I was given an opportunity to help with decorations for our church's upcoming Sportsman's Day event. Preparing has been exhaustingly FUN! You know what I mean? It's soooo fun but so much work! The JOY certainly has outweighed the "pain."
This morning, I was out scourering the woods searching for decorative pieces to use and in usual God-fashion as He seems to do with me, His visual child, He caused me say something that was obviously a lesson I needed to chew on as I was working. The most beautiful logs happened to be the trees, seemingly old trees that had long ago died. Their branches were full of texture and their color was a blend of greys and browns, simply aged perfectly. What I loved most was not only were they beautiful in color and years of twisting and turning had left them full of art-like designs....they were so delicate, it was easy to maneuver them, break them, carry them, to be able to use them for my project.
I said outloud, "Wow, it's soooo much easier to use these dead ones, than the live ones."
What a lesson of being "dead" to ourselves and alive in Him. Certainly if I died to myself, I have nothing to fight back with or resist, I can be easily carried by the One taking me.
It is only after I am exhausted, frustrated and plum worn out that I tend to take a step back and ask myself, "Why is this (whatever I am struggling with) so hard?" It is then that I realize I am working it myself, in my own strength, and sometimes even resisting. One of my issues is "staying in the moment," waiting and being patient. I tend to be a very organized planner, and I can be spontaneous, but I like to be prepared for "whatever!" God doesn't work like that in every way. He does tell us to be ready for battle, putting on our armor; however, we Go when and how HE says, not what we imagine or think and even attempt to prepare for. When we settle into our moment, it's amazing the peace and joy...AND ENERGY, flows through us. Not that everything is easy-cheesy-lemon-squeezy, but it's that inner strength, patience, perseverence and endurance flowing through.
I freely admit I am as equally easy-going as I am strong-willed! It's my Italian blood, or so I can blame anyway!! haha
Do you feel dead? If you have been saved you are ALIVE in Christ and have freely died to self, so if you don't feel dead, what are you clinging to? What "thing" are you struggleing for? God wants to be your Source, won't you allow yourself to be freely given to Him and allow Him to move you and use you on His planned project! He is the Potter and you are the clay.
The secondary lesson/application learned was the opposite is then true in spirit. Working this backwards, the truth is also, we are stronger when we are alive in Christ. When we are full of the Living, connected to a Living Source, we are strong. The more we pull away, the weaker we become. We may die a slow death or a quick one if we are chopped. (No need for theology debate here-once saved always saved, just referring to strength, ability to bear fruit and intimacy with our Father, NOT salvation.) A dead branch cannot bear fruit. The Master Gardner prunes His branches to they will have new growth.
In our flesh we are weak and yet we can make ourselves stronger by dieing to our fleshly desires. The closer we are to our Source of Living, The Lord God, we are refreshed, revived and alive. It is through the surrendering of self that God can most easily move us, mold us, lead us.
My hope for us as Believers~ may we daily die to ourselves, giving way of all control to be moved gently or abruptly for what God's purpose is for each of us, that we would trust that The Source will supply all our needs as we thirst after Living Water, and may we remain close to Him so that His strength will be ours, His joy will be ours, His love will be ours, His patience will be ours, His gentleness will be ours, His mercy will be ours and His goodness will be ours.
I hope you will dig through the familiar scriptures and ask Him to show you areas where you need to let go and die to self, becoming easily carried by Him. So that you may also feel alive and full....in your death.
John 15 & Isaiah 29
God, makes us faithful and obedient servants of Yours, not to ourselves or any other, but to You! In Jesus' name, amen!
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