by David Brenneman
No matter what you are dealing with or are facing, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6,is the answer.
Jesus trusted in His Father with all His heart and trusted not in His own understanding. In all His ways He acknowledged His Father and His Father made His path straight.
No matter the cells in the body, all work together for good for that body when it comes to the body of Christ. It doesn't matter if all you've ever done is greet people kindly to those men who are called to preach the word of God. Skin cells or major organs in Christ all have a plan and purpose for the glory of God in Christ Jesus.
All too often many people don't think their being at Church matters. That it's not in them to get involved. That there's nothing for them that they can or would like to do.
If we take that mindset then those to whom have realized their life in Christ has something for them to be doing are going to have all that much more to try to be doing rather than the whole body working as it should.
You, my Dear Reader, know all too well what happens when parts of your own body don't cooperate with other parts of it. It's not a good thing.
The opening paragraph or two came to me before I went to bed last night and I was awaken from sleep to make sure I wrote it down.
Jesus lived out Proverbs 3:5-6 daily.
He often spoke openly to His Father about how right He was.
You have a plan and purpose in life that's much greater than you can possibly imagine. So do I. We must submit to the training in righteousness that comes from a life IN Christ. Our training is ongoing. Our training is for God's will for us.
"Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you." 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8.
Living life isn't to only be our pursuit of happiness. Of our pursuit of our ideas concerning peace and love.
Our lives are in Christ, therefore, we have an in Christ purpose for our here and now in human history.
We don't tell the rest of the body of Christ "you're on your own. I'm saved so that's all that matters".
When we ignore God's calling for us, that's pretty much what we are saying.
We also can't let fear of what might be for us to keep us from serving in the body of Christ. We'll surely talk ourselves out of it.
We also cannot let past experiences of serving that we only concluded didn't go well to keep us from present and future service to the body of Christ.
This line of thinking is our trusting in our own hearts and not what Proverbs 3:5-6 speaks to.
We will always get in our own way.
Truth be known, we in the Church can do so well at hindering the work of God in Christ Jesus that Satan's minions don't need to get involved.
"and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you," 1 Thessalonians 4:11.
Essentially to do whatever it is that God's got in mind for you to be doing...not trusting in your own heart and mind. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Do it as unto the Lord Jesus Christ.
My Dear Reader, the Church should never be cowering before the world. As it's written in the Bible, the Church should be busting down the very gates of Hell. The power of God in Christ Jesus is what powers the Church when the Church is being the Church as the Spirit directs and leads.
Our world says to put our needs, our joy, our happiness, our health, our financial situation, our well-being, our this our that, ahead of our lives before Jesus.
We do that and the will of God for you that is your sanctification is put on the back burner.
We have a God given purpose for each of us in the body of Christ.
Find it, do it, to the extent that you do it as if you were presenting it to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. To your Savior and Lord who lived that sinless life, was cruelly beaten and crucified, was nailed to the cross and arose again 3 days later. He did all of that to give all the chance at a new life in Christ.
Whatever the Spirit has for you...find it. Purge from your heart and mind whatever is keeping you from presenting your part in the body of Christ to Him as a holy offering.
From the least to the greatest in the body of Christ, Jesus will acknowledge personally when He returns. From the smallest to the greatest He will acknowledge.
Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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