July 22nd
JULY 22nd
A lot of people have not experienced the fulness of the Holy Spirit or the Spirit-led life because it means denying self. Christians can be attending church and living like they are “Christians” all the while missing out on all that God has for them because they refuse to cancel their own demands. It is absolutely impossible to experience all that God has for us if we are still living for ourselves. There is a reason that Jesus said that we must deny ourselves daily.
Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
Galatians 5:16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.
When we choose ourselves over Him, we miss out on His best for us that day. Thank God for grace and mercy! Thank God that we get a fresh start each day! But there are consequences to choosing ourselves and those can be steep. It can mean that we not only miss out on God’s best for us that particular day, but also we can make some bad decisions that we pay the price for later and maybe for a long time. So why do we do that? Why do we choose us over Him? I think partly because we focus on what we have to give up instead of what we are gaining by following Him.
Today let’s try focusing on all that God has for us. That activates a totally different pathway in the brain and reinforces the gratitude pathway. Focusing on having to give up things we want or our own way activates a pathway that reinforces selfishness and depression/anxiety. Let’s choose to focus on Jesus today and all that He is just dying for us to experience with Him today.
If we do that we will shine and be the salt and light that Jesus calls us to be and the world around us will see that and crave it! We can shine the heart healing solution to the world around us!
Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
When we walk in the Spirit we receive all that God has for us in the moment. We have the fruit of the Spirit readily available to us, we have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead available and active in us, we have the peace of God that is beyond natural understanding available to us. These all produce a light in us that shines brightly and in stark contrast to the world around us. Not only will we have a full life, but those around us will notice and be affected by us. Today let us open our life up to the Holy Spirit, let’s open our hearts up to Him, let’s surrender to Him and ask Him to fill us to overflowing with Himself.
John 14:16-17 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
John 14:26-27 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Holy Spirit, I surrender to you today, help me to be aware of anything that I have not let go of so that I can surrender that to you. I want to a fresh filling to overflowing today. I want to walk in You today, not in my own way. Help me to open myself completely to you. I want to receive all that you have for me today. Thank you for being in me and being willing to lead me today.