"I have been crucified with Christ, in Him I have shared His crucifixion;
it is no longer I who live, but Christ the Messiah lives in me;and the life
I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God,
Who loved me, and gave Himself up for me."
(Galatians 2:20)
CHRISTIANITY isn't a narcotic that dulls you into obedience.
It involves battle-it's excruciating to give up control.
But that is why we must not feel despair if we are struggling.
To struggle does not mean we are incorrigible. It means we are alive!
A disciple says, "I hear You, Lord. It's the nuttiest thing I ever heard of.
It's risky. I'll look like a fool, but I'll do it. Because my life is no longer
committed to doing my thing but Your thing."
Heaven will not be filled with innocent people, running around and saying,
"Oh, there was another way? I guess I never noticed." Rather, they will say,
"You bet there were other options that begged to control me. By God's grace
and my struggle, Jesus is my Lord."
Is Jesus' desire to be the Lord of our lives some little fetish of His?
Why is it so important to Him? Why should we want Him to have
control of our lives? Besides the fact that He deserves it because
of who He is, He knows He is the only one in the universe who
can control us without destroying us.
No one will ever love you like Jesus.
No one will ever know you better, care more for your wholeness.
The last breath Jesus breathed on this planet was for you.
Jesus will meet you wherever you are and He will help you.
He is not intimidated by past failures, broken promises, or wounds.
He will make sense out of your brokenness. But He can only begin to be
the Lord of your life today, not next Monday, or next month, but now.
And the great and joyful paradox is that while He totally transforms us,
He makes us more ourselves than ever before.
"More Myself"
By Rebecca Manley Pippert
Global conference speaker,
author and evangelist, whose passion
is seeing people come to know Jesus
This devotional is from
The NIV Women's Devotional New Testament
With Psalms & Proverbs
Zondervan Publishing
(2001)
(20o4)
Casting Crowns
(Uploaded February 17, 2020)
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