December 22, 2018 WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT ?
Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a result. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
Acts 17:28a “For in Him we live and move and have our being.”
I remember being at Christian retreats where the leader would ask us to write down the list of what our priorities should be in life. We all knew that the ‘right’ order of priorities would be: 1.God 2.spouse 3.children 4.vocation. This order of priorities sounds so right, right? Later in my spiritual journey, I began to realize that this type of listing of priorities is not right after all. In reality, how would you ever live in such a way that your kids were number three in importance and your wife was number two, and your job was way down the list at number four? We should see our life more like a circle with God at the center, and around the perimeter of the circle are all the things pertaining to our life, such as spouse, children, church, vocation, hobbies, and etc. In this concept, everything we do flows out of our relationship with God, and everything becomes important. I also realized that making a list like we did at the retreats reveals a deficiency in our understanding of our relationship with God and the ways of God; it also indicates that we are trying to earn our way into a right relationship with God, and trying to earn it always leads to frustration. It is a red-letter day when we come to realize that God is at the center, that our life and all we do flows out of Him. Colossians 3:4 tells us that Christ IS our LIFE; not in theory, but in reality. We are in error when we compartmentalize God to certain areas of our life or to view some things we do as secular, and some as spiritual. Whether it is going to church, going fishing, painting the house, or whatever, all we do can and should flow out of our relationship with God who is our Father. To get to this point, something dramatic must take place in the deepest part of us. The understanding and the revelation that is critical in coming to this place is that God has made us new and has given us a new –not refurbished- heart, a new mind, and a new spirit. We have a new identity, and this identity is based on Christ being our life. When we come to know our true identity, we naturally want to do the things that please Him and that reveal His life in us; the struggle to be ‘spiritual’ is gone. As in my last blog, our part, and our choice is to walk according to the Spirit-that’s it! Yes, we can revert back to our old ways and walk according to the flesh-but why do that? So, what is really most important? It is to walk by the Spirit. Let us receive the gospel; lets us acknowledge that Christ is indeed our life; let us walk in our new identity; and let all that we do flow out of our relationship with our Father. Knowing AND walking in our true identity is the only door way to abundant, overflowing life. If you do not know or experience your true identity, read His word in light of learning who He says you are in Him and ask Him to reveal it to you in your heart and in your spirit. Today, confess with your mouth that He is your life-then do all you do as unto Him!
John 7:33 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
Blessings,
Buddy
Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a result. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
Acts 17:28a “For in Him we live and move and have our being.”
I remember being at Christian retreats where the leader would ask us to write down the list of what our priorities should be in life. We all knew that the ‘right’ order of priorities would be: 1.God 2.spouse 3.children 4.vocation. This order of priorities sounds so right, right? Later in my spiritual journey, I began to realize that this type of listing of priorities is not right after all. In reality, how would you ever live in such a way that your kids were number three in importance and your wife was number two, and your job was way down the list at number four? We should see our life more like a circle with God at the center, and around the perimeter of the circle are all the things pertaining to our life, such as spouse, children, church, vocation, hobbies, and etc. In this concept, everything we do flows out of our relationship with God, and everything becomes important. I also realized that making a list like we did at the retreats reveals a deficiency in our understanding of our relationship with God and the ways of God; it also indicates that we are trying to earn our way into a right relationship with God, and trying to earn it always leads to frustration. It is a red-letter day when we come to realize that God is at the center, that our life and all we do flows out of Him. Colossians 3:4 tells us that Christ IS our LIFE; not in theory, but in reality. We are in error when we compartmentalize God to certain areas of our life or to view some things we do as secular, and some as spiritual. Whether it is going to church, going fishing, painting the house, or whatever, all we do can and should flow out of our relationship with God who is our Father. To get to this point, something dramatic must take place in the deepest part of us. The understanding and the revelation that is critical in coming to this place is that God has made us new and has given us a new –not refurbished- heart, a new mind, and a new spirit. We have a new identity, and this identity is based on Christ being our life. When we come to know our true identity, we naturally want to do the things that please Him and that reveal His life in us; the struggle to be ‘spiritual’ is gone. As in my last blog, our part, and our choice is to walk according to the Spirit-that’s it! Yes, we can revert back to our old ways and walk according to the flesh-but why do that? So, what is really most important? It is to walk by the Spirit. Let us receive the gospel; lets us acknowledge that Christ is indeed our life; let us walk in our new identity; and let all that we do flow out of our relationship with our Father. Knowing AND walking in our true identity is the only door way to abundant, overflowing life. If you do not know or experience your true identity, read His word in light of learning who He says you are in Him and ask Him to reveal it to you in your heart and in your spirit. Today, confess with your mouth that He is your life-then do all you do as unto Him!
John 7:33 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
Blessings,
Buddy
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