As Christians, our number one goal in life should be to follow God and to be in His will. Part of this, for every Christian, is living a Godly life. We are chosen by God to be an example. We are to be examples for non-Christians, but more importantly, we should be an example for our Christian brothers and sisters.
What does this mean exactly?
Well, there are plenty of things that we probably already do that are a good foundation. Going to church whenever the doors are open. Volunteering and spending time giving back to God. Reading the Bible. Doing a devotional. Helping those around us and even those we don't know. Being slow to anger. Always having a kind word to say. Praying. And most importantly, wanting God's will for our lives more than we desire our own will for our lives.
That one's not always so easy, especially when we get down farther into God's word.
The word "example" is found 11 times in the King James Version of the Bible. More than half are related to the exact thing I am talking about.
John 13:15, 1 Corinthians 10:6, 1 Corinthians 10:11, 1 Timothy 4:12, Hebrews 4:11, James 5:10, 1 Peter 2:21, 1 Peter 5:3
Each of these 8 verses contains the word "example." Now, I could just give you the verses, but I think that they are a lot stronger when they are in context. This is going to be rather lengthy, but reading it and understanding it is worth the time.
John 13:12-17 - So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
1 Corinthians 10:1-14 - Moreoever, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. Bur with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolators, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Now all these thigns happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
1 Timothy 4:11-16 - These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, and in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect no the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands in the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
Hebrews 4:1-12 - Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, AS I HAVE SWORN IN MY WRATH, IF THEY SHALL ENTER INTO MY REST: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, AND GOD DID REST THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS. And in this place again, IF THEY SHALL ENTER INTO MY REST. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, TO DAY IF YE WILL HEAR HIS VOICE, HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
James 5 - Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lieved in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton: ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prohetes, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea by yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. Is any among you afflicted: let him pray. Is any merry: let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 2:15-25 - For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
1 Peter 5:1-11 - The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be viligant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. A-men.
As I read through these verses, it is clear to me how important it is for me to "talk the talk AND walk the walk" that God is leading me to do.
There are a lot of more... controversial topics related to this subject. The biggest in my mind is alcohol. I have struggled with the words and the examples to present to those around me in order to show them why I have chosen to not drink alcohol, and why I believe that they should do the same.
Yesterday at lunch, my mom told my family a story about a woman she had heard on the radio. This woman used to drink. The woman told her story of why she then decided to give up drinking. Her reason? She read in the Bible how, as a Christian, she was to be an example to her brothers and sisters and that she was not to be a stumbling block to them. Then she thought about how her Christian brothers and sisters watch her and see the example of the things that she does. If she was out drinking and a Christian saw her, he or she might think that drinking was an acceptable thing to do. Later on that Christian might drink and then attempt to drive home. That Christian then might cause a car accident and kill themselves and/or others involved in the accident.
That day, the woman decided that she could no longer drink alcohol, because she is an example and she would feel responsible for the death of that Christian who saw her drinking and then decided to drink.
I, personally, think that this is an amazing story. And an amazing act of God that He showed this woman this revelation and has since then allowed her to share her story with others. I can't make up your mind for you. All I can do is present the facts that I have found in my own life. I hope that my life will be a shining example for Jesus Christ. I know that at times I will slip up. I am just a human being. But I also know that with God's help, I can live a live that is a better example for Him than I could ever accomplish by trying to live a good life on my own. I pray that He will speak to hearts today as He has spoken to my own.
God Bless,
Taylor
Monday, April 26, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
HeartRush
Jesus loved me enough to die a cruel and horrible death on the cross for me. He loves me enough to care for my and guide my footsteps through this world that we are a part of for a short time. He loved me enough to endure torment after torment from His own people, so that I might have life in Him. He loves me enough that He has called me to Him and has prepared a place for me in Heaven. He loves us with a love that we cannot even begin to fathom. A love so strong that no man can pluck us from His hands. A love that we are supposed to strive for here on Earth. A love that we are supposed to show to every person around us. We are His children, and we are called to show His love to our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as those people who are not yet intimate with Him.
