New Years Resolution: Christ Lives in Me

NOTE: my laptop keyboard went wonky in the middle of typing up this post, so some of the punctuation just didn`t work properly.

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Once again I am hearing God speak to me through a variety of sources all at once, which I think is so much more then a coincidence:-) Praise Him!

First of all the thing that hit me in today's TLT reading (day 37) was the verse:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified. It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. My old self is killed. My new self is Christ abiding in me.

Then I moved to my Breaking Free study, focussing on Isaiah 58:6-12.

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

I remember studying this very passage in TLT on day 4. This is when I began to get the image of the well-watered garden. But I must take that portion of scripture a step further and see what precedes the well-watered garden image...

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed..." v. 9-10

I think I could sum up that portion saying that throwing off all hinderances (yokes of oppression) and becoming other-centered is the key to finding satisfaction in God and being like a well-watered garden.

Becoming other-centered... Something I have felt tugging at my heart the past couple weeks. Isn`t that what my reflection about being effective and productive and brotherly kindness and love being the key in 1 Peter 1:5-8 was all about just a week ago.

Beth Moore writes, based on this Isaiah 58 passage:

He promises that those who empty themselves of other pleasures will have themselves filled by something only He can give... If we pour out our lives to satisfy the needs of the oppressed, God will be faithful to satisfy our needs... Oh how I pray we will each discover glorious satisfaction in Christ; but when it's the real thing, we must find a place to pour the overflow of our lives. Captives truly set free are the most compassionate people in the world... A ministry to the truly oppressed helps purify our serving motives. You see, they don't have much to give back. Breaking Free workbook pg 215-216

Then I decided to continue doing a little reading from Philippians and what should I read but...

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:4-11

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

And then the passage moves into a description of Jesus' humility, obedience to God, sacrifice, other-centeredness.

After I finished my devotion time this morning I began mulling this all over in my head and the dots began to connect.

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 2:4) The satisfied soul is never a more beautiful display of God's splendor than when willing to empty self for the lives of others. (Beth Moore) I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. (Gal. 2:20)

Be like Jesus. Be other-centered for the glory of God. And the key is CHRIST LIVES IN ME! I am a new creation. My old self is crucified.

So, time for application and reflection on these truths.

This past year has been a lot of hard work, digging down deep and uncovering many of the lies and muck and gunk of the habitual sin of overeating. In the process I have uncovered some of the ``spoils`` from the battles. I need to ``snatch the plunder`` as Beth Moore so wonderfully describes in another chapter of Breaking Free.

There are spoils to be taken. Beloved, have you got them. When you went into that terrible valley of suffering did you come out with spoils. When that injury struck you and you thought everything was gone, did you so trust in God that you came out richer than when you went in. To be more than conqueror is to take the spoils from the enemy and appopriate them to yourself. What he had arranged for your overthrow, take and appropriate for yourself. Mrs. Charles E. Cowman (as quoted in Breaking Free workbook pg 212)

I can see some of the `spoils`of the battle for me are a much greater understanding and application of the truth of Scripture. I can see that I have grown greatly over this past year as I have gone into battle head on. I can see that I have been equipped and prepared to be used by God for greater purposes. I have discovered a hunger and thirst for the Word of God that I have never experienced so intensely before. And I have noticed that I have had so many opportunities over the past few months where this knowledge of Scripture has began to be used for God`s glory.

I want to continue becoming more rooted in the Word of God and in my relationship with Him and effective at using and applying and being a doer of His Word.

I desire to bring God glory by encouraging believers with the word of God and by drawing unbelievers to Jesus with the Word of God.

I greatly value each of the ladies I journey with online. I have so much appreciated the sharpening of each other`s faith that has been mutual. I have been blessed greatly by many of you and want to do the same in return in the upcoming year.

I am embarking on leading a bible study with a group of ladies starting this upcoming month. This is definitely out of my comfort zone as I haven`t done this very often. But I`m so excited to see all that God has in store for this journey in the year ahead. I long to pour myself into others more effectively and frequently and be used by the Lord for His glory.

My heart`s desire is also to return to Mexico this summer and once again reach out to the oppressed and hungry and needy. Jon and I are talking and trying to figure out where God is leading us. We certainly have a better idea of how to reach out more effectively to the families and community we visitted last year. We continue praying on this front.

I have a heart for evangelism and outreach. I find it interesting to note the ladies that He has brought into my life this fall. Two muslim ladies have been on my heart this fall and I`ve had some powerful and lovely visits with them, often quoting Scripture as I have felt the Lord prompting. Isn`t God awesome! And there are so many other ladies in my community who need the Lord. I know I have limitted time and energy, but I pray that God continues directing me where He desires me to place my energies and then that His Holy Spirit would empower me to make the most of each of these opportunities for God`s glory.

I desire and long to be the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing (2 Cor. 2:15)

Be like Jesus. Be other-centered to the glory of God the Father. And the key is CHRIST LIVES IN ME! Now that is a poweful new year`s resolution!

HAPPY NEW YEARS to each and every one of you dear friends!