For His Glory

Something has been eating at me for awhile. You see, giving your life to the Lord means dying of one's self; being in this world but not of this world. Everything that the world has taught me is the opposite of what God says...ex: To be strong, you must be weak. To receive, you must give. To win, you must lose. To be rich (in spirit), you must be poor (in spirit). To find joy, you must suffer/sacrifice. The world says: "It's all about ME." God says: "No, it's actually all about ME." When He said, "My ways are not your ways and My thoughts are not your thoughts." boy, did He really mean it!

I must admit, I have been feeling like an alien lately. After studying the book of Daniel I realized how poorly prepared I was to face all these contradictions. I read this scripture early this morning in 2 Cor. 12:9 - "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I find this to be so true because I desperately need His strength to persevere!

So what has been eating at me? Myself. I want it to be easy. I don't want to suffer/sacrifice. I don't want to be persecuted for His namesake. It's a misconception that being a Christian is easy, but then, nothing of worth ever is, right? Jesus didn't come to bring peace, but to bring a sword (of the spirit) so that believers can fight the enemy. It's a battle, and I feel like a lowly soldier. What's amazing is that's where I find Him the most: in my weakness.

I love that God is so deep! His Word is so powerful that one scripture, one single sentence, can give sustenance to a thirsty soul. Although I have nothing to offer, He wants me anyway. That makes me smile; it makes the battle worth fighting.