Dying to Live

Scriptures: James 4:10, 2 Corinthians 12:10, Acts 20:35, Philippians 3:7-8, John 12:24

What is Biblical Paradox?

Life can be confusing. There are many things that I will never understand. Praise God that His Word reminds us to “lean not on our own understanding but to acknowledge Him and He will make the paths straight.” This takes faith. This takes trust. This brings freedom.

When it comes to confusion, let’s discuss Biblical paradox. A paradox is defined as an apparently self-contradictory declaration, but is, in fact, true. To some, biblical paradoxes may seem confusing, a bit absurd, even somewhat ridiculous. Yet these very words of God were written for our admonition and learning. Wrapping our minds around their truths can bring a freedom unbeknownst to this world. Today, let’s consider a few:

1.  EXALTATION THROUGH HUMILITY (James 4:10)
God has never been pleased with the proud, boastful, and over-confident. He created us for His ultimate purposes and glory, not for our own. He delights in a humble spirit. It takes real wisdom and strength to walk in true humility.

2.  STRENGTH THROUGH WEAKNESS (2 Cor. 12:10)
With all our God-given privileges and advantages; there is always the possibility of being over-confident in our own strength. God often allows a “thorn in the flesh” to keep us ever dependent on Him so that we can walk in our ultimate strength. Can we see this as a gift? 

3.  RECEIVING THROUGH GIVING (Acts 20:35)
Giving can seem quite foolish to selfish people. Some of the most miserable people on earth are those who take and take. Some of the happiest people are givers, for they manifest and reflect God in their unselfish attitude. They become His channel of blessing! When we cheerfully and willingly give our time, talent, or treasure for God’s glory, in return, we receive love, joy, peace, satisfaction, and respect from men! 

4.  GAINING THROUGH LOSING (Phil. 3:7-8)
Materialism, fame, and love of money have always been the greatest hindrances to a personal, living relationship with the Lord. You can gain the whole world but lose your own soul (Mark 8:36) or, like Paul, you can lose earthly opportunities but gain Christ and lay-up treasure in heaven! 

5.  LIVING THROUGH DYING (John 12:24)
The kernel of wheat that falls to the ground and dies also grows and becomes productive. This is an agricultural and a spiritual principle as well. Death to the old self is the first step to Christian growth. The more you die to SELF, the more CHRIST is seen in you! John the Baptist said that Christ must increase, and we must decrease! (John 3:30). 

Ponder:

How can you consider each of these paradoxes and apply them to your life in a more significant way?

Prayer:

Lord, teach me the power of living Your great paradoxical mysteries. I want to live in the freedom that You offer through living in Your ways. Help me to lean not on my own understanding, but to trust in You alone.

Scriptures: Psalms 139:13-18, Ephesians 2:10, Matthew 26:39, Isaiah 55:8-9

Dying to Self – Living in Purpose 

Creators create things with reason, purpose, and intention. Things don’t just accidentally appear. Scriptures say that we were “knit together…fearfully and wonderfully…in the secret place…with days assigned to each of us.” That doesn’t sound accidental. It goes on to say that we were knit as the Creator’s “masterpiece/handiwork…to do good works that were assigned in advance for us to do.” Whoa! So, I was planned ON purpose, WITH purpose and FOR purpose? He intentionally created me with a personalized calling on my life.

When I was a little, I had big dreams of what life would be like when I grew up, much like you did. I had plans. Big plans. My will, my way, so to speak. But, somehow, my entire world didn’t cooperate with all my “big plans”. As years and experience bred greater learning and wisdom, I realized that I am not completely in charge of my world. I needed the cooperation of other humans. I had a hope to do things the “right way.” But what was that? My spouse had one opinion. My boss had another opinion. My children had another opinion, all about the right way. 

After a season of heart-breaking, life lessons I read about the grace of yielding. We have a choice of yielding to others, but I pondered the idea of yielding to God’s greater plans and purposes for my life, not just my little girl dreams. I was reminded of Jesus’ words and His example: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matt. 26:23 NIV) This statement shows the yielding or the dying of self. Jesus chose the will of the Father over his own will. This highlights a definite “dying of self to greater purposes.”

We are all self-centered creatures with a vast propensity for “my will, my way.” Consider the grace of yielding to “His will, His way.” As our creator, His original ways for our lives are higher than ours, as His thoughts and plans our higher than ours.  When you die to your self-centered way, you then discover the beauty and power within yourself that God intended. We live in the greatest fullness of life when we are in the sweet center of that purpose and that plan. 

Ponder:

How can you live a life with a grace to yield to God’s greater plans and purposes for your days? Ponder your life’s story for His greater glory.

Prayer:

Oh Lord! I need your help to remind me that I truly do want “Your will, Your way” over “my will, my way” as Your ways are so much higher than I could think, hope, or imagine. I choose to die to myself and my ways so that I can live for your greater purposes for my life. Lead, guide, and direct my steps!

Scriptures: Proverbs 19:21, Psalms 16:11, Psalms 9:10, Proverbs 3:5-6, Colossians 1:16-17

Dying to Control – Living in Peace 

A paradigm is a person’s frame of reference. Their paradigm is how they see the world based on all the information they have gathered and the beliefs they possess. A “paradigm shift” occurs when our usual way of thinking about or doing something is replaced by a new and different way of thinking or acting. Paradigm shifts often occur around what we call “AHA moments”, when we suddenly understand something in a new or different way, allowing us to see the world in a new light.

As we venture through our teenage years and mature into young adults, most of us start recognizing that we have a paradigm of control within us. I refer to this as our inner “control freak.” It is sometimes dominant, sometimes abated. In this paradigm, we often think that we are the center of our world. That we are in charge and that everything will go according to our plans. As time and age bring wisdom, we learn that we cannot control other people or circumstances. However, it is imperative to know that we can control our responses. 

The response of “letting go of control and letting God” have His way in our lives is a choice to unload the pressure of outcomes. Through faith, yielding ultimate control of the “uncontrollable things” leads to a peace of mind that brings rest. This is a dying to live. The burden is shifted. As we walk, yielded to His higher purposes, life will become a more beautiful journey. Our “control-freak” often leads us down a road full of resentment, exhaustion, disbelief, and disappointment. 

Don’t get me wrong. Life is full of choices that we do control. We can control the temperature in our house, decide what we are going to eat for dinner, etc. But there is so much beyond our control like the weather, others’ behaviors, the news, and many circumstances. We do have the personal responsibility to do all that we can do, but then to trust God with that which we cannot do. Everything in this universe belongs to the Lord. He is actually in control of all things. He even gives humans choice. He will bring glory to His children, He will protect His children, He will carry the burdens of His children. In Him, all things hold together. I am grateful that I am not in charge of the world and I can find rest in that. Someday, we will need to make a paradigm shift from wanting control to wanting the rest that comes from trusting He is in control. Is today that day?

Ponder:

How can you die to your inner “control freak” and choose to walk in a greater trust in our good, good Father? How can you walk in more of the peace that He offers? 

Prayer:

Lord, I am so exhausted by trying to be in charge of my entire world. Teach me your ways and give me the grace to yield to your greater plans for my life. Help me shift my paradigm from desiring control to yielding control.

Scriptures: Isaiah 41:10, 2 Timothy 1:7, Psalms 34:4, Joshua 1:9, John 14:27

Dying to Fear – Living by Faith (part 1 of 2)

“Fear not!” is the most repeated command in the Bible. In fact, Lloyd Ogilvie in Facing the Future without Fear even said there are 366 “Fear nots” in the Bible, one for every day of the year, including Leap Year! 

God doesn’t want us to go a single day without hearing His encouragement and word of comfort: “Fear not!” Fear is so suffocating, demoralizing, and anxiety producing. It feels like a quiet death hovering over you. True faith and fear cannot exist in the same space together. But it is a real and constant tension that we must manage. So, what does the Bible say about fear versus faith?

