WHO IS LEADING?

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

“The deeper we grow in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the poorer we become - the more we realize that everything in life is a gift. The tenor of our lives becomes one of humble and joyful thanksgiving. Awareness of our poverty and ineptitude causes us to rejoice in the gift of being called out of darkness into wondrous light and translated into the kingdom of God's beloved Son.”― Brennan Manning

He must grow greater and greater and I less and less. – John 3:30

Both Manning and John the Baptist “get it”.

For the SPIRIT of GOD to be truly fulfilled in us, we must embrace HIM more each day than we embrace “US” each day. - let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. – Galatians 5:16 (NLT)

And that takes acknowledgement.  

Manning refers to it as becoming aware of our “poverty and ineptitude”, but we could also say becoming aware of our frailties and our selfishness. That is the first step to moving from a life that is “flesh driven” to one that is “Spirit-led”.  And while acknowledgement of our fallibility is important, the important step is a willingness to surrender to the SPIRIT as a result. 

He must grow greater and that starts by ME surrendering…ME; US surrendering US!

Case in point…

I am on the phone with a good friend who has been struggling in his addiction for years.  In recent months, his addiction has led him into some dark and precarious places.  He has even had some scrapes with death.  But he has been spared and now faces an important crossroad in his life.

He has some questions to answer…

Will he SURRENDER to the SPIRIT that has been living in him since he was a youth and STEP OUT of the DARKNESS or will he continued to be marshaled by the enemy and his addiction down the path that only has one destination, death?

For him, nothing short of full surrender to the SPIRIT and to those GOD has put in his path for accountability, love and focus will do.  He must allow GOD to become greater so that he, his cravings, and his addiction will become less.

And that is no easy order.

His body is demanding the drugs.

His pride is causing reluctance to the accountability.

And even though surrender will bring ultimate freedom, he fears it, he even resents it.

I pray he embraces this next important step. 

Will you join me in prayer for him? 

But we all have moments like that, don’t we?

We want what WE want when WE want it regardless of what the SPIRIT or that still small voice has to say about the matter.  We are in charge, right? We are the kings and queens of our castles and destinies.  Why listen to that SPIRIT when WE know what we need and what WE need to have?

Never felt that way?  Really? Come on be honest.

Manning reminds us that our lives should reflect humility and thanksgiving, surrender and acceptance of GOD’S providence and care.

And the Apostle Paul and Peterson surmises/translates and paraphrases just how that works.  From Galatians 5:16 again... 

My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions…?

So…

The choice to surrender is ours.

The choice as to WHO will be greater is ours.

Who will do the leading today?

What choice will we make?

I love you all.

Have a blessed day!!

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE