Embrace the Within no. 158

“Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are you who hunger now [for righteousness, actively seeking right standing with God], for you will be [completely] satisfied. Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are you who weep now [over your sins and repent], for you will laugh [when the burden of sin is lifted].”

Luke 6:21 AMP

When I seek to be right with God, He will make certain I find everything. In fact, I will be completely satisfied. I will be filled up with righteousness. I will get more righteousness than I ever thought I could receive. I will rely on nourishment from God’s own goodness and that nourishment will fulfill all my needs.

The Bible begins with creations that God judges as good. And the creation story ends with the most good creation. I just need to live up to the potential for goodness and righteousness for which I was created. That righteousness requires a lot of me. It requires that I stop trying to show myself and simply reflect that goodness. I have the potential every year, every day, every moment to reflect goodness and crave righteousness. And doing so will fill the God-sized hole in my life.

Fulfillment is possible. That is God’s promise. We will no longer walk around life like a donut. That hole in my life is there to be filled by God.

The obstacle is that I have to choose each day to pursue righteousness. Righteousness is not my natural state every day. I have to commit to right thinking and right relationships. And that comes from building a daily walk and commitment to God. I need a routine of righteousness to allow God to lead as I follow.

Building a daily walk where righteousness is my focus is a routine that will lead to my fulfillment as a person. I can find connection and fulfillment every day by merely reflecting the goodness that was my ultimate purpose. Righteousness is the state for which I was created, however, I allow other concerns to supplant this purpose.

Why don’t I want to be right? What is keeping me from walking in the Way of the Lord? What is my routine of righteousness? Am I working towards righteousness and fulfillment or am I simply drifting around without purpose?

“Is it a coincidence, or just a kind of grand irony, that loneliness has spiked just as our media became ‘social,’ our technology became ‘personal,’ and our machines learned to recognize our faces?”

Andy Crouch

I pray that God’s Way will come more fully into my life. I pray that God will give my life a purpose and a fulfillment unlike any other. I pray that I will take time to be among His people and learn from the Church. I pray that I will be His new creature and not my self. I pray that through my relationship with the Lord and His Church that I will never feel alone.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

Embrace the Within no. 156

And looking toward His disciples, He began speaking: “Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are you who are poor [in spirit, those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for the kingdom of God is yours [both now and forever].”

Luke 6:20 AMP

Humility is something I need a lot more of in my life. Do not get me wrong. The Lord has gone a long way in bringing me to increasing humility over these past three years. I have been humbled on more than one occasion by my lack of understanding, lack of obedience, lack of love, and lack of forgiveness over the past three years. And when He works to humble me, I know that it is for His glory and His purpose.

I laugh a lot more things off now than I take personally. When I began this journey, I would get offended when folks didn’t want to know about how great the Way of the Lord was. I would get offended and feel personally attacked if folks said anything negative about Christ and His Church, and definitely, His Word. BUT sanctification is a great process because I don’t have to be that same offended person. I don’t have to be the same Christian I was three years ago or twenty years ago or thirty years ago. I get the ability to grow through Him and His process for my life. And I don't have to take things personally when folks don't want to hear what the Lord says. I can laugh and smile and know that I tried and leave that concern in His control.

I just need to be obedient. I just need to listen. I just need to get out of my own way. I need to follow His Way. And that never means I need to completely understand why things happen or how things happen. It does mean I need to be loyal to Him and obedient to His Way.

I pray that I get out of Your Way. I pray that what I want slips away into what You want for me. I pray that my self is no longer part of the problem. I pray that Your Will be manifest in my life. I pray that I work in unity with the Spirit to walk in the Way of the Lord.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH