We will never find joy and contentment as long as we are the center of our world. As long as we spend our lives on ourselves; as long as we attend church looking to get something out of it for us; as long as we read the Bible with us as the main character; as long as we see God as a genie and harbor resentment when things don’t go our way…we are sabotaging the life abundantly that we crave.
The very scriptures that most look at as restrictions in life, are the very ones to freedom. Die to self, lay down your life, love your neighbor as yourself, it’s more blessed to give than to receive.
If we would be brave enough to be honest, we would admit that all the striving, all the gaining of status and material possessions, all the focus on “me” hasn’t landed us where we planned, right ? It never will!! It’s not how we were made. God tells us, gives us instructions for the very lives we crave and we say, “No thanks, I got this!”
We were bought with a price, His blood. We are not our own. We will never find peace, contentment, joy, all the good stuff living for ourselves. He gave His life for us…why do we have such a hard time reciprocating?
John 5:39-40 You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am…standing right before you…and you aren’t willing to receive from me the life you say you want.
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Marla Geiger 