Faith is described in Hebrews 11:1 NASB as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” It is an absolute belief that God is present and constantly working behind the scenes in every area of our lives, even when there is no tangible evidence to support that fact. On the other hand, fear, simply stated, is unbelief. When we allow unbelief to gain the upper hand in our thoughts, fear takes hold of our emotions. Our deliverance from fear, worry, and anxiety is based on our faith, which is the very opposite of unbelief. We need to understand that faith is not something that we can produce in and of ourselves. Faith is a 100% free gift from God, but it requires our 100% surrender to receive it. In Galatians 5:22-23, faithfulness is described as a fruit (or characteristic) that is produced in our lives by the Holy Spirit. The Christian’s faith is a confident assurance in a trustworthy God who loves us, knows our thoughts, and cares about our deepest needs. Our faith continues to grow as we study the Bible and learn the attributes of God’s amazing character.

Fear has been defined as “false evidence appearing real” but there are also true scenarios that drive our fears, like financial hardships, bad medical reports, broken-heartedness, addictions, loss, etc. As we study the “fear not” passages of the Bible, we can navigate our fears and stand on our faith. The more we learn about God and see Him working in our lives, the stronger our faith grows. Fighting our fears with our faith will be the great antidote to fear ruling our lives. The fear feels so real. Our faith is real. The tension is real. Choose faith!

God promises us that we can experience peace in every situation. Philippians 4:7 NKJV says that His peace “surpasses all understanding” and “will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Choose your peace of mind. Choose faith over fear.

Ponder:

How is the tension between your fears and your faith leading you to more peace of mind? Do you need to die to your fears so that your faith can lead you with truth and peace?

Prayer:

Lord, help me increase my faith to navigate my fears. Help me to trust You when the outcome is not clear. I want to trust You as You strengthen me and hold me with Your righteous right hand.

Scriptures: 1 Peter 5:7, James 1:2-4, 1 John 4:18, Philippians 4:6, Psalms 56:3

Dying to Fear – Living by Faith (Part 2 of 2)

So, how can we increase faith to help conquer our fears? Romans 10:17 NKJV says that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” As we learn more about God, our eyes are opened to how He is working in our lives and strengthening our faith. God wants a relationship with us. He desires us to know Him and completely rely on His direction in our lives. By hearing, reading, and meditating in the Scriptures, we begin to experience a strong, confident faith that rejects worry and fear. This is our secret place. Spending intimate time in prayer and quiet study develops a relationship with our heavenly Father that sees us through even our darkest nights. 

The Bible is also clear that our faith is matured and strengthened through trials. Like it or not, adversity is God’s most effective tool to develop a strong faith. But we do not go through trials or fearful situations alone. He promises to be with you. To never leave or abandon you. (Deut. 31:6) As we learn to obey God’s Word and allow it to saturate our thoughts, we find each trial becomes a stepping stone to increasing our faith. His faithfulness that sustained you in the past will strengthen, carry, and uphold you in the future.

The scripture is rich with promises that we can claim for ourselves to help us take hold of our fears as we develop our faith. Here are a few to keep in mind:

·  Financial trouble? … See Phil 4:19, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

·  Rejection?… See Rom 8:31, “If God is for us who can be against us!”

·  Personal fear?…  See Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” 

·  Fear about the future?… See Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”

The list goes on and on. The Scripture is full of His promises. Begin to memorize His promises. This is your solid ground. Even though we will continue to face various trials, God assures us that we can know a calm peace through every situation: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7 NIV).

Ponder:

How can I develop my faith through a closer relationship with the Lord? Do I recognize lies and truth as the scripture defines? How can I trust Him more in this area?

Prayer:

Lord, I want to know you more intimately so that I can trust You more. I want Your truths to be my truth. Help shine a light on the limiting lies and fears that can overwhelm me.

