“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4
Referencing recent Marriage Builder e-mails, we have repeatedly been asked this question, “Just HOW do I allow God to do the leading, instead of “my talented self?”
First things first…you and I cannot be healed and made whole by Christ until our hearts are broken over our sin. Not until we first identify in ourselves where we have been rationalizing and justifying our own poor behaviors, words, and thoughts; and then, bring these areas to God in complete surrender, will we hear much of anything from our Lord. ~~Wish there were a short cut, but there just isn’t one.
Jesus commands us to love Him with ALL our body, mind and spirit (Mk.12:30). This is not a suggestion, but a command…a black and white amidst the grey world we live in these days.
So what exactly is Jesus commanding us here? Let’s take a minute and break this holy concept down to practical language. In simplest terms, what I see as “body” is a total surrender to Jesus of my mouth and my actions. What I see as “mind” is a total surrender to Jesus of my thoughts. And what I see as “spirit” is just that, a total surrender to the Holy Spirit in me.
“body”:
1Cor. 6:19-20: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom you received form God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
“mind”:
2 Cor. 10:5 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.”
Pv. 2:1-5: “…if you accept My words and store up My commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, THEN you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”
“spirit”:
Rom. 8:26-27: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts know the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”
Until I come to the end of my talented self, and lean the weight of my WHOLE body, mind and spirit on God…I simply will not discern His promptings. For God is in the business of “perfecting” me…no matter how “wrong that jerk is”! ~~God has allowed “this whomever/whatever” in my life for a reason, and there is something that He desires to change in ME. I must also rest in this fact: if it is a person that I am angst with, this other person has his or her own walk with (or without) God. I can influence him/her, and I can pray like mad for him/her, but I can never change him/her…only God can change the hearts of man. Again, we wish there were some kind of short cut, but there simply is not.
And there is no replacement for quality and quantity time with God. If we are truly seeking answers, we must sincerely seek the One who holds all answers. And this is where we find the “peace” God talks about (Is. 26:3)…divine peace, joy and direction amidst the struggle. Oh, my Shaun and I are gonna be wearing out the knees of our jeans until our dying day!
Will you join us?! God bless you this week.
Shaun and Betsy
