By David Brenneman
This post is yet another one that touches on earlier posts. In the last month or so God's been working on me concerning things in my life. Things that it's clear that He's put before me that I am being made to choose to keep or let go of.
I am indeed still working out those things in my mind. Until we finish moving it isn't something that I can act on as of yet.
But the question asked in the title isn't just for me, it's for all of you.
If you were presented with this kind of dilemma would you let go or would you try to convince yourself and God otherwise?
In most everyone that answer is we want the compromise. We want to keep what's making us happy in the here and now. We want that short term happiness. We want we want we want.
There comes a time in the lives of believers as well as unbelievers where hearts are given over to what or who we allow to rule in them. The consequences of that choice can lead to death, physical death, and the immediate consequences are realized by the people who chose that.
We can't live for ourselves and live for Jesus too. To take up your own cross denies you the right to do more than one.
I confess to great struggles within me. Of things that I have comfortably held onto for years. Things that, if examined in light of Spiritual growth, do me no Heavenly good.
If we are indeed to be Disciples of Christ, what in this world are we doing?
In my last year, medically, I came to a crossroad. Do what I was told was necessary or face more pills, and probably a painful future due to the possible side effects of those pills.
I had to choose which way to go. I had to give up practically every food and drink that I loved to enjoy in order to use diet instead of pills. I won't lie, I wasn't happy about it. It made me angry having to give up on those things. Sure I have lost nearly 60 lbs. Sure I get around much easier. However, I still desire those things. I have been told that it's been long enough that my body might not react to those things in the same way as it used to.
In the midst of other things, God has been showing me the things that I ought to reconsider being in my life.
Years and years ago we took a week to go far away on a vacation. Several days into it we were feeling really good about the atmosphere, about the area, about life without so many things in it, joked about leaving everything to live there. It's been over 40 days that I have been able to do anything with anything that I considered a hobby. In a sense God brought about our desire by making us box up or get rid of stuff in our lives. We really now must decide to resume old habits or let go of them. These last 40 days have really been us and God and not much else.
Would you be willing to go through the same? Would you be daring enough to ask Jesus what needs to be reconsidered in your life? Would you go through the inevitable separation anxiety of your stuff? Don't lie to yourself and say that wouldn’t happen, because from experience, it will. Would you deny yourself football, baseball, etc? Would you deny yourself foods if that's what brings you more comfort and happiness than Jesus? Would you do what He presents to you in order to please Him?
Would you let go of anything He points to in your life? The macho side of everyone says oh yeah, sure! The reality is much much deeper.
Really read of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament. It's largely about the great abominations they did that traded God for things in this world from false gods to things, possessions, of this world. Mankind, in its own way, reflects the unchanging character of God in that regardless of the generations we still live for self.
Dare to ask the Spirit about anything in your life that is really in the way of your relationship with Christ Jesus. Do it. If you aren't afraid of the truth, go for it. We who are in Christ will give an account of the DEEDS we have done in our bodies. WHAT we have done. WHY we did those things.
It's been convicting, it really has. It's been revealing, it really has.
Jesus has so much more for us that would bring so much more to our lives if only we would let go of what we hold onto. His ways are higher than ours, His thoughts are higher than ours.
"but just as it is written:
“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the human heart,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”
For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among people knows the thoughts of a person except the spirit of the person that is in him? So also the thoughts of God no one knows, except the Spirit of God. Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God." 1 Corinthians 2:9-12 NASB
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