Growing Up Into Christ

As I read this week I can't help but to think, this book is starting to sound like a broken record. I just keep getting the message: give it all to Christ. Know that he loves you. Know that you need him. When you repent give it to him and let him give you a heart of repentance. When you confess, let Christ bring it to your remembrance and let him give you the strength. When you consecrate yourself, consecrate all to Christ; give him everything. Let Christ give you the faith and accept that he will. When you desire Christ know that you are sincere and now, as you grow, the power comes from Christ. I believe God is sending me a message, one that is very loud, clear, and redundant: Give EVERYTHING to me.

I praise God for this message, and for the redundancy of it because it is something that I need to read every week, cause every week I forget and want to start doing something on my own again. It is helpful to know, that through every step of the journey, Christ is there, wanting to take my burdens, my worry, my guilt. Never once is he saying, here this is what you need to do. Rather, he is saying, here this is what I can do for you.

Even as I grow, the growth comes from Christ. He likens it to a plant or a child. Neither of which is full grown overnight. Their is a process and stages of learning. So this is what my Christian life is supposed to be. I am not going to be everything that I am supposed to be over night. It doesn't happen in an instant. I have to go through a growth process, stages of learning and maturing.

A child doesn't do anything to make themselves grow. They grow from their environment. As I grow spiritually I have to be in an environment of Christ, if I want to grow in Christ; surrounding myself in him. What does this mean? Is that all I do is read my Bible and talk of Jesus and not partake of anything else in this life? I do not believe that this is the message that was being given, I believe that their are certain environments that I should stay away from and certain ones I should put myself in to foster my Christian growth dependent upon where I am in my growth. For instance, their are certain things that children are not allowed to do or places they are not allowed to go to. However, as the child grows and matures the parents start letting the children do more. I need to think of myself as a child growing in Christ and know when I am not mature enough to go into an environment that may influence me to choose to serve another master over Christ.

Growth, it seems like such a process, and maybe it is, but it's a process that I do not have to do. I just put my focus and trust in Christ and I know I will grow naturally. Christ will foster my growth. I no longer need to worry about whether I will be saved or not, or focus on my weaknesses and shortcomings. I simply need to commit my life to Christ and trust Him and put away my fears.

As I set out to trust completely in Christ and live and grow in him may this be my prayer each and every morning:

Take me dear God as completely yours. I lay my life and  all of my plans before you. Please use me today in your service. Walk with me and live within me so that all my work be done in you.

The Test of Discipleship

I didn't post last Sunday, due to the break. I figured a lot of us left town and were out and about doing things away from our computers; fully appreciating the brief break from school and the work associated with it. I hope everyone had a good one and that the week back in school wasn't too much of a pain after the time off.

Now, we're back and back to Steps to Christ! I don't know about you all, but it seems to me that this journey on getting closer to Christ is tough. Honestly, I just wanted this checklist of things to do that would BAM just put me in this grand and glorious relationship with Christ. Every week, I am reminded that this is not the case. I cannot ask what I can do because it isn't about what I can do. I can't do anything, and anything that I do is tainted by my sinfulness. So then what do I do? I turn to Christ. That is the only thing that I can do, turn it all over, all of me to Jesus. Truly I think this is the hardest thing I have ever tried to comprehend. My mind does not understand turn it over to someone else and let them do it. This just seems to go against every fiber in my being. But this is what is necessary.

Does this mean I can just do nothing? That I just live my life they way I want and BAM one morning I wake up and just start living life differently. I just automatically know what to do and my life perfectly exemplifies Christ. While this would be great, I'm not quite sure it works just so. I believe once we let Christ in, once we have finally turned ourselves completely over to him, we get a new heart, a new perspective. It is on this fresh canvass that Christ comes in and paints his character. As any masterpiece, it takes time; and slowly but surely we transform into this being that models Christ's character.

Will everything be perfect from then on. No. There will be mistakes and slip-ups. But these things should not discourage us. I was really comforted by a statement in this chapter that said that character is not the occasional good act or bad act but by the habitual tendencies; what we do all the time. It's really all just about who's painting the canvass on our hearts. Are we painting it ourselves, or have we turned our canvass over to the Master Artist? This is how we know if we are a disciple of Christ.

