What if the way to abundant life is really about saying no to self? What if becoming less is really the way to becoming more? What if when we gaze at Jesus our problems become worthy of only glances?
These are truths that have been swirling around in my mind as of late. I thought about trying to write it out in some format but it just feels too stuffy. I don't want to couch my thoughts in correct grammatical prose. I just want to write it and let it be. I want the freedom of the truth to rest unruly on the page just as it rests unruly inside my heart.
This whole Jesus thing is not about the neat and the lovely. No it's about the mess. It's about Him taking our down in the muck and mire life and shaping it into a masterpiece. It's about Him becoming more in our life and us becoming less. It's about Him taking my bent towards me...my plans, my desires, my wants and aligning them with His plans, His desires, and His wants. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe what you want isn't really what you want in light of eternity? I have and I believe the answer is yes. I often want and pursue what is contradictory to the life Christ is calling me to have; a life based on joy and an intimate relationship with Him.
Jesus said that He came that we may have life and have it to the full (John 10:10). Abundant life is not something to strive for it's something to receive. I realized this as I wrapped up the seven study we did with our mops group. I realized that the point of the study wasn't as much about saying no to stuff and stress as much as it was about saying yes to Jesus' mindset. It was about ingesting what he believes about possessions, compassion, stress, media, and creation and letting that truth dwell and resonate. As I dwelt in and aligned with His truth I changed. I received abundant life by saying no to the desires of "me." I realized that what I thought I wanted wasn't really what I wanted at all. So what about you? When you dwell with Jesus do you realize that your 'wants' change?
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