Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM. 2 Corinthians 3:17
Oh how I know this scripture to be true. I have heard many Christian speakers refer to the freedom that we have in Christ and always believed I knew what they were talking about. It wasn't until recently that I became aware of true freedom.
Many of us think freedom is being able to make our own decision and doing things our own way---making things happen in our own timing. It seems like a backwards concept to think of freedom as submitting and being obedient to something other than ourselves. Life...GOD...has a way of opening our eyes to the lies we have been believing and revealing HIS truth.
For those of us who have blazed a trail and tried to find freedom our own way, we have been disappointed with the outcome! We don't realize it at the time, but those "free choices" we are making end up coming with a HUGE price. We wake up one day and realize that what we thought was freedom wasn't really freedom at all but bondage. It is a shocking and overwhelming realization. It is then, if you are a child of God, that you realize living life the way "you" want to is not going to cut it. It is only after true repentance and submitting to the authority of Christ can you truly find that freedom you always wanted. The freedom that reaps peace and joy. Freedom from depression, fear, worry, stress, etc. This freedom you can not have by living life your way.
I encourage you to take inventory of your life. Are there areas in your life where you are trying to do it all by yourself? Are you being stubborn, rebellious, or just wanting to be independent? As my great friend Brother Bob would say...STOP IT!! Take it from someone who's been there, it is NOT worth it.
Not until you come to the point in your life where you realize that it is not about you but about living for HIM, do you experience true freedom!! (I am not saying I am there yet. I am a work in progress!) So, let HIM break the shackles off your feet so you can dance and be free to do the things HE has called you to do!! ;)
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
OUR VALUE
I was reading Joyce Meyer's book "Approval Addiction" the other day and found this to be a wonderful picture of our worth in Christ. Here is what she had to say:
A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a fifty-dollar bill. In the room of two hundred, he asked, "Who would like this fifty-dollar bill?" Hands started going up. He siad, "I am going to give it to one of you, but first let me do this."
He proceeded to crumple the bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "what if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty.
"Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth fifty dollars."
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, we will never lose our value in God's eyes. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, we are still priceless to HIM.
Even with all His foreknowledge of our weaknesses and the mistakes we would make, He still chose us on purpose and brought us into a relationship with Himself through Christ.
So...we can do whatever we want?! Of course not...Read Romans chapter 6...what shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!!
For those of us who have made mistakes in the past (which is all of us!) I find it very encouraging that He still chose us and still loves us!!
A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a fifty-dollar bill. In the room of two hundred, he asked, "Who would like this fifty-dollar bill?" Hands started going up. He siad, "I am going to give it to one of you, but first let me do this."
He proceeded to crumple the bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "what if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty.
"Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth fifty dollars."
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, we will never lose our value in God's eyes. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, we are still priceless to HIM.
Even with all His foreknowledge of our weaknesses and the mistakes we would make, He still chose us on purpose and brought us into a relationship with Himself through Christ.
So...we can do whatever we want?! Of course not...Read Romans chapter 6...what shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!!
For those of us who have made mistakes in the past (which is all of us!) I find it very encouraging that He still chose us and still loves us!!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Getting Started
I have to admit that as I was thinking about a blog the title came to me rather quickly. The picture, however, was all God's doing. My first thought was to have a picture of a woman in Paris shopping or laying out on the beach somewhere....Then having a picture of a crying baby, nagging husband and baggage to the side with an X over each one. The description was going to read...Ahhh the single life! No baggage!! :) But then that really isn't my picture of being single at all.
You see, since I am almost 31 and still single, this has been one of my biggest adventures. Though it has been tough, I can honestly say I wouldn't trade it for the world!! The Lord has used this time in my life to purify me and humble me. At times I have kicked and screamed and all out wanted to punch HIM for not giving me a man...right now!! HE has always brought me back to the place of knowing that HIS timing is perfect, HE really does love me through all my fits, and HE really does know what is best for me.
So back to the picture and the scripture...that was HIS picture for me (from the poem Footprints in the Sand). Though life has not always gone exactly as I have planned, HE has proven time and time again that HE will NEVER leave me. And for that...I give HIM praise. HE really is worthy of it!!
You see, since I am almost 31 and still single, this has been one of my biggest adventures. Though it has been tough, I can honestly say I wouldn't trade it for the world!! The Lord has used this time in my life to purify me and humble me. At times I have kicked and screamed and all out wanted to punch HIM for not giving me a man...right now!! HE has always brought me back to the place of knowing that HIS timing is perfect, HE really does love me through all my fits, and HE really does know what is best for me.
So back to the picture and the scripture...that was HIS picture for me (from the poem Footprints in the Sand). Though life has not always gone exactly as I have planned, HE has proven time and time again that HE will NEVER leave me. And for that...I give HIM praise. HE really is worthy of it!!
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