New Life, I am so PUMPED for what God is doing IN me, THROUGH me, and AROUND me. I have actually reached a point in my life right now, my DAILY walk with Him, that I can FEEL Him near. I can’t tell you what’s changed in my life. I don’t think I’ve changed anything in my routine. I’m not sure what’s changed…
that is…
I have performed an extreme makeover, yes, one worthy of its own reality show, on my daily quiet time. I no longer wake up trying to juggle exercise, breakfast, school buses, signing papers, brushing hairs, putting on socks, etc. etc. etc. OH AND reading what little of God’s word I can sneak in amidst the commotion and chaos.
I pray.
I read.
I write (respond).
Granted I still prepare the kids’ breakfast. I still get clothes ready for school. I still ensure papers are signed and bags are put together. I still walk them to the bus stop and wave as the wheels on the bus go round and round. What’s changed? I set myself aside. I severed MY desires and now focus on those that matter the MOST: Jesus + my kids.
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 9:23 NLT
I want to FOLLOW Jesus. Let me say that again, I want to FOLLOW Jesus. I don’t want to sit on the sidelines. I don’t want to be a bystander. I don’t want to be someone that catches a glimpse of his glory. I don’t want to be someone that WISHES they had done SOMETHING. I don’t want to become so preoccupied with what I want to do that I miss what He wants to do through me or BETTER YET, through my family. I get so dang EXCITED when I think about my family, my wife, my children. They could be the most AWESOME people I know!
So, if I want to follow Jesus, here’s what he said I gotta do:
that is…
I have performed an extreme makeover, yes, one worthy of its own reality show, on my daily quiet time. I no longer wake up trying to juggle exercise, breakfast, school buses, signing papers, brushing hairs, putting on socks, etc. etc. etc. OH AND reading what little of God’s word I can sneak in amidst the commotion and chaos.
I pray.
I read.
I write (respond).
Granted I still prepare the kids’ breakfast. I still get clothes ready for school. I still ensure papers are signed and bags are put together. I still walk them to the bus stop and wave as the wheels on the bus go round and round. What’s changed? I set myself aside. I severed MY desires and now focus on those that matter the MOST: Jesus + my kids.
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 9:23 NLT
I want to FOLLOW Jesus. Let me say that again, I want to FOLLOW Jesus. I don’t want to sit on the sidelines. I don’t want to be a bystander. I don’t want to be someone that catches a glimpse of his glory. I don’t want to be someone that WISHES they had done SOMETHING. I don’t want to become so preoccupied with what I want to do that I miss what He wants to do through me or BETTER YET, through my family. I get so dang EXCITED when I think about my family, my wife, my children. They could be the most AWESOME people I know!
So, if I want to follow Jesus, here’s what he said I gotta do:
- TURN FROM my selfish ways
- TAKE UP my cross
Two things! Two freakin’ things! The problem is that these are two of the HARDEST things to do in this world! GREAT to read about; stressful to implement. But here’s the deal, Jesus didn’t say it would be easy, he said we’d be persecuted. He said the world would hate me…because it hated him. Who wants that? Who wants persecution? All I know is that if Jesus said to do it, if Jesus said it would be the natural result of following HIM, then I’m all in. I’ll take it.
God help me find joy.
In the end I guess I do know what’s changed—I have. As I have decreased, he has had more and more room to increase. As I have set aside my selfish desires, he has had more room to make his known.
I guess the question today is what are you holding on to that’s holding you back? What do you continue doing that’s got you locked in bondage? You need to find freedom from something, don’t deny it, don’t brush it aside, don’t ignore it…
Today, will you turn away from your selfish ways?
God help me find joy.
In the end I guess I do know what’s changed—I have. As I have decreased, he has had more and more room to increase. As I have set aside my selfish desires, he has had more room to make his known.
I guess the question today is what are you holding on to that’s holding you back? What do you continue doing that’s got you locked in bondage? You need to find freedom from something, don’t deny it, don’t brush it aside, don’t ignore it…
Today, will you turn away from your selfish ways?
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