Life has been a whirlwind lately, and although I could probably start off any post by saying that, it is especially true lately. My emotions have been going a million miles an hour, but I am slowly drawing closer to Jesus and further from the chaos that seeks my attention. A while back, I posted on God's amazing grace (see: God's Grace, Not a Counterfeit), and it is something that is particularly striking me today as well.
Ever since returning from Fall Break, I have been facing some pretty tough spiritual warfare and am constantly reminded that I can't do it on my own. God is right here with me and his grace allows me, and all of us, to be free from condemnation. Yet, this is only the case if we open the door up to your spirit and allow the grace to reign down on us.
Along those lines, I am so grateful that I have had such a spirit filled month. After reading Practicing His Presence (RELATED: Book Review of Practicing His Presence) I have been struck by how real and alive God is in everyday moments. Despite all of this however, I've found myself getting bogged down by the monotony of life and the self-condemnation for falling into old sinful habits and thus losing sight of God. That's when I get in the cycle of perfection, control, anger and discouragement. But, I'm not here to tell you all my life's issues. While I believe there is great spiritual value in writing and releasing emotions, the internet is probably not the place for it, AND we must be careful lest we go back "like a dog to its own vomit" (Proverbs 26:11). For instance, if I've already prayed that God will release his spirit in me and forgive me for how I've failed lately, there's no sense in going back and pleading that same prayer over and over again. He has already forgiven and he is with us. What we really need to do is command our spirit to come into alignment with what He has already told us.
So you might be asking where I'm going with all this...not exactly sure myself. I think my point is that God's spirit must be released in us in order to experience this grace and peace and joy and all those other awesome fruits. When we pray to the spirit, perhaps its time we actually expect what we are praying for to come about. If we ask for forgiveness, we need to receive it and move on. I've often heard it said that in the same way the Holy Spirit is like a dove, he will not force himself onto those whose hearts are not open; he will not land where there is turmoil and unrest. Relax my friends. Believe me, I'm saying it to you as much as I am to myself. There is hope for the future. There is a great plan that Christ has for us and nothing we can do can stop that. You can't mess up God's plans-- you might delay them, but you cannot stop them! There is such freedom in following Christ, that all else begins to fade away. I don't know about you, but I'm sick of the control, the fear, the anxiety, the loneliness and the self-hatred that come when I board my heart up and try to make it on my own. I'm tired of repeating the same prayers to God because I'm not really praying them at all, but rather, I'm trying to assure myself. RELAX.....breathe.... Daddy is right here and he has great rest and relaxation for his children. We don't need to have any fear over what might be. All we do is cuddle up, be with him and allow his spirit to manifest in our lives. It's not exactly easy, but it is worth it.
Every day, we can make the decision whether to follow God in freedom or retreat back into bondage without his Holy Spirit. Choose Christ today! I've found, the more I release to Christ, the more I want of him and the less I desire the tempting sins and controlling desires of the flesh. He reveals more and more and more. It doesn't all happen in one day, but if your tired of a life lived in complacency, decide with me that you are going to release to Jesus' hands today.
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