Matthew 16:25-26 For those who attempt to grasp onto your life you’ll lose it. However should you hand over your life for my sake you’ll reserve it. And what do you profit should you acquire the entire world however lose your personal soul? Is something value greater than your soul?
Eager to do life and issues our personal approach won’t ever carry concerning the peace, pleasure, and satisfaction that we yearn for in life. I’ve realized from expertise precisely what these verses are speaking about. For over half of my life I needed to do what I needed to do and the way I needed to do it. If my thoughts stated go eat some ice cream however my spirit stated that I shouldn’t eat it I might nonetheless eat the ice cream. Then I might be mad at myself as a result of I knew that I used to be attempting to drop pounds and I didn’t want that ice cream. If I used to be mad at somebody and needed to offer them a chunk of my thoughts I did so. Then I might be stuffed with guilt and disgrace for the horrible issues that I stated to the particular person. No matter I needed to do, that’s what I did, even when part of me was telling me that I shouldn’t do it. I don’t know should you would name it selfishness, sinful nature, the flesh, rise up, or disobedience, however no matter you need to name it I used to be ate slam up with it. I can’t inform you what number of occasions I might have the sensation or thought that I shouldn’t do what part of me needed to do however selected to do it in any case. And it by no means failed, the tip consequence was all the time a nasty one.
I didn’t know something about how the Holy Spirit labored regardless that I had been first saved once I was 13-14yrs previous. I knew nothing concerning the flesh and the Spirit or the sinful nature that’s inside us. I didn’t learn about selecting life or demise or the truth that I even actually had a selection. As soon as I rededicated my life to Jesus and began studying the bible I realized that we had been given the reward of free selection and that we may select life or demise. God gave me a revolation of what selecting life or demise actually meant. It was like He gave me the key receipe to having the ability to have an excellent life it doesn’t matter what the circumstances have been like.
I keep in mind sitting on the facet of my mattress one night time not too lengthy after I had rededicated myself to Jesus. The room was darkish and quiet with solely the sound of the ceiling fan going round and round. I used to be praying, telling God that I didn’t need to reside my life the way in which that I used to be dwelling it earlier than my accident. I stated, ” you already know God, clearly the way in which that I’ve been dwelling life isn’t working so I’m going to attempt it your approach as a result of what do I’ve to lose.” It was like a change went on (or off) in me that night time as a result of the resistance that I take advantage of to have once I was confronted with a selection was now not there. From that second on each time I used to be confronted with a selection I might have the thought, “life or demise, which do you select,” come to my thoughts.
As time went on I continued making “life” decisions and after a few yr I had modified a lot. I used to be at peace and was joyful for the primary time in my life. I had grown and altered to the purpose that it was uncommon that I needed to make myself make the suitable selection as a result of the suitable decisions got here naturally. After I got here throughout Matthew 16:25-26 I used to be like, “that’s precisely what I did. I gave up my life (my approach) for Him (His approach) and I did save my soul as a result of I’m lastly alive on the within.”
Earlier than I began dwelling His approach I assumed that life and happiness was about reaching what I needed when and the way I needed to, creating wealth, and having a household. I usually had the thought, “I will probably be joyful when _______.” And that clean can be stuffed with all types of materialistic issues over time. I used to be looking for life and lasting happiness however I may by no means discover it.
As soon as I started doing issues God’s approach I shortly found that I had all of it unsuitable the entire time. I may have gained the entire world however I nonetheless wouldn’t have had life and lasting happiness as a result of none of these issues (what the world supplied) may carry life to my soul. There was no particular person, place, or factor that would give me what I used to be missing inside to expertise true life. True life has nothing to do with what we will accomplish, obtain, adhere, or acquire. It has nothing to do with the amount of cash now we have, the scale of our home, the kind of automotive, the model of clothes we put on, or the those that we all know. It’s about being in keeping with God’s will for you, dwelling life by His instance, and following His steerage for the aim that He has for you. Once we reside our lives on this method we all know that we’re doing the very best that we all know to do at any given second, that we’re doing His will for us, that we’re fulfilling His objective, that we’re pleasing God, and now we have a larger which means to life. As a result of we live this manner now we have no disgrace, guilt or regrets. There is no such thing as a ought to have’s or want I might have’s. There may be nothing to really feel sorry or unhealthy about. There may be peace, pleasure, hope, satisfaction, objective, contentment, and the sensation of actually dwelling. It’s a sense of completeness, a satisfaction that nothing else can provide you.
Once we determine to surrender our way of life (our life) for His sake (His way of life) we’re buying and selling a fictitious life for actual life. We’re releasing ourselves from the world requirements of life and the requirements that we had set for what an excellent life needed to be like. We launch stress off of ourselves from all the “will need to have’s” so as to be joyful. We free ourselves from ourselves and allow ourselves to reside our greatest life as a result of so long as we’re in keeping with God we’re doing issues and life proper.
It’s in our DNA to need to do issues our personal approach, when, the place, and the way we need to do it. It could not sound very pleasing to our mind and emotions to do life any in another way than how “we” need to do it. However I can promise you that should you select to surrender your approach for God’s approach you’ll find yourself gaining a lot greater than you possibly can ever acquire for your self and you’ll lastly expertise what the true which means of dwelling is.
