Living for Jesus
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Life is always changing.
As always, I feel like I have good rhythms and routines in place and then, something changes. Gymnastics is moved to Thursday, someone gets sick, a friend needs to meet for coffee to process through some stuff, the kids constantly need to have something and be somewhere!
It’s overwhelming and honestly, I sometimes get a little lost in it all. I am inevitably living for the next moment or minute or month! I complain that Time is going by too fast, but it’s this same Time I tend to wish away.
This is where I am right now: In the middle of willing time to stand still and wishing for things to be complete.
My time with the Lord during such a season tends to flow in the same way. I am racing to meet with Him, but willing to skip that routine, a routine that keeps my rhythms from weary and my life from burden.
I want more than anything to live for Jesus, except when living becomes too much.
Living is what he has called us to do. We no longer live as the world lives, our bodies, our flesh has been crucified with Christ and we now truly live a life that is worthy of Christ residing within it. My life, who I am, my identity, who God knows and created me to be, must be lived out by faith everyday. He calls us to live according to the identity he has given us, by the power of the spirit and for the glory of God, according to the faith given to us by Jesus when he died on the cross.
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It all sounds doable, right? Until next month, when the holidays are upon us and we have to deal with people, and relationships and money and parties, etc.
Friends, the problem is not our schedules, or our expectations, the uncertainties of our life or the people in it; the problem lies in the false beliefs that we frequently entertain.
“...The problem lies in the false beliefs that we frequently entertain.”
Our minds are constant battlefields and the enemies tactics haven’t changed for thousands of years: He deters us from living a life of faith by entangling us in doubt. Then he leaves us in the depths of shame.
God has called you His beloved, and yet so many times you believe you are not worthy of love.
God has called you overcomer, yet you fear future battles that he has already won.
God has called you in your gifting’s, yet you are concerned with what you have to prove, rather that what He has already proven.
What false beliefs keeps you from living within your true identity in the Kingdom?
What fears keep you from living the life Christ died to give you? A life full of faith and purpose and true identity.
The Voice translation states Galatians 2:20 in this way, “…but the Anointed is living in me; and whatever life I have left in this failing body I live by the faithfulness of God’s son, the one who loves me and gave His body on the cross for me.”
The Anointed is living in you and with everything you have, “live by the faithfulness of God’s son.” Jesus is faithful. He came to this world to save the world by dying on the cross so that we would never have to be separated from the Love of again. He is faithful.
The Anointed is LIVING in YOU.
How do we Live a life worthy of the Anointed?
Live to Experience God’s gift of life
God is the sustainer and giver of life. James says that we are but a mist, a breath in this cataclysmic expanse of time and space. And yet, God, who is greater than time and space, determined that your life is worthy of living. He writes every chapter and verse of your life, your name is written upon his hand; He collects your tears and delights over you with singing. Our physical life is worthy of living well and for His glory. Our spiritual life is also worthy of living well, so that we may fully know who we are in Him and for His Kingdom, both on this earth and in heaven.
Live among the living
We are not of this world, but we have been given time to live in this world: a world that is broken and in need of a savior. He has called us to live among the living and to testify of his love. He gave his only son so that whoever believes in Him will not die. If our lives are devoted to Christ, therefore, we must give the truth of who he is away through how we live, becoming more and more like him. “To live is Christ, to die is gain" Philippians 1:21.
Live to be restored
Life on this earth can be exhausting and full which is why God calls all who are weary to come to him (Matthew 11:28). Our souls must continue to be watered by Living Water. We must find rest in the abiding and continually be restored so that we do not falter in our unbelief. It is in the watering and restoration of our souls that we can be reignited to continue our work for the kingdom and be spent for the sake of the gospel.
“It is in the watering and restoration of our souls that we can be reignited to continue our work for the kingdom and be spent for the sake of the Gospel.”
Live a life bringing forth good fruit
We must tend to our spiritual life with greater diligence than that of our earthly life. It sounds like work, right? Yet, God is the master gardener: “…and the story of creation begins in a garden and one day, it will end in the garden; but in the meantime, the gardener has become a master at pruning. He has been pruning the hearts and lives of His believers since the beginning of time…He prunes and prepares you, the branch, to bear fruit. Good fruit. Much fruit. Eternal fruit.” - from Abide & Testify. Tending to our spiritual life establishes our identity and our work for the kingdom. When we tend to our spiritual lives with truth and grace, we will vigorously grow good fruit in our lives and live in the abundance of God’s blessings.
Live To enjoy the blessings of God
Live to Enjoy Jesus. It really is that simple, but we tend to complicate living by allowing earthly living to get in the way. Psalms 4:2 asks, “How long will you love worthless things?” I just want to enjoy Jesus. If I can keep that at the forefront of my days, as the main goal on my to do list, as my life’s worth, then I will live a life worthy of the gospel.
The anointed lives in me and in you. We are called to live our lives according to the faith God has given us, faith that does not doubt our identity or our place in the kingdom. When I live with the understanding that the anointed lives in me, I won’t have to be reminded of who I am when those doubts war against me, for I will know I am loved, I am worthy, I am called, I am his, because he lives in me and I in him.
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