A Spiritual Workout!

The journey I am walking with God has not been so thrilling today. I hope that in the future, I WILL be able to look back on today with a sense of thrill and joy. God is always urging us to go deeper with Him and to draw nearer and nearer to Him, so that we can become ever more like Jesus, all for God’s glory and honor.

My world was again rocked violently today as I realized the critical need to STOP and MAKE CHANGES in my own self centered and carnally minded life. In evaluating a situation that occurred today, I was forced to see some traits in me that are most undesirable to God. Pride never is about God, but always about SELF. I’m not sure that I can wholeheartedly say I am ready to make the changes that God asks of me, yet, I will press on and continue to search my own heart and talk with God, search the scriptures and be open to the work of the Holy Spirit within me.

It is not easy to ‘lose’ yourself and give up your own life…but that’s what Jesus told His disciples to do and that’s what He told me to do today. In Matthew, chapter 16, Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” NLT

Far too long, I have been clinging to my own life, desperately trying to maintain my own sense of ‘who I am’ while at the same time, trying to follow Christ and serve Him as Lord. In my heart, Jesus is my Lord, yet in my actions…my words, my expressions, my body language and more, Jesus does not appear to be Master of my life. The old carnal man (in my case, woman) in me has been too often in control. I have known this for some time, but had not really come face to face or ‘to terms’ with the serious problem that arises from this double-ruled life.

Allowing carnality to rule is exactly what Jesus reprimanded Peter for, as recorded In the Gospel of Matthew 16:23. “But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” KJV

Submitting to Christ’s teachings on self-control, self-denial and Spirit-led living is not easy. It is totally contrary to what ‘the world’ teaches and even contrary to what some churches teach! Few followers of Christ are willing to embrace this Truth. Today I learned a lot and am still processing and praying.