Scriptures: James 4:7, John 8:44, Ephesians 6:10-17, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 6:6

Dying to Lies – Living in Truth (Part 1 of 2)

Just because you believe something doesn’t make it true. Lies can be perceived as truth if you believe them to be so. Have you ever felt in your gut that you were being lied to but couldn’t quite pinpoint it? This world has so many messages coming at us from every direction. Most are subtle lies from the prince of the world and the father of lies—Satan (John 8:44). Many lies start as simple misinformation early in our lives and then end up as ugly strongholds in later years.

The real tragedy of believing common lies is that the people of God do not follow and live in their God-given identity and destiny. We all fall into this trap in one way or another; no one is exempt. We all have been lied to by the media, by our bank account, by our past experiences, by our feelings, and even by loved ones around us. Our tendency is to allow our reason, emotions, or circumstances dictate our truth as final authority. 

How do we identify these lies so that we can live in the truth? The Bible is the Lord’s inspired Word, His holy instructions on how to combat the lies and live the BEST life of truth, love, and peace. 2 Timothy 3:16 NIV says that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” Psalm 119:105 NIV says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” We invite the Holy Spirit, by a volitional act of faith, to cleanse and renew our minds so we can stand on the truth and authority of God’s word. As a child of God, we simply dare to believe that we are who HE says we are! As a Christian, we are not the same anymore. The old has gone and a new life has begun. When we become followers and believers in Jesus, we lose our identity in this world and embrace our new identity in Christ. 

Memorize His power-filled truths to combat pervasive lies in your mind. When the truth is on the forefront of your mind, you will be more cognizant of the lies, and able to call them out and dismiss them. Imagine going onto a battlefield with no sword, no shield, or helmet. That would be foolish. In the same way, we need to wear the FULL ARMOR OF GOD to conquer temptation and protect ourselves from the lies of the world. We must die to the lies so that we can walk in HIS truths over our lives.

Ponder:

Identify areas where you are living below your Christian privilege as a child of God. Research the Bible for truths to shed a light on dark areas of your life.

Prayer:

Oh Lord, shed Your light on the subtle lies that I have believed to be true. Help open my eyes to the enemy’s lies and reveal Your truths so that I may walk in them.

Scriptures: 1 Peter 2:9, Romans 8:38-39, Psalms 28:7, Philippians 4:19, Deuteronomy 31:6

Dying to Lies – Living in Truth (Part 2 of 2)

God’s Word is your solid ground for truth. It is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The truest thing about you is what God says, not what you think or feel and also not what others say, think, or project onto you. You have a new identity in Christ. You are who He says you are. 

God’s Word is true, regardless of our past experiences, our own reason, emotions, performances, experiences, or circumstances. Joy is our birthright. Hope is our birthright. Love is our birthright. The scriptures are loaded with truth about our rightful Christian identity. Memorize them!

Here are a few of the common lies we believe and some truths in scripture to combat them:

·  I am not good enough. (You are a royal son/daughter of the King: 1 Peter 2:9, I am perfect in Christ: Heb 10:14, Col 2:10, Eph 2:10)

·  I am unloved (You are very loved: John 15:9, Rom 8:38-39, Eph 2:4, 5:1-2)

·  This is impossible. There seems to be no way. (Jesus IS the WAY and makes a way: John 14:6, Ps 37:23, Jer 29:11, Eph 2:10)

·  I am a fearful, anxious person (You are free from fear: Ps 34:4, 2 Tim 1:7, 1 Peter 5:7, 1 John 4:18) 

·  I am not strong (You have God’s power and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit: Acts 1:8, Rom 8:9-11, Eph 1:18-19, Ps 28:7)

·  I do not have enough money for my needs (God is Jehovah—that means provider. He will meet all of your needs for His glory! Philippians 4:19, Ps 23:1)

·  I can’t make it. I don’t know which way to go. (Pray to God, He will show you the right path. Seek His word; it will light your way. Psalm 119:105, Ps 32:8, Jer 33:3)

·  I am alone. (The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged: Deut 31:6,  Ps 73:23, Is 41:10)

You are called and equipped to do the good works God has ordained you to do. Don’t allow the enemy to use limiting beliefs or lies to rob, steal, and destroy your joy in your destiny. Choose and memorize His truth. 

