We have an innate thirst for God that persists even when we try to deny His existence. Why? It’s because deep down we know that He is the source of unconditional love. Yet many think that love is hard to connect with.
The only reason it is difficult is because our human side wants to wallow in the ways of the world. When we do that, we are bound by the anxieties that are weaved within the present culture, which reflects the ongoing demise of this system of things.
Those who have not reached out to God face the real potential for drowning in meaningless chatter, falling prey to the fantasies of pagan idolatry, suffering the world’s negativity and of frittering away their short time on this planet on empty busyness, projects and causes – all designed to try to impart some self-worth upon the doer. None of these activities glorify God, denying them the love, acceptance, security and recognition that they so desperately seek.
The ultimate outcome is a life that is not lived.
We all live in a world that is under the sway of the devil himself, who is actively trying to recruit us in every moment. Thus, even though we live in it, we have to stop being at the effect of it. The only way to do that is to seek out our Creator in simple stillness. Regardless of how the world has humbled us, or even our own behaviors have humiliated us, there continually remains a loving, compassionate God that looks to restore us with His outstretched hand:
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Is. 41:10. NKJV
God also knows that because of pride, many need this humbling before they can see their need for Him. It’s what draws them to the truth, making them ready to take on a new way of being. It requires that one gets to know what their attachment points to the world have been so that they can ask God to help them let those go. And it’s easy to find those points, because they exist in the areas of life that are not working, where the mistakes are made – showing up in self-defense and aggression. This is especially so in our attachment to the past.
When you connect with God through Christ, your past is forgotten in His eyes. (Jer. 31:34) So if God forgets it, you should do the same.
Yet even when we walk our spiritual path – studying the word, meditating in His presence, and do our best to bring light into the darkness, we will feel that we have failed God from time to time. Only God knows whether or not you were successful and He honors your earnest efforts regardless of the outcome.
And it is here where we can begin to shift our thinking. First, we can let go of the burden that we can of our own become a good person. Jesus says that we cannot (Mt. 19:17); He says God confers His ‘goodness’ upon us when we walk in obedience. He places the gift of Himself within us through Christ by His grace.
We can acknowledge that by ourselves (in the flesh) we are empty – painfully clinging to the scraps of life that fail to fulfill. When we accept God’s invitation through Christ, the Holy Spirit fills us with the Godhead, imparting a love that that permeates our soul and spirit with such abundance that it spills out of us as well. As we stay in the presence of that love, we will stop clinging to the old way of life that left us wanting.
Our human side will not go away. It’s part of us until our eternal transformation. Yet when we continue to seek out our spiritual side, we’ll be able to place our flesh in it’s proper hierarchy, which is where it is in submission to the spirit.
Remember that your spiritual maturation is an ongoing process (2 Cor. 3:18); it will take time. Christ is the author and perfecter of your faith. (Heb. 12:2) Your faith is from Him! It is He who believes for you. You can always tap into Jesus to shore yours up.
In this maturity, we begin to take our minds off of ourselves so that we could dive into the unique purpose that God created for each of us – which always involves selfless service to others, which brings glory to our Father. It is the sharing of oneself. It is looking to God for our satisfaction.
Finally, to keep us empowered in our quest in advancing God’s kingdom, we give the Holy Spirit’s leading unctions pre-eminence in our lives for directing our actions, so that we speak God’s truth and spread HIs love. And we can do that when we place a little bit of our human side aside…
Goodnight and God bless.