallow. I can’t look in her eyes it makes me feel it all over. I say to myself “you just need more time” but I keep thinking I’ll become stagnant.I want God to say well done when he looks down at me.. right now I don’t think he would. I’ve been so full of selfish ambition. Prayer. I still pray all day. But they are likely not for anyone but the ones I love and for me most of the time.
Thomas, I appreciate your honesty and cherish the heart behind such confusion as a gift. I believe God may have shown you where He wants you to begin but the hurt is perhaps preventing you from wanting to accept that this is the place to start. It is easier to see that splinter in someone’s eyes, hear it in their words and feel it in their actions, but God didn’t call us to ‘fix’ people. He asked us to examine our hearts, transform and renew our minds constantly and let Him take care of the work in others. When we focus on the pain they have caused us, we lose sight of the work God is doing in us. I am sorry for what you have gone through. You have a choice today, stay where you have been and hope your heart will change or try on a new mindset and see where it takes you. The enemy would like nothing more than to keep your thoughts rolling over the details and this pain, but you have a choice with where you want to be. May I offer a piece of advice? I understand it is difficult to feel like praying for someone who has betrayed you. What if you started off praying for God to give you the desire to pray for her? And him? Start with the desire to want to pray first and that’s it. Because I hear you saying you wish you had that desire but you just don’t, so maybe begin right here and let God meet you there.