I think that we sometimes forget that God loves us all the same. He sent Jesus to this earth to die for all of us. Yeah. Every single one of us. We are all sinners. We are all undeserving pf God's love, but the amazing thing is that no matter how bad we have been, are, or will be God loves us. And every one of us should rejoice in that fact. Because without God's undying, unchanging love for us we would have nothing. We would have Nothing. And on top of that, we would have no hope of ever gaining anything. But because God loves us and sent His son to die for us, we can have everything. AND we get to look forward to ruling and reigning WITH God and Jesus themselves in Heaven one day. We will have mansions and streets of gold. Heaven will be better than any place on Earth could ever hope to be. I can't wait for the day when I will see God's face looking down at me and welcoming me into my eternal home. A place where there are no tears, no illnesses, no pain. A place where my only job will be to praise God for the rest of time. A place where I will be made perfect.
But until I get there, it is my job, and Your job, to spread God's word as far as we possibly can. We are to be lights for Him and we ought to live lives where others can see Christ in us.
That is my only goal worth striving for.
What are you striving for today? Is it oneness with God? If it isn't, you may need to rethink your priorities.
God Bless,
Taylor
I think that we sometimes forget that God loves us all the same. He sent Jesus to this earth to die for all of us. Yeah. Every single one of us. We are all sinners. We are all undeserving pf God's love, but the amazing thing is that no matter how bad we have been, are, or will be God loves us. And every one of us should rejoice in that fact. Because without God's undying, unchanging love for us we would have nothing. We would have Nothing. And on top of that, we would have no hope of ever gaining anything. But because God loves us and sent His son to die for us, we can have everything. AND we get to look forward to ruling and reigning WITH God and Jesus themselves in Heaven one day. We will have mansions and streets of gold. Heaven will be better than any place on Earth could ever hope to be. I can't wait for the day when I will see God's face looking down at me and welcoming me into my eternal home. A place where there are no tears, no illnesses, no pain. A place where my only job will be to praise God for the rest of time. A place where I will be made perfect.
But until I get there, it is my job, and Your job, to spread God's word as far as we possibly can. We are to be lights for Him and we ought to live lives where others can see Christ in us.
That is my only goal worth striving for.
What are you striving for today? Is it oneness with God? If it isn't, you may need to rethink your priorities.
God Bless,
Taylor
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Falling on my knees in worship
Giving all I am to seek Your face
Lord all I am is Yours
My whole life I place in Your hands
God of Mercy humbled I bow down
In Your presence at Your throne
I called
You answered
And You came to my rescue and I
wanna be where You are
My whole life I place in Your hands
God of Mercy humbled I bow down
In Your presence at Your throne
I called
You answered
And You came to my rescue and I
wanna be where You are
I called
You answered
And You came to my rescue and I
wanna be where You are
In my life
be lifted high
In our world
be lifted high
In our love
be lifted high
High Lord, High Lord
In my life
be lifted high
In our world
be lifted high
In our love
be lifted higher, higher
In my life
be lifted high
In our world
be lifted high
In our love
be lifted high
I called
You answered
And You came my rescue and I
wanna be where You are
~Came To My Rescue - Hillsong United
This was a song that we sang at BCM on Monday. I've been listening to it pretty much nonstop since then. I think it speaks volumes about our need for Christ and how we should live our lives for Christ. It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day life we lead here on Earth, and forget about our Heavenly Father. When in actuality, our lives should be about living for Him every moment of every day. It is my hope and my goal that "In my life [He will] be lifted high." End of story.
I hope that you try to lift Him up in your everyday life as well.
