Living Life for Christ Alone

Two kingdoms are at war in this world: the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of Light.  And every human you or I meet is in one kingdom or the other.  Everyone was born into the kingdom of darkness. But some have been transferred from that kingdom into the Kingdom of Light.  It is interesting to me how we expect so much from those who still live in that kingdom of darkness.  We expect them to love what is right and protect it.  We expect them to treat others with kindness and respect and for that kindness and respect to endure the harshest treatments.  We expect them to not fall for the enemy's lies and believe that God's ways are not really the right way.  But, really, should we expect so much from those who are under the sway of the wicked one?  Should we be surprised when they embrace wickedness wholeheartedly?  "...The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one." (1 John 5:19) Do we really think the wicked one would sway the worl...

I hope that I have begun to convey to you just how incredible the love of God is, and just how staggering it can be for God to love other human beings through us.  The love of God alone is powerful enough to break down barriers that human logic, wisdom, money, or power can never penetrate.   But what if we are gazing at the world through a lens that is incompatible with this love?  What if we are trying to mix our own perspectives with God's? You see, my natural human nature coldly recoils when asked to suffer loss of any kind on the behalf of another human being.  From birth, selfishness reigns.  We love ourselves too much to care about others.  We fight for the best things. We cry when our needs aren't met, or our wants aren't given. We only think of ourselves -and others are barely on our radar unless we can gain something from them. When it comes right down to it, we will save our own skin before laying down our own lives for someone else. We ...

"Where are you?"   She hears, but is afraid to come out of the shadows, for she knows that if she walks into the light that is inseparable from the One who called her, her sin and imperfections will be exposed.  "What if He doesn't love me anymore?"  She asks herself, fearing that all she's known of Him will be proven untrue. His footsteps come closer. He calls her by name. His voice filled with tender love.  His light shines on the trees around her, maker her shadowy hiding place a little more conspicuous.  She remembers the many times He has held her in the past as she wept over her pain. His kindness towards her fills her mind, and she knows that she can't live without Him. If she must go on, she must be exposed to the light, however uncomfortable.  Really, what does she have to lose if she has Him? Or on the contrary, what does she have to gain if she loses Him? She steps out of hiding. The light catches first her feet, and then there in plain sigh...

Every person has a past... Some not as pleasant as others, but all with torn up dreams; sudden and unwanted twists to their stories that have an effect on them they never wanted. In the short life I've lived so far, much has taken place already that I didn't see coming. And when it did, confusion clouded the pathway, and my dreams became a blur. Wounds that went so deep, I never thought I'd be whole again.

Nothing.  That's all it was. But soon that nothingness was radically changed, simply by a command.  "Let there be light," and there was light. Within six days, nothing became something. Something incredible. Sky, earth, stars, sea, animals, fish, insects, plants... and best of all, humans. Made in the image and likeness of their Maker. He looked over His creation, pleased. "It is good."

    The cage was old and rickety, but it still served its purpose. An odor of death seemed to penetrate every ounce of air that was in the vicinity. A thick darkness surrounded the cage. Within the cage lay a small, almost lifeless, girl. She was starved and dirty, and if one were to look into her eyes, a hint of despair and hopelessness could be seen there.     Outside the cage sat a cruel old man, guarding the doorway so none could get in or out. He held in his hands a weapon that none could distinguish in our modern world. His eyes lurched to and fro, looking for anyone who would assay to set the girl free.    Suddenly, out of the distance, the girl could hear a cry. At first it was faint, but soon it became louder and clear. The voice was crying for joy, “I’m free! My cage is broken! I don’t have to be trapped in there anymore!”

"Lord, I've been so caught up in life that I've forgotten You.... Make me to become so caught up in You that I forget life!" This was my prayer today after I read, reread, and meditated on Hebrews 12:1-2. This is what it says: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Champion who initiates and perfects our faith..." (NLT) We are to "strip off" all of the weights that are slowing down and leave them behind. As I read this, I was like, "how? How in the world do I strip off all the weights?" I just looked at those two words and prayed silently that God would open my eyes. And then I kept reading.... "We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus..."