The world in the palm in your hand.
You have God and God has you. You are safe in His arms for all eternity. What more could you want?
Plenty, as it turns out.
There are two ways to live a Christian life:
The first is to experience salvation and live in the freedom of it.
The second is harder. It is the way of sacrifice:
I will still go to heaven, and while I'm waiting, will enjoy the world, but I will miss something else.
If I intentionally sacrifice what comes naturally to my physical body, I am more likely to attain a full, spiritual relationship with my God.
Abraham had to offer God Ishmael before he was given Isaac.
I have to do the same.
If you would be my disciple, you must deny yourself...--Matthew 16:24
More is required of a disciple than of a believer, or even of a follower and, if I want to be one, I have to deny myself. Becoming a disciple requires discipline.
I cannot pray my way into this. It requires action. My action.
Jesus has already saved me. Now, He has shown me my part.
So, we have the world in the palm of our hand.
Now, it is for us to turn our hand over and dump it out.
In doing so, we are only making room for the better part.
I have walked both paths -- trying to glean joy from the world and trying to glean joy from Jesus. Jesus wins, hands down, every time.
ReplyDeleteYes, Jen. You are right. But sometimes the world is just so THERE...
Delete'Turn it over, dump it out, and make room for the better part.' Man, your words are always SO succinct. Make room....yes, Lord, help me by your grace.
ReplyDeleteOh, Jody...you always say that. I honestly think it comes from years of struggling as a bad poet...
DeleteI love this... "making room for the better part."
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Belief is followed by action. Beautiful post.
ReplyDeleteYes, ma'am. And not only action, but action specifically contrary to what the world both permits and encourages. A hard road.
DeleteI love this definition of sacrifice. Something good to ponder on this still Saturday. Thank you.
ReplyDelete