God Bless,
Taylor
Giving all I am to seek Your face
Lord all I am is Yours
My whole life I place in Your hands
God of Mercy humbled I bow down
In Your presence at Your throne
I called
You answered
And You came to my rescue and I
wanna be where You are
My whole life I place in Your hands
God of Mercy humbled I bow down
In Your presence at Your throne
I called
You answered
And You came to my rescue and I
wanna be where You are
I called
You answered
And You came to my rescue and I
wanna be where You are
In my life
be lifted high
In our world
be lifted high
In our love
be lifted high
High Lord, High Lord
In my life
be lifted high
In our world
be lifted high
In our love
be lifted higher, higher
In my life
be lifted high
In our world
be lifted high
In our love
be lifted high
I called
You answered
And You came my rescue and I
wanna be where You are
~Came To My Rescue - Hillsong United
This was a song that we sang at BCM on Monday. I've been listening to it pretty much nonstop since then. I think it speaks volumes about our need for Christ and how we should live our lives for Christ. It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day life we lead here on Earth, and forget about our Heavenly Father. When in actuality, our lives should be about living for Him every moment of every day. It is my hope and my goal that "In my life [He will] be lifted high." End of story.
I hope that you try to lift Him up in your everyday life as well.
God Bless,
Taylor
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
All of Me?
Last night at BCM, I was throughly convicted. I am not living my life 100% for God. I mean, I'm a good person. I try to be the best friend that I can be. But I've been just cruising through life for a while. I know that give some of my time to God, but I've failed to really examine my life and see how much time I'm not giving to Him. The truth is, He wants all of me. Not 25%. Not 50%. Not even 98%. He wants 100%. Here are just a few thoughts that I jotted down at BCM last night.
I am a failure.
I am a hypocrite.
I will never to be perfect.
But none of that matters, because no matter how bad I may be, God still loves me.
God sent His son to die for me.
He created me in His image.
He saved me and has wonderful plans for me.
I owe my life to Him.
He bought me for price.
I am not my own anymore.
I am His.
Who am I to try and find my own way?
Who am I to not listen to His voice?
I am nothing of myself, but EVERYTHING through Him.
Bear with me. I'm going to type these verses in the King James Version and the New International Version because I think that they are both necessary to understand the meaning here.
Romans 7:14-25 (KJV) - For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I now; what what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Romans 7:14-25 (NIV) - We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, what what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
I guess the most important thing that I've learned is that I need to be open to God's direction in my life. I need to think about my actions and my words every moment of every day to make sure I am doing and saying what God wants me to in every situation. It's not enough to only be a 2-day a week Christian. It's not enough to be a 5-day a week Christian. I need to be an every day of my life Christian. God deserves that from me. Well... actually He deserves a lot more than I would ever be capable of giving Him, but all He asks for is that I live my life for Him. All of me. All of the time.
I know that I'll mess up, and I will inevitably fail. But it is at those times, God is trying me and molding me into the person that He wants me to be. And no matter what I do, or how far off the path I may travel, He will always take me back. He loves me with more love than I could fathom and He created me to be His hands and feet. So that is what I will try to do.
I hope that maybe you will join me in leading a Christlike life for Him. We have an example. He sent His son to this earth not only to die for our sins, but also to live a perfect life. A life that we should all strive to live.
God Bless,
Taylor
I am a failure.
I am a hypocrite.
I will never to be perfect.
But none of that matters, because no matter how bad I may be, God still loves me.
God sent His son to die for me.
He created me in His image.
He saved me and has wonderful plans for me.
I owe my life to Him.
He bought me for price.
I am not my own anymore.
I am His.
Who am I to try and find my own way?
Who am I to not listen to His voice?
I am nothing of myself, but EVERYTHING through Him.
Bear with me. I'm going to type these verses in the King James Version and the New International Version because I think that they are both necessary to understand the meaning here.
Romans 7:14-25 (KJV) - For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I now; what what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Romans 7:14-25 (NIV) - We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, what what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
I guess the most important thing that I've learned is that I need to be open to God's direction in my life. I need to think about my actions and my words every moment of every day to make sure I am doing and saying what God wants me to in every situation. It's not enough to only be a 2-day a week Christian. It's not enough to be a 5-day a week Christian. I need to be an every day of my life Christian. God deserves that from me. Well... actually He deserves a lot more than I would ever be capable of giving Him, but all He asks for is that I live my life for Him. All of me. All of the time.
