Control
To have control of something and willingly offer it takes more strength than to be stripped of it. The small but real choice to obey God today is harder than the imaginary "bigger" scenario I tell myself I will be ready to overcome.
Many people imagine that completely "selling out" to Jesus happens in one big move...it is tempting to imagine the fullest expression of obedience is to sell everything and become a missionary, or to stay true to Jesus at gun point.
Those extreme moves are actually easier than the day by day voluntary decisions to hand over more and more of your heart, your plans, your reputation, your money, and your will to Jesus. It is harder because you REALLY have a choice...you don't have to do it.
The suddenly convicted heart making large, and even rash, moves doesn't go through the nuances of the "heart action" of knowing they don't have to give more...the day by day voluntary and calm decisions to die to self are actually harder than the split second "martyr scenario" to stay loyal to Jesus at gun point.
My decision to bring a full tithe today...my decision to push every offense away and worship in spirit and truth...my decision to help someone in need to the point that it will actually cost me some of my own provision...these are the choices that change my heart forever.
He is worth it. Jesus is worthy. Everything that dies in agreement with Jesus gets resurrected in glory...you can't kill what is already dead.
Right now, Jesus wants to build a strong foundation. Brick by brick...choice by choice...he gives me opportunity to agree with him in my preparation. He refuses to violate my will...I can agree with him today in the "small" but costly choices I am tempted to put off until it is more dramatic, or brick by brick, little choice by little costly choice, I can do the hard work of getting a tight and solid foundation. I will never be ready for the bigger imaginary catastrophic choices if I am unwilling to make the simple, hard, and smaller real choices to agree with Jesus.
There is a promised storm coming. My prominence in church circles won't help with the storm...my reputation as a man of God won't help....my confidence because of what people say about me or what I say about myself won't help weather the storm...only a secret, hidden-under-everything else foundation will last. The coming storm is meant to test my foundation...not construct it.
Matthew 7:21-27 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
Many people imagine that completely "selling out" to Jesus happens in one big move...it is tempting to imagine the fullest expression of obedience is to sell everything and become a missionary, or to stay true to Jesus at gun point.
Those extreme moves are actually easier than the day by day voluntary decisions to hand over more and more of your heart, your plans, your reputation, your money, and your will to Jesus. It is harder because you REALLY have a choice...you don't have to do it.
The suddenly convicted heart making large, and even rash, moves doesn't go through the nuances of the "heart action" of knowing they don't have to give more...the day by day voluntary and calm decisions to die to self are actually harder than the split second "martyr scenario" to stay loyal to Jesus at gun point.
My decision to bring a full tithe today...my decision to push every offense away and worship in spirit and truth...my decision to help someone in need to the point that it will actually cost me some of my own provision...these are the choices that change my heart forever.
He is worth it. Jesus is worthy. Everything that dies in agreement with Jesus gets resurrected in glory...you can't kill what is already dead.
Right now, Jesus wants to build a strong foundation. Brick by brick...choice by choice...he gives me opportunity to agree with him in my preparation. He refuses to violate my will...I can agree with him today in the "small" but costly choices I am tempted to put off until it is more dramatic, or brick by brick, little choice by little costly choice, I can do the hard work of getting a tight and solid foundation. I will never be ready for the bigger imaginary catastrophic choices if I am unwilling to make the simple, hard, and smaller real choices to agree with Jesus.
There is a promised storm coming. My prominence in church circles won't help with the storm...my reputation as a man of God won't help....my confidence because of what people say about me or what I say about myself won't help weather the storm...only a secret, hidden-under-everything else foundation will last. The coming storm is meant to test my foundation...not construct it.
Matthew 7:21-27 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
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