Turn to Christ
At this
step in our journey toward abundant living, it’s time to take a stand. It’s time to choose God’s way or your own
way. Thousands of years ago, a man named
Joshua lead the Israelites in their many battles to conquer the land of Canaan,
which is current day Israel. God declared that the land belonged to the
Jewish people and he instructed them to go into the land and dwell there.
If I had
lived in those times and heard God’s promise to give me the land, I would have
expected to walk into the land, build my house and start my life. I never would have anticipated the land to be
inhabited – let alone that God expected ME to drive the inhabitants out of the
land before I could start living there!
But that is what happened. They
had to fight to get the land that was rightfully theirs.
Although
God led them in that fight, he did not do it for them. I wonder at times why God chose to give the
land to Israel
in this manner. Why not clear out the
inhabitants for them? He could have done
that, but he chose not to do so.
God takes
us on a similar journey. He continues
his ways, which definitely aren’t my ways (Isaiah 55:8-9), and requires us to take
an active role in acquiring abundant life.
We have a choice, like the Israelites, to do nothing and stay outside of
the promise land or to cooperate with God and face our foes.
This is a
crucial turning point for many. We do
not face fleshly foes like the Israelites did, but we face the foes of character
defects, destructive habits and past hurts.
They must be conquered and driven out of our lives for us to enjoy the
plentiful land of abundant living.
Today we must make a choice that will guide the path for the rest of our
lives. We must consciously choose to
commit all our life and will to Christ’s care and control. This week we will examine our hearts to
ensure we have made that commitment.
Do you really want to change?
My brother
died of alcoholism at the age of 53. He
was in and out of rehab for decades.
During one of his periods of sobriety, when he appeared to be sincerely
seeking change, he told me that his past visits to rehab were initiated only to
get well enough to drink again. He would
get to the point of being unable to control his drinking and all areas of his
life would spin out of control. So he
would enter rehab to sober up and get a measure of control on his drinking....so
that he could regain a somewhat normal life, which enabled him to drink again.
He had no
intention of changing his ways. He
wanted to continue to deal with life and his pain as he saw fit. He never turned toward a different way. He simply used the principles associated with
change to enable him to continue in his destructive habits.
What
about you? Are you ready for real change
or are you looking for a quick fix to make yourself feel better so you can continue
on your way? God doesn’t want us going
through the motions of change. He is
interested in real change, which requires turning from our ways and following
his ways. Romans 12:1 say “Therefore, I
urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” Going to rehab, joining help groups, reading
recovery books and even journaling (such an important part of my healing
journey) is not what God is looking for…and it is not what will change
you. All those things are good and will
greatly assist you in healing, but the true healing will come step-by-step as
you relinquish your ways and start following God’s ways.
Have you repented
of the things you have done that contributed to where you are today? Perhaps you have developed destructive habits
or thought patterns. Are you ready to
give them up? Repentance is to agree
with God, turn from what you have done and start doing things God’s way. Romans
12 continues with verse 2: “Don’t let
the world squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remake you so that your
whole attitude of mind is changed.” We
are often eager to fit into the world’s mold.
Perhaps it is all you have known until now. Perhaps you can’t imagine what a different
life would look like and it scares you. But
it is the world’s ways that got us in bondage in the first place. The question is whether you are ready to quit
dealing with life as the world does and turn to God’s ways.
Doing life God’s way
Doing
life God’s way leads to fullness of life.
Matthew 5:5 says it this way: “Happy
are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
Those who are meek – those who choose to follow God’s way of life - will
be happy because they attain abundant life and true joy. That’s a wonderful promise and offers great
hope, but that verse is not very popular because it is often
misunderstood. That misunderstanding
comes from one word: meek.
What does
it mean to be meek? Society today
associates meekness with weakness. What
do you envision when you hear the word meek?
If you are like most people, you envision a ‘mousy’ looking person who
does not pay attention to their appearance, relies on other people to direct
them, is not confident and will not stand up for their ideas. They most likely do not have much of a
personality at all – they laugh at what others laugh at, will never venture a
joke of their own and they strive to blend in with the wallpaper. That is not someone that people desire to be
around – and it is not the type of person Jesus made us to be!
I have
often heard meekness explained as a wild horse that has been tamed and now
follows its master’s command. The horse
retains it passion and fire and beauty but willingly obeys its master. God made us in his image – in the image of
the lion of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:9).
He commands us to be courageous and bold in proclaiming His truth to
this world. Someone fitting society’s
image of meekness could not do those things.
God’s meekness means to lay down our ways – our destructive habits – for
his ways. When we do that we will
actively change our lives. We will
change our thinking, our habits and our actions. Perhaps we will start working out, eating
healthier, reading our bibles, keeping a journal and helping others. God calls us to action. Your journey to abundant living will be full
of activity and the excitement of change!
Expect to Persevere
The journey
will most likely be longer than you’d like and difficult at times. If you do not determine now to persevere
through whatever lies ahead, chances are high that you will quit at the first
difficulty. We are creatures of habit
and change is often difficult. Living
and responding to life differently feels odd at first and perhaps a little
scary. It’s new and un-chartered territory. It takes courage because we are stepping out
in faith without yet seeing the benefits.
It takes trust. It is difficult
to step into the unknown. God knows
that, so what he declared to Joshua who was leading the Israelites into the
promise land also applies to us today:
“Be strong and courageous. Do not
be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the lord your God will be with you
wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Living in
desperation is the perhaps the best place to be at this point in your journey –
desperate for healing, for change and for God.
It is that desperation that will keep you looking up to the One who will
be by your side as you fight your way to the abundant life he has waiting for
you. If you are complacent or simply
want just enough healing to continue your ways, you will not have the fortitude
to continue onward, no matter how much better your life becomes.
Ponder the desperation revealed in Psalm
142. Are you that hungry for God’s help?
Psalm 142
I cry aloud to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
I pour out before him my complaint;
before him I tell my trouble.
When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who know my way.
In the path where I walk
people have hidden a snare for me.
Look and see, there is no one at my right
hand;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.
I cry to you, Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
Listen to my cry,
for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue
me,
for they are too strong for me.
Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather
about me
because of your goodness to me.
Group Work
1.
Are
you ready for true change in your life or are you looking for a bandage-fix
that will enable to keep doing what you want to do? In other words - are you truly repentant?
2.
Discuss
the concept of meekness. Have you
learned anything new today about meekness and what it means to lay down your
will for Christ’s will?
3.
What
does offering yourself as a living sacrifice mean to you?
4.
What
do you envision your healing path to look like and how do you feel about the
possibility of difficult times ahead? Are
you committed to persevering?
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