I'm going to be honest with you here. It's been two full years now that I have been leading campus ministry within Spartan Athletics at Trinity Western University and I still do not feel equipped to represent Christ in the manner which I believe Christ should be represented. I felt like that was a bad thing when I sat down to meet with God this evening and God had a very special message for me that I now know I need to keep close to my heart.
I read through the end of 1 Corinthians and the first eight chapters of 2 Corinthians tonight and as I read God revealed to me the importance of understanding His Majesty. What is Majesty you ask? Webster's defines majesty as the sovereignty and power of God. What God wanted me to understand tonight is that He is unfathomable and I am His creation. I do not possess the ability to represent God unless He chooses to reveal pieces of who He is through me. Do you see the freedom in that understanding? My fear of not being able to represent God is completely unjustified because I do not possess the ability to do so in the first place and that is by design. Ephesians 2:9 says "...not by works, so that no man can boast." I cannot choose to represent God. God chooses to represent Himself through me. This is the perfect design and there is freedom within every aspect of God's design.
So, I praise the name of Jesus because it is not by my own works that I represent God rather it is by living within the freedom of Christ's sacrifice that God represents Himself through my life. Because I believe in Christ, God has come to dwell within me, my body is a temple for His Spirit and I must simply submit to His call daily so that God can show Himself to His people as I interact with them.
Be encouraged by this truth. Like me, you may not always feel equipped to represent Christ appropriately, but never forget that because you believe in Jesus, God has given you His Spirit within you so that you might represent Him well in each an every moment that you are asked to. The challenge is to prepare your heart daily to respond accordingly when the Spirit of God prompts. Do not stifle the perfect plan of God. Rather, trust that He has given you everything you need to to complete the task He has asked you to do. The Spirit will guide you if you ask for direction. Obviously easier to say then to do, but scripture is there to encourage you in your journey, just as it did for me tonight, so read it often!
Be Blessed
For His Kingdom.
I read through the end of 1 Corinthians and the first eight chapters of 2 Corinthians tonight and as I read God revealed to me the importance of understanding His Majesty. What is Majesty you ask? Webster's defines majesty as the sovereignty and power of God. What God wanted me to understand tonight is that He is unfathomable and I am His creation. I do not possess the ability to represent God unless He chooses to reveal pieces of who He is through me. Do you see the freedom in that understanding? My fear of not being able to represent God is completely unjustified because I do not possess the ability to do so in the first place and that is by design. Ephesians 2:9 says "...not by works, so that no man can boast." I cannot choose to represent God. God chooses to represent Himself through me. This is the perfect design and there is freedom within every aspect of God's design.
So, I praise the name of Jesus because it is not by my own works that I represent God rather it is by living within the freedom of Christ's sacrifice that God represents Himself through my life. Because I believe in Christ, God has come to dwell within me, my body is a temple for His Spirit and I must simply submit to His call daily so that God can show Himself to His people as I interact with them.
Be encouraged by this truth. Like me, you may not always feel equipped to represent Christ appropriately, but never forget that because you believe in Jesus, God has given you His Spirit within you so that you might represent Him well in each an every moment that you are asked to. The challenge is to prepare your heart daily to respond accordingly when the Spirit of God prompts. Do not stifle the perfect plan of God. Rather, trust that He has given you everything you need to to complete the task He has asked you to do. The Spirit will guide you if you ask for direction. Obviously easier to say then to do, but scripture is there to encourage you in your journey, just as it did for me tonight, so read it often!
Be Blessed
For His Kingdom.
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