Faith and Acceptance

This week was rough for me. It seems that for awhile, while doing this I was on a spiritual mountaintop. This, week though, I'm pretty sure I hit my spiritual valley. I had less desire, less motivation, and less wanting. I don't why we must go through these highs and lows. If it were a personality swing between highs and lows, I would be sure to be diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. But for some reason, this seems to be a normal experience in the spiritual journey. Is it supposed to be like this? I don't know, I imagine it is or a reason though and I'm going to keep walking 'cause I want to make it to my next mountain top.

I did read the chapter this week, chapter 6 in Steps to Christ. No matter how I might have felt about things during the week, whenever I pick up this book to read, it is always a blessing and always gives me more motivation and determination to not give up and to not walk away. This week I realized that God has given me, you, us, so many promises. Promises that we can have his peace. Promises that he will saves us. Promises of a new heart.

Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. -Isaiah 55:1

 ...Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. -Isaiah 1:18

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. -Ezekiel 36:26

 ...Believing ye might have life through his name. -John 20:31

...What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. -Mark 11:24

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus... -Romans 8:1

I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins... -Isaiah 44:22

These are only a few. God offers a gift that we can do nothing to obtain. We do not have to make ourselves right. We do not have to prove that we are worthy. All we do is come and the rest will follow. For we cannot of ourselves have a new heart, that comes from Christ! We cannot remove our sin, Christ does.

The more and more I read, following Christ is less about feeling and more about a decision; taking a step. Last week I discussed the idea of how Christ wants us to reason, to know what we are choosing and why. This week from this chapter I got the idea that it's not about feeling right or good, it's about believing the promise, about willing ourselves to come to Christ, and about knowing he is faithful to fulfill his promise. Christ made a decision for us. When will we make a decision for him?

Consecration

I apologize for the delay in getting this post up. I know I usually have these posted sometime in the morning.

When I read this chapter, chapter 5 in Steps to Christ I got goosebumps. It answered every question that I have ever asked myself in my Christian walk. There were so many concepts in this chapter that spoke to me, to my mind, my heart, and my soul. So this week I just want to pull out a few ideas from the chapter because it expresses in words the thoughts I have, so much better than I ever could. And please feel free to share any thoughts that you may have.

"The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought." I find this statement frightful and yet comforting at the same time. Frightful because it confirms that the struggle is the hardest one I'll ever face and I have to wonder will I come out ahead. Will I conquer this battle? However, it is also a very comforting statement because it tells me that this struggle, this internal battle is normal. Surrendering and letting go of self is supposed to be a struggle and it's going to be the hardest thing that we will ever have to do. So, if I can do this, if I can conquer self, I can do anything. Isn't that comforting to know?

"The government of God ... appeals to the intellect and the conscience." This is so important for me to understand. God is not looking for blind submission, he wants me to make a conscious decision to follow him. A decision not based on coercion but based on reason and understanding. God wants us to weigh everything out, search out the truth, and follow because we know in our hearts and in our minds that we want to! This is why I'm starting over; trying to follow God not because I have to or because I'm supposed to but because I want to.

"Whatever shall draw away the heart from God must be given up. Mammon is the idol of many. The love of money, the desire for wealth, is the golden chain that binds them to Satan. Reputation and worldly honor are worshiped by another class. The life of selfish ease and freedom from responsibility if the idol of others." Yes many talk about the love of money, and its binding hold on most. But I see myself being bound by reputation and worldly honor. I don't believe that the author is saying there is anything wrong with these things. The problem is when we choose money, reputation, or freedom over God. When I have to make a choice between my reputation, worldly honor, and God which would I choose? Would I choose God? Yes a choice will have to be made but I can also take comfort in the fact that God loves and care for me he would never "require (me) to give up anything that it is for (my) best interest to retain." Everything God does for us is only and always for our good.

This last part is a paragraph that just meant so much to me that I want to share it one here. It gave me so much peace about where I am on my spiritual journey and maybe you will connect with it too.

" Many are inquiring, 'How am I to make the surrender of myself to God?' You desire to give yourself to Him, but you are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel that God cannot accept you; but you need not despair. What you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is the governing power of decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him."

We just have to make choice. What will it be?