. . . that you may know what is the hope of His calling . . . —Ephesians 1:18
Remember that you have been saved so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in your body (see 2 Corinthians 4:10). Direct the total energy of your powers so that you may achieve everything your election as a child of God provides; rise every time to whatever occasion may come your way.
You did not do anything to achieve your salvation, but you must do something to exhibit it. You must “work out your own salvation” which God has worked in you already (Philippians 2:12). Are your speech, your thinking, and your emotions evidence that you are working it “out”? If you are still the same miserable, grouchy person, set on having your own way, then it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you.
God is the Master Designer, and He allows adversities into your life to see if you can jump over them properly—”By my God I can leap over a wall” (Psalm 18:29). God will never shield you from the requirements of being His son or daughter. First Peter 4:12 says, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you . . . .” Rise to the occasion—do what the trial demands of you. It does not matter how much it hurts as long as it gives God the opportunity to manifest the life of Jesus in your body.
May God not find complaints in us anymore, but spiritual vitality—a readiness to face anything He brings our way. The only proper goal of life is that we manifest the Son of God; and when this occurs, all of our dictating of our demands to God disappears. Our Lord never dictated demands to His Father, and neither are we to make demands on God. We are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what He wants. Once we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine with which to feed and nourish others.
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Journal DJR
Good Morning, Lord.
The message of striving only for Christlikeness … seems so logical and makes so much sense … when we approach it cerebrally … and from a distance. It is also clear when looking at it from your point of view. And it’s even clear when looking at another person going through a refining fire. But when I’m in the heat of the battle and the stress is rising … then it’s not so easy. Actually the default position is to stress out … and then beg you to “fix” things … meaning, of course, fix them the way I’m expecting. And that almost never happens. But it all works out for good in the end, so you obviously are reading from a different playbook …
You are right, I do have a different playbook. My ways are higher than your ways, etc. But I will let you look over my shoulder and see from my view from time to time. But you have to come up here on this balcony and walk with me to see it. If you stay down there in your stress mess, you will only see what you always see and what all natural humans see. But if you come up here and walk with me … you will get glances, at least, of life seen from my perspective.
Click Image for John White's Original Vision For CO2's
