Living By Faith

“I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Galatians 2:20 (AMP)

No doubt many of us have heard this verse over and over. But if you’re like me, you never cease to be stopped by it. There is so much power in it. And there is that moment of humbly searching myself asking, “Am I living this way? Am I continually in awe of all that Christ did for me, and is my everyday life a reflection of the change He has made? Or am I too often losing sight of His presence and power in my life and failing to let His grace be reflected in my every word, thought and deed?”

I am especially struck by the description in the Amplified Bible of the word “faith” in this text. “…adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in the Son of God…” Wow. Does my life - my everyday actions, interactions, and reactions – reflect this kind of faith? Do I live my life by faith or in spite of it?

Please take time to read this scripture over and over for a few days and ask yourself how and how much your faith factors into your everyday life. When you gave your life to Christ, did you leave it at the cross to be under His control or did you pick it back up and say, “Thanks, I’ll take it from here?” What would others around you (especially those closest to you) say about the evidence of your faith in the way you live your life?

Saturate your kiddos!

“And these words which I am commanding you this day shall be [first] in your [own] minds and hearts; [then] You shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate, and teach and impress them diligently upon the [minds and] hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (AMP)

As a mom I absolutely love these verses. It is the perfect road map for how to train our children in the ways of the Lord. Immersion! We must let the things of God saturate our every moment in every aspect of our lives.

Because Christianity is not a religion but rather an ever growing relationship, it is not something we can simply do a couple hours on Sunday morning so we can check it off the list and then move on to the rest of our lives. No, truly loving and growing in the Lord requires keeping His words and His ways in the forefront of our minds at all times. If you’re a Sunday morning Christian you’ll be lucky if your kids even hold to that much. Children can spot phoniness a mile away, and they are smart enough not to waste time with something that apparently doesn’t really matter anyway.

But here the Lord tells us how to write His words on their hearts, diligently impressing them on their minds. Speak of Him when you come in and when you go out. Let praise and thanksgiving to the Lord be on your lips when you get up in the morning and lie down at night. (No, a quick prayer before meals doesn’t cut it!  That’s great but hardly enough to saturate your family.) Tell your kids about the wonders of God. Point out His blessings in your life and in the world around us. Tell them about how God is with us always and show them in times of trouble that we don’t have to be afraid because our God never leaves us, and He is always in control. Live it and your kids will believe it!

Ambassadors for Christ

Though Paul was talking about himself, this is true of all who have been called by God and bear His name. We are all God’s ambassadors, His own picked representatives. Each of us who has accepted Christ was chosen on purpose. It was no accident.

“Clothe yourselves therefore, as God’s own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper]. Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive]. And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony].” Colossians 3:12-14 AMP

We are not merely saved to get to heaven (though that is a huge perk). Once we accept Him and take on His name we have a job to do. God is love and we are to show God everywhere we go to everyone we meet. We must walk in love and discipline ourselves to display the qualities of Christ.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Chew on this one while I get my next post together…

“So we are Christ’s ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ’s personal representatives],” 2 Corinthians 5:2a

What does it mean to be an ambassador? Think about what the job entails. What is expected? What is undertaken?  Are you being a proper representative of the One you serve?

More coming soon…

"Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]." 1 Corinthians 13:7 (AMP)

 

Think about it: Love (its strong, always-believing-the-best hope) is fadeless (doesn't weaken or falter in the slightest) under all circumstances...ALL circumstances...come what may. It endures everything without weakening.

 WOW...does your love for others (everyone) endure everything without weakening? What would that look like? It would take a lot humility and quick forgiveness that’s for sure. Allowing others to be human and make mistakes even if that means your feelings get hurt in the process…not bringing every perceived weakness to someone's attention...believing the best of everyone, instead of insisting you know what they really meant! Whoo...believe me...I'm preaching to myself as much as anyone...but trust me...when we can humble ourselves, put others first and display this Love at all times, our relationships are sooooo much better!

Here's a motto we would do good to hang on to: "Everyone Everything." Meaning we are to love everyone and endure and forgive everything.

Just something to think about....

 

Think about Love

Let's stick with this one a bit longer...

"Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]." 1 Corinthians 13:7 (AMP)

 

What does it mean (look like) to bear up under anything and everything that comes?

Think about it...Are you ever ready to believe the best of everyone? It is somehow much easier to believe the best about ourselves. We never really meant to do that or say that or to offend someone. Perhaps this is a great explanation of some of what Christ was talking about when He said we should love others the same way we love ourselves. hummm...

Do you give people the benefit of the doubt, or do you live in a constant state of suspicion? A lot of arguments and tension could be avoided if we would choose to believe the best of others and just go on instead of creating huge scenarios in our minds of what we "know" the other person was thinking.

Look for opportunities this week to believe the best of those you come in contact with. Trust me, you'll have plenty of chances! The instant you feel yourself getting offened let these words cross your lips, "I will not be easily offended. I will believe the best of every person and trust in the Lord to vindicate me if and when necessary. As for my part, I will walk in love!" This will make the devil so mad!! :)

LOVE

Hi all! Hope you had a great summer and are ready for this week of incredible weather! My favorite time of year is upon us. We are going to dive back into our quest of spiritual character building with the theme the Lord has been leading me to focus on and study over the past month...Love...not the feeling but the calling, not the emotion but the decision. As we go thru passages that may be familiar, I pray you will see them in new light, that the Lord will call you to come up higher and that you will eagerly and devoutly accept the challenge!
 

Here is the first verse of this series (we'll be using the Amplified version in the hopes that we'll see familiar scripture in challenging new ways.) :

 

"Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]." 1 Corinthians 13:7 (AMP)

 

 

Ok...Write it. Say it. Sing it. Whatever you need to do to get about hiding these words in your heart. The word of God is alive and active and will not return void. May it enter our hearts and transform our lives from the inside out!

 

 

More coming soon...