Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Scripture- “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20
Insight: Being a Christian is so counter-cultural in today’s world. In a world that tells us it is all about “the unholy triumvirate of me, myself and I” Christian believers know it is all about Jesus. Therefore, it is the pinnacle of pride to assume authority over that which no longer belongs to you. In fact, when we accept Christ into our life, we actually die to the ownership of our own self, as the scripture above alludes to. But that doesn’t make it any easier. How come I still try to control so many parts of my life or wrestle with God for control of things that I don’t even have a right to anymore? My finances, my legacy, my self-worth, everything has been purchased by Him at the Cross when He died for forgiveness of my sins. All are under His care. I no longer have any right to these things. All authority has been transferred to Him. That should be a very liberating thought since He is all knowing, all loving and all caring.
So why does my pride keep getting in His way? My pride wants it my way, on my time and in a way that’s convenient for me and is done on my terms. Other than that, you can have it all Jesus. Isn’t that how we often think? That is so prideful, but it is the reality for most of us living in the year 2021 even as committed Christian Believers. As much as we want to put Jesus first, our pride and our fears keep getting in the way. Surrender is so hard because it requires full trust in what we cannot yet see. I guess that is why it is called “faith.” It requires giving up control and that is just such a foreign concept, even when we know that the One we are relinquishing control to has a much better plan for us than we could ever imagine. His plan will be more adventurous, more meaningful and touch more people than simply living this life on our own terms. Eventually, we must come to grips with the fact that in the grace room of “faith” there is no room for doubt or for trying to reclaim control. It is an all or nothing proposition. Christ didn’t die for some of me, He died for all of me. May that be a thought of liberation from the stress of trying to control everything in a world that is increasingly out of control.
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