I know that I'll mess up, and I will inevitably fail. But it is at those times, God is trying me and molding me into the person that He wants me to be. And no matter what I do, or how far off the path I may travel, He will always take me back. He loves me with more love than I could fathom and He created me to be His hands and feet. So that is what I will try to do.
I hope that maybe you will join me in leading a Christlike life for Him. We have an example. He sent His son to this earth not only to die for our sins, but also to live a perfect life. A life that we should all strive to live.
God Bless,
Taylor
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Loss
The world lost a good person yesterday. Brandon Ward Kohler lost his life in an accident during his first college Spring Break. As I reflect on this tragedy, I can't help but think about the boy I knew. Brandon was a good person. He didn't always make the wisest decisions, but what 19-year old boy does? What I remember most was his smile and how he would go around hugging everyone. He loved his friends and his family and he is sorely missed. I am praying for his family and friends and I ask that you would too. My heart goes out to them and to anyone who has ever lost someone too soon. It breaks my heart that we won't get to see his smiling face again while we're on this earth. But I know that one day we'll meet him in the clouds and he'll be wearing the biggest smile we'll have ever seen. Until then we have to keep toiling here on earth. But while we wait and work, I hope that you'll keep these verses in mind:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for me, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ~Colossians 3:23-24
Please keep Brandon's friends and family in your prayers.
God Bless,
Taylor
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for me, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ~Colossians 3:23-24
Please keep Brandon's friends and family in your prayers.
God Bless,
Taylor
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Lead Me To The Cross
So, today was an especially busy day. I definitely did not accomplish everything that I had hoped to, but I feel like I was productive, so I guess that's enough. Anyway, I don't have much to say tonight, but I have had this song running through my head all day. So here it is:
Lead Me To The Cross
Savior I come
Quiet my soul
Remember
Redemption's hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost
Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord, I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, Lead me to the cross
You were as I
Tempted and tried
Human
The word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now you're risen
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost
Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord, I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Oh Lead me, Lead me to the cross
To Your heart
To Your heart
Lead me to Your heart
Lead me to Your heart
Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord, I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, Lead me, Lead me to the cross
God Bless,
Taylor
Lead Me To The Cross
Savior I come
Quiet my soul
Remember
Redemption's hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost
Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord, I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, Lead me to the cross
You were as I
Tempted and tried
Human
The word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now you're risen
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost
Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord, I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Oh Lead me, Lead me to the cross
To Your heart
To Your heart
Lead me to Your heart
Lead me to Your heart
Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord, I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, Lead me, Lead me to the cross
God Bless,
Taylor
Monday, March 8, 2010
Yielding
Sooo... my blog has been suffering severely. I've been busy lately... so busy in fact that more than a couple times I have even forgotten to do my devotional. Shame on me. In that same vein, I wish I could say that everything in my life is going smoothly, but of course, it's not. There is always something for me to worry about or get stuck on. Then there are the personal issues and family concerns. On top of those things, there is always more schoolwork than I would care to be doing. However, I KNOW that if I just turned EVERYTHING over to God, I could spend a lot less time doing/worrying about things that are trivial. I KNOW this. But knowing and DOING are two absolutely different things. I am happy to say that I only have 6 1/2 days, 6 classes, 3 meetings, and 3 hours of mentoring until my Spring Break officially starts. After SB starts, I will be bowling, listening to Michael Buble in concert, and going to Myrtle Beach for 4 days before I hang out with my bestie who goes to a different college. I know that I will enjoy my break A LOT, but I also know that I will enjoy it a lot more if I'm at peace with God.
Peace. The Merriam-Webster dictionary has this to say: A) a state of tranquillity or quiet B) freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions C) harmony in personal relations
I think that all of these are things that I can stand to gain by allowing God to run my life. I KNOW that He will do a better job of running my life than I can. Now I just have to learn how to let Him into my every action, my every thought, and my every word.
