following Jesus
Letting Go
Fulfilling our purpose can get complicated at times as we move through seasons of life that inadvertently take us off track in fulfilling our destiny. During a demanding and impressionable season in my life (during my early thirties), I had a moment of insight about my future and felt compelled to pause and take the time to reflect on and pray about the path that I had chosen and of which made sense to me to be on. The nagging question that I could not answer at the time; where my priorities God’s priorities for my life and was I on the right path towards accomplishing His purpose?
What I discovered through prayer and seeking God’s will was a clarity that would guide the projection of all my major life decisions from that time to the present. It brought me to a place of surrender, of letting go of what my limited perspective could bring when measured up against the wisdom of God.
To give oneself up to or willingly yield your life to the power of another is what it means to surrender, and as a Christian, we have been given this choice by a gracious and loving God who desires the very best for our lives. He knows how limited our understanding is in the pursuit of fulfilling the purpose that He has assigned to our lives; and He also knows that we lack the wisdom to know how.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Letting go of your life as an act of surrender towards fulfilling God’s purpose places you in a position of strength with an eye towards eternity. This one sacred act of surrender sets you apart from the worldly focused battles for achieving temporal victories that are built on temporal circumstances to a position that is built upon the solid foundation of Christ that will withstand any and all adversity that comes your way.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4)
I believe that its in the heart of human nature to want to end life well during our time on this earth, and in order for that to happen, we need the wisdom of God to know how.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5)
Don’t waste another minute living life without Him, let it go!
Photography | Pixabay
I Have Decided
Decisions are made through a process of settling a dispute or doubt, making a judgement or determining a preference that brings us to a conclusion “by giving victory to one side.”* Decisions are made in the soul of our being, where our will, emotions and mind reside.
Major life decisions affect the projectory of our life outcomes and the people we encounter along the way. The impact can be enormous when you think about it from the perspective of eternity.
In 1904 a spiritual revival swept across Wales, England and a particular Welshman accepted Jesus and the missionary call to travel to India to a remote village known for its violence and savage head-hunters who prided themselves in displaying as many heads he had collected. This was a sign of their marriageability – the more heads a man had, the more eligible he was.
One tribesman heard the gospel and accepted Jesus as his Savior against much opposition from the tribal chief. After being brought before the entire village the chief demanded that this tribesman stop following Jesus or his children would be killed. “No, I have decided to follow Jesus, I am not turning back,” replied the man. His children were killed.
The chief went on to threaten the man to stop following Jesus or it would cost him the life of his wife. “Thou none go with me, I still will follow, no turning back,” replied the tribesman. The chief killed his wife.
Left alone after witnessing the murder of his children and wife, the angry chief demanded a third time for the tribesman to stop following Jesus now at the threat of losing his own life. “The cross before me, the world behind me, no turning back, no turning back,” replied the man at the cost of his own life.
With the entire village witnessing this ordeal and this one tribesman willing to sacrifice all that was dear to him to follow Jesus, one by one the village people began to make the decision to follow Jesus and eventually the tribal chief bowed his knees to follow Jesus.
God is eternal, our time on this earth is not. Jesus came to make a way for our relationship with God to be restored to His original, eternal plan. Jesus took our place on the cross and made restitution for our sins, completely wiped them away by the shedding of His blood, making a way for those who would choose to believe in Him, granting eternal life in the presence of God. Forever.
I was 14 years old when confronted with this soul decision. By Gods grace I knew in my heart that I needed a Savior, that I didn’t know enough (and never would) to do life on my own. I’m so grateful for my life journey that brought me to a place of settling the struggle and doubt in my heart at that time. This song of the ages propelled me to the altar to proclaim my decision to follow Jesus.
“I have decided to follow Jesus…no turning back, no turning back…Though none go with me, I still will follow…no turning back, no turning back…The world behind me, the cross before me…no turning back, no turning back.” (Author Unknown)
This one tribesman’s decision is still reaping a harvest today. Who could have known but Jesus the ripple-effect of his decision throughout time, the world and the lives that would be impacted and the souls brought into the eternal loving arms of God.
Image: PlanWallpaper
*dictionary.com
loretta j. willis, author 