Our every possession.
Our every desire.
Our every wish.
Our every thought.
Recently God has just been bringing me to my knees in humbleness because he has been taking away things, and I haven't understood why. Then, the other night in my quiet time I read this verse:
"The Lord does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths." -Psalm 135:6
And with that He stopped me dead in my tracks.
The main word that's been circling around in my mind lately is "why?" Why does God take away things we care about? Then, it all made sense. He does whatever please HIM, not whatever pleases me. This life is not about Rebecca Marie Starkey. I don't live my life because I want to be glorified and the world to revolve around me. I live to glorify Him who created me, who saved me, and who lives within me. That last sentence is something I know, something I say. It's so easy to say that's why I'm here, but do I act like it? Do I live it out?
When I reflect on my life in the recent past, the answer is no. Sometimes I get so caught up in what I want and what I think is right, that I lose focus. I forget why I'm here.
God commands us to give OUR WHOLE LIVES over to Him. We don't get to pick and choose what we give up. Christ gave it all for us. He gave His life...his LIFE so that I might live. So that I can spend forever in Heaven with Him. So that I can live for Him on this Earth.
Coincidentally (sarcasm) that same night it was my turn to also read Colossians 3:2-5 in my quiet time which says:
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature..."
If we keep perspective here in this world by focusing on Christ, it will be a joy to give up our lives to Him. If we really understand the true sacrifice He made for us, we will not want to live for ourselves and earthly things anymore. What really stood out to me was that is says Christ is our life. He is our life. Simple (and complex) as that! He is everything to us and every moment of our lives should reflect Him.
Also that night (I was laughing at how well God made all of this fit together) I was reading a devotional that said:
"His goal is not to make you happy. His goal is to make you His."
Well, by this point I knew the Holy Spirit was telling me to give it up. It's hard. I am not here to say that just because we know we are supposed to give our desires to God that it is quick and easy. It's not. It's painful. We often do it through gritted teeth and tears. But oh how marvelous it is when you have finally given up those areas to God. It's seriously like a physical weight has been lifted off your chest. Our needs, our wants, our desires are all safe in His hands.
He has a perfect plan for our lives. We only get to see little patches of our lives, but He sees every moment and beyond. He knows exactly what the future has in store. Since we can be secure in that, we can give up the present to Him, letting go of our distractions and turning our gaze back to Him!
With all of this said, I do not think that having blessings and happiness is a bad thing! If God is giving you blessings and providing for you, enjoy them because that's exactly what He's intended. However, if He's calling you turn things in your life over to Him, do it. That's where I am now. I knew that He wanted me to give up areas of my life to Him, and I'm here to tell you that it feels great having done so! It's still hard. It's still a daily struggle to fight off those distractions, but the Holy Spirit is definitely guiding me through. I realize that going through trials has only made my faith stronger and my dependence on Him so vital.
Well, know you know a tiny bit of my heart. I hope this writing of how God's been working in my life can encourage someone!
