Calling all women who want something to hold on to for focus today!

Couldn’t resist, today I had to use a comment made by my friend Sheree Byington on facebook. It was number #25 in her list of 25 random things about me. I think it is profound! ( well…and a little wild!)

“I choose daily not to be defined by life’s circumstances.”

It is full of meaning…and can really get you thinking about what DOES define you.
So, today…think about it! ( by the way…picture on today’s blog is the beautiful Sheree!)

Father,
You define me. Truth says you do. But my heart and head often tell me that others things identify who I am. Help me Lord not to cave into wrong identities and wrong perceptions of what is or isn’t important in my life. Today I choose You, and choose not to cave to disappointment, discouragement, or my problems.

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It feels good to do good works, get a “well done” and feel the flush of human pride.
It doesn’t feel so good to find out that the things that give me the flush of human pride and accomplishment might be the very things that keep me from experiencing God at a deeper level.

In Revelation 2, speaking to the church in Ephesus, a harsh rebuke follows what seems to be a glowing account of their good works for the Lord.

“I know what you are doing. You work long and hard. I know you can’t put up with those who are evil. You have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not. You have found out that they are liars. You have been faithful and have put up with a log of trouble because of me. You have not given up. But here is something I hold against you. You don’t have as much love as you had at first. Remember how far you have fallen! Turn away from your sins. Do the things you did a first.” Revelation 2:2-4

I think of the words…”you work long and hard” as a compliment. But coupled with the fact that the relationship with Christ has suffered and the love towards Christ has cooled…causes a response from the Lord that holds out words like: I hold this against you….fallen…not as much love…turn away from sins…do the things…..

Yikes! We all can find ourselves in this category, doing good things, life things, seemingly spiritual things with a love tank towards God and man that is EMPTY.

What’s a girl to do?
Three things…

• 1. Turn…to repent( used in most versions of this verse) is to turn from something, towards something else.
• 2. Be Filled…with the holy spirit and the new nature rather than operating solely in our flesh
• 3. Live Differently…Go back to basics and live unto the Lord learning to love the Lord, growing in relationship with him.

These three things cause us to face self-denial, because these three things cause us to Turn from self. Let’s look at them in light of the words of Christ in Luke:

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

Denying “us” begins with the Turn, the shift, the about face!
1. Turn from self
2. Be filled with Christ
3. Follow a New Path

Lace up your faith shoes ladies…and start following! I’m on the path with you!

Today’s Prayer
Lord, I am used to following my own heart, own desires, own thoughts…anything “me” is natural. But, when I am living in the “natural” and normal for “me”, I am missing the things of the Spirit. Teach me Lord, Change me….I want less of me and more of thee. Show me how to follow you in a way that would be pleasing to your heart.

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Wanna be a fly on the wall of a recent conversation?
Come on, all women love to snoop and get the real dirt…here you go…
A view into my mind the other day….and my conversation with the Lord.

Deny Myself? That is your answer Lord? Seriously? I am supposed to deny myself? In this situation if I don’t fight for myself I will be walked on big time. I don’t get what I want, when I want it…and am pretty frustrated with things in general, and now you tell me to deny myself? Please! C’mon Lord, give me a break here. I am asking for your help and all you can say is…deny yourself Debbie?

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

Ok, Ok….I see it’s clear in your word that denial of “me” must be the way to you. And the way to you is the daily and hourly coming to you…which is advancing towards you, and then I have to lay myself down every single day, and follow. Help me to unpack that and understand it for practical living Lord.

• come: to advance towards and press into
• deny: to refrain from satisfying one’s desires or needs, practice self-denial
• follow: to accompany, to pay attention to, to join on a journey

Today’s example looks like this:
It’s a new day and so God bids me to come to Him…again. This means that I am to begin advancing towards him through acknowledgement, prayer, and communication. I am to press into him for all that I need…”Lord, today I need you to lead me, guide me, fill me, that I may live as yours in all my situational stuff”

Then I am to actually lay myself aside. An example would be….practice self-denial through determining to think of others first today, or by giving up my favorite food today, or by not watching my favorite t.v. show today and instead reading during that time or serving someone during that time….you get the idea. Self denial also comes in the form of not demanding my rights from others or God…that is a hard one, isn’t it? We demand that our husbands treat us a certain way, or that a friend responds as we would want her to, etc…etc…
Quit demanding, Stop controlling and trust God, that is practicing self-denial.

Next I am to follow. This is the action step of actually stepping into Christ as I journey through the day. Paying attention all day, to his still small voice and nudges, leadings, etc….

So…

• Here I am Lord
• I lay myself down Lord
• I am paying attention Lord.

Denying our self is not a simplistic 3 step process. This is something that we have to pay attention to on a daily basis and it is learned, because it is not natural to us. Each of us has something different to lay down each day. Just be true to who God is calling you to be, line up with his word, and He will lead you down the path to growing deeper and closer to Him.

Follow Today. Just Today. Try it!
Daily Prayer
Father, I come to you as selfish as I can be, and ask that you continue developing me into the woman of God that you have designed me to be. I WANT TO lay my self and life aside each day. I need you to show me how to do that, what it looks like, where you are calling me to do that. It’s not easy, natural or fun. And, I love to have fun. So, Jesus, give me a vision of the delight of being pleasing to you, for that is better than fun and more fulfilling than having my own way.

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