Ponder:

How much time do you spend memorizing power-filled truths to help navigate discouragement or lies in your life? Are you living on the solid ground of His truth?

Prayer:

Lord, I confess to believing lies and not walking in the power of Your truths. Help me learn to hide Your truths in my heart so I can live a life which is glorifying to You. 

Scriptures: 1 Peter 5:8, Philippians 4:8-9, Deuteronomy 30:19-20, Proverbs 18:21, Colossians 3:2

Opening Our Eyes to That Which is Praiseworthy

We all have choices to make daily. Yes or no? Now or later? This or that? Exercise or not? Eat healthy or not? Whine or not? Obey or not? Can we blame others for the choices that we make? 

Blaming never worked in the Garden of Eden and it doesn’t work in life, either. We also choose our thoughts and our focus. Experience has taught me that my heart was not made for the weight of anxiety, depression, and fear. I know that I thrive with life, hope, and joy. Do we have any say-so in this process? Or are we simply a victim of our lives? Can we choose to be victors instead of victims? One of the biggest game-changers for my life has been my intentional decision to “focus on that which is praiseworthy.”

When I married my husband, I focused on all that I loved about him and was delighted to say “YES”,  until death do us part. Then life happened. I found myself deeply frustrated with our relationship. How could this be? What changed? I wasn’t alert to the subtle and sneaky ways of the enemy. I found myself easily diverted and ended up focusing on the “lack” in my man. Why? My marriage was uplifting for so long and then it felt heavy and draining. Who could I blame? Of course, I wanted to blame him. My pastor reminded me that our lives will always move in the direction of our strongest thoughts and that we find what we are looking for. I was focusing on all the ways my husband wasn’t living up to who I thought he should be and all that he wasn’t doing! Even if it was true, it was killing our marriage. I began desperately looking for the things that I DID love about my husband—the reasons why I said “YES”, the reasons I choose him. 

I made a choice: to change what I was looking at. I was on a pursuit for “all that was praiseworthy” about him. It was a game-changer for our marriage. My husband hadn’t changed, but I had changed my focus which ultimately changed the environment in our home. As I spoke life-giving words from my new focus, life returned to my marriage.

The strategic choice of obedience to “focus on the praiseworthy” applies to many other areas of life, as well. As I changed my focus at my job, things suddenly got better. As I changed my focus about my children, they became more lovable. I noticed a distinct trend. My obedience was rewarded. This became a solid reality in my life. Since I don’t thrive in heaviness, ugliness, lying, deceit, or destruction, I truly limit negative things in my life. I find that trash “in” leads to trash “out.” Die to the negative truths in your life and pursue a life of focusing on that which is praiseworthy.

Ponder:

How can you focus more on the blessings in your life, your people, and your circumstances? Consider asking the Lord to help blind you to the negative, draining appearances in your life.

Prayer:

Lord, open my eyes to that which is good, pure, and praiseworthy. Help me focus on Your daily blessings and not on those life-draining things that I cannot control. Help me choose to see Your fingerprint everywhere in my days.

Scriptures: Proverbs 19:21, Ephesians 3:20, Deuteronomy 31:8, John 15:5, Genesis 50:19-20

Could the Death of My Vision be a Gift?

Have you ever had a dream or vision that died? In the Biblical story of Joseph, we see that he had a dream of his family bowing down to him (Gen 37:5-9). But God had greater purposes than Joseph could have hoped or imagined. I had a dream, too. Maybe you did, as well. Do our dreams line up with His greater purposes?

As his story goes, starting in Genesis 37, Joseph found himself in a pit, sold as a slave, falsely accused, and more. This was not in Joseph’s original vision/dream. These events looked like the “death of the vision.” Are there things in your life that look like the “death of your vision”, too? But, GOD! He was with Joseph. He is with you. He never leaves us, fails us, or forsakes us.

