Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
What of Today’s Verse…
Christianity is all about dying to ourselves. Some see this as hideous, onerous, and weak. "Why give up your desires, wants, and longings for something someone else mandates?" they wonder. "That sounds like slavery!" they charge. However, they fail to realize that surrendering our wills to Christ is like a bird surrendering to air currents or a fish to the water. When we surrender to the Lord, he gives us the power to be what we were made to be — enabled to be useful in ways that are eternal, empowered to have lives not limited by mortal boundaries, and blessed by communion with the Creator as our Father. What is lost in this surrender to Christ’s living in us? Only our selfishness and our self-damage caused by rebellion.
Let us Pray:
Holy Father, I thank you for your work in my life through Jesus. As you remake me to be more like your Son and my Savior, I trust that you will use me in ways far grander than I can imagine. Please take my heart and cleanse it thoroughly. Please take my life and use it mightily. Please expand my thoughts and help me dream more majestically. May all this be empowered by your Son’s life in me, and may all I do, dream, and desire be for your glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Words of Wisdom
If Only
Locating The Underlying Cause…
Often, when we are unhappy, we fall into the habit of thinking that, if only one or two particular things in our life would change, everything would be fine. We might focus on the fact that we need a new car, or a raise, or a change in our living situation. We dwell on this one thing and strategize, or complain, or daydream about what it would be like to have it. Meanwhile, underneath the surface, the real reason for our unhappiness sits unrecognized and unaddressed. Yet, if we are able to locate and explore the underlying cause of our discontent, all the surface concerns have a way of working themselves out in the light of our realization.
Maybe we really do just need a new car, and maybe moving to another city would improve our life situation. However, it can only help to take some time to explore what is going on at a deeper level. Sometimes, when we take a moment and stop focusing on external concerns, we get to the heart of the matter. We might realize that all our lives we have been dissatisfied, grasping at one thing after another, only to be dissatisfied about something else once we get what we want. On the other hand, perhaps we will notice a pattern of running away from a place, or a relationship, when things get too hard. We might then wonder why this keeps happening, and how we might work through the difficulty rather than just escaping it. The point is, slowing down and turning our attention within can save us a lot of energy in the long run, because it is very often the case that there is no external change that will make us happy.
Once you have taken the time to inquire within, you can begin to make changes that address the deeper issue. This can be hard at first, especially if you have grown used to grasping for outside sources to quell your discontent, but in the end, you will be solving the problem at a deeper level, and it will be much less likely to recur.
