From Fear to Hope

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Guest Blog, November 7, 2013     Jeff Dixon

 

"For whoever wants to save their life will lose it’ but whoever loses their life for me
and for the gospel will save it."      Mark 8:35  

The idea of giving everything to God is frightening to anyone who has contemplated the thought.  We see from scripture that we are told it is what God wants and yet we often see it as impossible.  We see ourselves as to selfish, fearful, sinful, needy and the list goes on.  To give over that kind of control is frightening and yet there is in each of us that know God’s saving grace the desire to give ourselves to Him completely. I know the desire is there not because I know you, but because the scriptures tell me that God placed it there.  He has given you and I a new heart and in it “the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” Romans 5:5.  So I am not speaking to powerless people, but people indwelled by a powerful person.  It is true that I in my own power lack what it takes to accomplish the surrender of my all to God. But God does not ask us to give ourselves in our own strength beloved, “…Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you both to will and work according for His good pleasure” Philippians 2:12-13.  Our part is to yield and it is God’s part to give us the will and to work out our surrender. 

In 1 Corinthians 2:9 we are told “No eye has seen,  no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him”.  We cannot even begin to imagine in our wildest dreams what God has prepared for us and sadly we think of this text as being with Him in heaven.  This is correct and yet incomplete.  Let’s look at Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”.  Did you see what the text says?  We were not created and then God found works for us to do, with the good works in the mind of God we were beginning created.  The implication of this is huge, you were created with a very specific purpose in mind, stocked with all the gifts and talents to accomplish these good works and we will never find true lasting fulfillment until we are engaged in them. Everything about us was designed by God for this purpose and it is where true worship takes place.

I do not want to leave you with a pep talk and simply walk away. I realize that this is a fearful place because I am in it myself.  You might be saying I desire to find all God is giving and yet within me I hold on and I do not know how to let go?  Then this is my answer, there was once a man to whom Jesus said “all things are possible to him that believes” to which this father replied “I do believe, help my unbelief” Mark 9:24. The beauty of this story is that we bring nothing, God must provide all.  This man rested in Christ’s ability to accomplish the work that he could not and his son was set free.  Let this be your prayer each day as we go through this series “Lord I am willing that you make me willing” and then rest in an all- powerful Father who is working on your behalf to bring about a work that he started and He alone can accomplish. Then listen for the promptings of the Holy Spirit and move in them.

Heavenly Father, maybe more than anything I need peace, peace with your plan and peace in my heart about where you will take me.  I am so blessed to have the Prince of Peace dwelling in me, but I must admit at times I forget. Give to me a heart that remembers His presence at those most challenging times and rest to my mind that I might learn to trust you more.  Amen.

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