gladitudes

In my Bible study for the past couple weeks, we’ve been studying our identity in Christ–the things that the Scriptures say are true of those who have been redeemed by Christ’s blood. It’s been really refreshing for my soul, so I think I’m going to write a few posts reflecting on some of my favorite verses on the subject.

In the mean time, I want to share something else. This morning on the way to work, I was listening to Lecrae. Nothing quite pumps me up both emotionally and spiritually like Lecrae. This song came on and I was just really blessed to hear this truth. In a world that is constantly trying to define us, almost always, in opposition to the truth, a healthy dose of the truth about who we are is much needed.

Check it out this excerpt:

How do I gauge success, Why do I say I’m blessed,
Huh, Is it the car that I drive or the place that I rest or the way that I dress,
Now, Is the cause of my pride,
The stage and the set or my face in the press,
Now, ’cause the applause it dies
When the praise is less if my face is depressed,
Then it’s cause my value and worth is in the volume of the work I produce in the booth
It’s a prize and a curse if defined by the perks when the truth is through
Man I’m goin’ feel like I don’t want to live no more, no more, no more
Cause they don’t like me like they did in 04,04,04
So, I swallow my pride empowered by God,
I’m complete in Him
He’s got peace God’s priest I’m in In
His presence weak-His strength
Meet His kin We His brethren Read this list
Me forgiven
He’s dismissed guilt and my sin and
I find my worth cause I’m Jesus’ friend

I’m not the shoes I wear, I’m not the clothes I buy
I’m am not the house I live in, I’m not the car I drive
I’m not the job I work, You can’t define my worth
By nothing on God’s green earth, my identity is found in Christ.

Take a listen:

From yesterday’s entry in the Daily in Christ devotional from Neil Anderson:

The early church didn’t pray for “divine appointments;” they prayed for boldness. God’s kingdom can only be established by faithful and courageous people. (Full text)

I, for one, want God’s Kingdom to advance on Earth and not only that: I want to be a part of it. But I also, very often, feel weak and unable to be strong.

I think it is probably human nature to be cowardly. It’s easy and it’s natural to avoid confrontation and be silent when something needs to be said. It’s hard to take risks, it’s hard to put yourself out there and be exposed to the possibility of rejection.

How then can we be “faithful, courageous people”? How can we be bold to speak the truth?

Paul, in his letter to Timothy, wrote these words, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.” (1 Timothy 1:7-8a, NLT)

In Acts 1:8, Jesus told his early followers, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere[...]”

The answer is that we become bold, courageous people not when we develop more will-power, but when we yield to and have greater faith in God’s Holy Spirit within us.

This process seems somewhat esoterical, but it really isn’t. In my experience, walking in the Holy Spirit by faith simply means we say, “God, you have given me boldness so I will live boldly. You have given me courage, so I will have courage.” Then, when we in faith take that first step of boldness or that first step of courage God comes through and empowers us to follow through.

2 Corinthians 12:9 is encouraging to me as I work through these things myself. God told Paul as he wrestled with his weakness that, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” As I am weak, it gives God opportunity to show His power in me. And that is a really beautiful thing.

1 Corinthians 10:24
“Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.”

So, I read this this morning and have a few thoughts on it.

As Christians, it is now our charge to live totally for others. First for God, and subsequently, as stated here, for those we are around—our “neighbors”.

Part of why this hit me so poignantly this morning is because of a book I’m reading right now. I’m reading Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus. It’s really an awesome book. I can’t quite say enough good things about it. I can’t go into tons of detail, because he says it all much better than I could, but one of the big themes in the book is something like this: God has changed our hearts and given us passion and desires that align with His passion and desires so that we would pursue those things. Therefore, if God doesn’t say, “no”, then go and change the world with the things he’s laid on your heart.

He was reflecting on what gives us the ability to do this, and he wrote something like this (sorry, I don’t have the book with me right now and can’t quote it exactly): “I want what I give to define my life.”

I’ve been really thinking about this a lot. I want what I give to be what defines me. I don’t want to seek to gain anything, but rather only to give. I will gain a great deal, I am confident, because God promises it. But where do my goals lie? In gaining or in giving? One will breed a productive life, the other will hold us back from finding true life.

Take a peek at Luke 17:33 “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.”

A couple months back, I walked into work and made my way back to my cube. On the way there, I bumped into one of the guys I work with, casually, I said, “Hey, how’s it going?” His response took me a little off-guard, “New day, same old [stuff].” I didn’t know how to respond, so I just walked back to my cube and sat down. I just sat there a second, thinking. There were two things I was really taken by. First, how true what he said was for him. Second, how untrue it was for me. Read more

2 Corinthians 2:14-17
14Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

I love this!