Today I'm taking the devotional from "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswlad Chambers. It's called "Yielding."
Romans 6:16 - Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
The first thing I must be willing to admit when I begin to examine what controls and dominates me is that I am the one responsible for having yielded myself to whatever it may be. If I am a slave to myself, I amto blame because somewhere in the past I yielded to myself. Likewise, if I obey God I do so because at some point in my life I yielded myself to Him.
If a child gives in to selfishness, he will find it to be the most enslaving tyranny on earth. There is no power within the human soul itself that is capable of breaking the bondage of the nature created by yielding. For example, yield for one second to anything in the nature of lust, and although you may hate yourself for having yielding, you become enslaved to that things. (Remember what lust is--"I must have it now," whether it is the lust of the flesh or the lust of the mind.) No release or escapte from it will ever come from any human power, but only through the power of redemption. You must yield yourself in utter humiliation to the only One who can break the dominating power in your life, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. "...He has anointed Me... to proclaim liberty to the captives..." (Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 61:1).
When you yield to something, you will soon realize the tremendous control it has over you. Even though you say, "Oh, I can give up that habit whenever I like," you wil know you can't. You will find that the habit absolutely dominates you because you willingly yielded to it. It is easy to sing, "He will break every fetter," while at the same time living a life of obvious slavery to yourself. But yielding to Jesus will break every kind of slavery in any person's life.
I have to put my life in His hands completely. I know that I haven't turned my life completely over to Him, and I know that it is hurting me along my way. It's easy to say one thing and do another. It is much harder to live the life you know that you are SUPPOSED to. I want my actions to match my words in EVERY aspect of my life.
I know that there are people out there who are in this boat with me. So I challenge you to yield your life to Christ.
I know His grace/mercy/love is sufficient for me.
God Bless,
Taylor
Peace. The Merriam-Webster dictionary has this to say: A) a state of tranquillity or quiet B) freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions C) harmony in personal relations
I think that all of these are things that I can stand to gain by allowing God to run my life. I KNOW that He will do a better job of running my life than I can. Now I just have to learn how to let Him into my every action, my every thought, and my every word.
Today I'm taking the devotional from "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswlad Chambers. It's called "Yielding."
Romans 6:16 - Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
The first thing I must be willing to admit when I begin to examine what controls and dominates me is that I am the one responsible for having yielded myself to whatever it may be. If I am a slave to myself, I amto blame because somewhere in the past I yielded to myself. Likewise, if I obey God I do so because at some point in my life I yielded myself to Him.
If a child gives in to selfishness, he will find it to be the most enslaving tyranny on earth. There is no power within the human soul itself that is capable of breaking the bondage of the nature created by yielding. For example, yield for one second to anything in the nature of lust, and although you may hate yourself for having yielding, you become enslaved to that things. (Remember what lust is--"I must have it now," whether it is the lust of the flesh or the lust of the mind.) No release or escapte from it will ever come from any human power, but only through the power of redemption. You must yield yourself in utter humiliation to the only One who can break the dominating power in your life, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. "...He has anointed Me... to proclaim liberty to the captives..." (Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 61:1).
When you yield to something, you will soon realize the tremendous control it has over you. Even though you say, "Oh, I can give up that habit whenever I like," you wil know you can't. You will find that the habit absolutely dominates you because you willingly yielded to it. It is easy to sing, "He will break every fetter," while at the same time living a life of obvious slavery to yourself. But yielding to Jesus will break every kind of slavery in any person's life.
I have to put my life in His hands completely. I know that I haven't turned my life completely over to Him, and I know that it is hurting me along my way. It's easy to say one thing and do another. It is much harder to live the life you know that you are SUPPOSED to. I want my actions to match my words in EVERY aspect of my life.
I know that there are people out there who are in this boat with me. So I challenge you to yield your life to Christ.
I know His grace/mercy/love is sufficient for me.
God Bless,
Taylor
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