by David Brenneman
When you run the race set before you...are you running it with Jesus His way or are you running a race with Jesus your own way?
If it's His race then it's by His rules by His understanding by His direction and in His strength.
If it's your own way then it's by your understanding by your direction and by your strength.
We don't start out with Him then give Him a nod then take off at our own pace. We'll surely lose our way doing it that way!
We aren't giving up self if we're still wanting things our way. We aren't losing self if we honestly stand defiant about what we won't let go of. Read what Blackaby said:
Losing Your Life
"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it.
Matthew 16:25
Christians are commanded to lose their lives. This means they ought to deliberately release their lives to God and His kingdom. One of the greatest hindrances to your being on mission with God will be your view of what constitutes your "legitimate rights"-that is, those things that you feel you have a right
to experience and enjoy. It's not difficult to turn Over to Christ
those things that are not a sacrifice or that you would prefer to do without anyway. Rather it is the things that are good and that are dear to you that may stand between you and God's will.
It's good to be near your grown children and grandchildren, for example, but God may want you to go to another city or continent on mission with Him. It's good to get adequate rest, but you may receive a call of distress in the middle of the night. You may assume that you have a right to certain material things, yet God may ask you to release all of your possessions to Him and His purposes (Matt. I9:2I).
Jesus modeled perfectly this attitude toward life. He had a
legitimate right to enjoy the comforts of heaven. Yet, He did not
look at it as a right He should hold on to; nor did He see leaving
all that was His as a sacrifice too costly to make (Phil. 2:5-11).
As a result, God highly exalted Him and brought salvation to a broken world. Has the world convinced you that there are certain rights you must protect? Are you trying to save your life? Have you noticed that in so doing, you are actually losing the life God wants you to have?
- Blackaby Experiencing God Day-by-Day
We heavily compromise and refuse to call it that. Yet that's what it is from God's perspective. We don't intend to love the world and the things of this world but we cut ourselves some slack and say "This one is ok. This one isn't hurting anyone. This one's not that bad. This one and no more. Ok. Just one more but then I'll stop there. I'm comfortable so that must mean it's ok with God."
When we compromise in any area we open the door to slow down our race that is Jesus's to lead. We see Him running without any trouble...if we're staying within eyesight of Him. Yet we're not noticing that we are keeping a backpack on and are tossing extra rocks into it with every single compromise we choose.
Jesus said to take His load upon us for His load is easy and His burden is light. This too is part of running the race of life with Jesus.
When we embrace what we think are our 'rights' in this world. Things we think and are convinced that God gave us to enjoy...and these very things interfere with our growing in Christ...they no longer are a blessing but in all actuality are a curse. We've tossed rocks in with that load that Jesus said we should carry and all the sudden things aren't so smooth anymore.
When we compromise...we do exactly...and Biblically it's absolutely 100% true...we do EXACTLY..what Adam and Eve did...all over again.
When we take our eyes off the prize we lose sight of what we are running for. Many a joke is out there about a dog's attention span being as long as it is between looking at you and a squirrel. The moment the squirrel is known...the dog forgets about you.
To set your eyes on the things above and not on the things that are of this world means just that. Focus. Establish. Intentionality. Give serious consideration. Prioritize.
Why do so many Christian's exude such great joy and happiness for things that are of this world yet do not show the same or better at the mere mention of something that Jesus shared with us? Why do so many Christian's choose to create their own kingdom here on Earth rather than to be generous or to serve with what they've been given?
It is more the seasons of storms that show that God's will moved through an area than it we see when we look at peaceful times.
We look at the aftermath of massive rains and flooding and know that God did that or God allowed that to happen. Evidence is everywhere and oftentimes people get stirred up to go help rebuild and to maybe help save those displaced. Yet in the same area prior to it, it was absolutly beautiful and was so commonplace that it escaped the notice of everyone. After the recovery and rebuilding it's finally noticed that the beauty is coming back.
Are you keeping pace with Jesus or are you doing your own thing? Are you by your choices tarnishing your witness before men and women or are you pointing them to Jesus the Author and the Perfector of our faith? Are you honestly looking more like a walking idol worshipper or a child of God?
You either take up your own cross and follow Jesus or you put it down and do your own thing. Jesus really left little to consider with that.
So how's that race going for you? Are you really staying in step with your Lord and Savior or are you looking around and don't know where He went? He's wanting you to run with Him so that you both cross that finish line together.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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