The Lord’s plan is a perfect one, even when it doesn’t match up with our plans. The Lord knows all—past, present, and future—and He only wants the absolute best for His children. When you die to your SELF and let Him have control, life will become an even more beautiful journey. When we are experiencing the “death of a vision” we have to consider that the sweet Lord is beckoning us to His greater vision and purposes.

Just as the vinedresser trims the dead things off the vine so that it can bear more and greater fruit, God may have to cut away some of our self-centered dreams to make room for His bigger and better purposes for our lives. This could be called a purposeful pruning or a divine downsizing. I have experienced this personally. During an extremely challenging and heart-breaking season of my life, God birthed a new, fresh vision and compassion in my heart. He stripped away old limited visions for a grander plan. I had to die so I could live.

The Lord loves us enough to help us with our distorted priorities or superficial motives. This purifying process often strips away our ego and pride to leave a beautiful gift of a totally yielded heart for His greater call. Just like Joseph, we may experience more than one death of a visIon. God often takes away something good from our lives to create room for something better. What the enemy means for evil, the Lord can turn for good. Sometimes we have to give up what we want NOW for what we want even MORE. I ultimately want to live in the sweet center of God’s will for my life. 

If the death of our self-centered limited vision can bring us into more fulness of His purposes for our lives, then may we die so we can live. 

Ponder:

How can you yield your dreams and hopes for His greater glory? Are you willing to die to your plan if it can yield His greater purposes? Do you trust Him?

Prayer:

Lord, I need to know that you are close. Whenever my plans seem to fall apart, help me trust that You can work all things together for a greater good. I want Your greater purposes for my life.

Scriptures: Colossians 1:27, Romans 8:10-15, John 14:20, Galatians 2:20, Matthew 11:29

Living “FROM” Him versus “FOR” Him

Our beliefs are the water we swim in. It is easy to sometimes feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders. We try our hardest to live the best life possible. Then, we try even harder. 

Years ago, I was in a very desperate place in my life. So many of life’s disappointments were piling higher and higher. It felt like I was carrying the weight of a piano on my shoulders. I was overwhelmed and exhausted. I was ready and more than willing to hear God’s whispers for newness and freedom. But I just tried harder. I was attempting to live “right” by living righteous. I was doing all the right things but often getting the wrong results. How could this be? I was running so hard, juggling so much, spinning so many plates. Don’t I get an “A” for effort?

How many of us grew up on the “performance treadmill“, trying to be “good for God?” This is truly an exercise in exhaustion. We feel empty and never quite enough. We are always enough when He lives through us for His greater purposes. We are rarely enough when we live in our own strength. His Holy Spirit is the gift in us. Christ in us is our hope for glory!

God’s work WITHIN you prepares you for Him to work THROUGH you. This transformation is 100% the work of God and 100% your yieldedness to it. The true mystery is living FROM Him instead of the exhaustion of living FOR Him. Do you know that exhausting treadmill of trying harder?

Amidst my heavy piano-weighted season, absolute exasperation and fatigue led me to a beautiful surrender and a new freedom in Christ. I decided to let go of living frommy capabilities, behaviors, environment, or even my limiting beliefs. The dear Lord wants our whole heart, our whole mind, and our whole soul so much that He is willing to rip everything away until there is nothing left but a sweet emptiness that demands that we lay at rest in His arms, finally FREE. 

This is our dying to live. This is where our weakness yields way to His strength within. This is where we actually begin to live FROM Him within instead of living FOR Him without. 

You want this freedom. Don’t wait until you have the weight of a piano on your shoulders to live from this freedom. Let Him carry the piano. Die to live. 

Ponder:

What would life be like if we cast all our burdens on Him and let His Holy Spirit carry us through? Do you have the weight of a piano on your shoulders? Give Him your burdens. Live FROM His strength and His call, not on the performance treadmill.

Prayer:

Oh Lord, I am exhausted by trying to spin all of the plates of performance. Save me from myself. I die to myself living FOR You and ask that You fill me “to overflowing” so that I can live FROM Your strength and purposes.