TheOneCubed

Recently I’ve been reading AW Tozer’s The Pursuit of God. In the second chapter he discusses the idea of ’self’ and what it means in a Christ centered perspective.

it would seem that there is within each of us an enemy which we tolerate at our peril. Jesus called it `life’ and `self,’ or as we would say, the self-life. Its chief characteristic is its possessiveness: the words `gain’ and `profit’ suggest this. To allow this enemy to live is in the end to lose everything. To repudiate it and give up all for Christ’s sake is to lose nothing at last, but to preserve everything unto life eternal. And possibly also a hint is given here as to the only effective way to destroy this foe: it is by the Cross: `Let him take up his cross and follow me.’

Tozer finishes off the chapter with a prayer. Even though the vocabulary is in an older version of english, I still found the prayer profound and also calling to myself. Lord - let this be my prayer.

Father, I want to know Thee, but my coward heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but I do come. Please root from my heart all Those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Well as promised, the 4th installment of the Valentine’s Day post. I’ve thought and prayed a lot about this particular post and while some people will ask “that’s it?!?!?!”. I believe what I’m about to write is completely sufficient to sum up this day.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16

And only by this sacrificial love can we even begin to define love to ourselves and the rest of the world.

Another year has come and gone but praise the Lord for all I’ve learned in 2007. 2007 is to date one of the most interesting years I’ve ever experienced. I’ve learned a lot about myself, my tastes, my weaknesses, my strengths, and everything else in between. The Lord’s grace has been in abundance the past few weeks. With vacation comes a time to slow down and think about life instead of just rushing through it all. This time has truly allowed me to see how horrible of an individual I am and if were not for God’s grace, I would have no hope in this world.

While I typically don’t buy into the whole “resolution” idea, I do want to commit to a change in life style. I commit to slow down and take in more of God’s creation: that I may know Him more fully and enjoy His splendor more deeply than ever before.

⁹You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. ¹⁰But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. ¹¹And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:9-11, 35-39 (NIV)

Lord, may you be my strength, my life, my focus, my all.

Upon re-reading several old posts concerning this day of hearts, cupids, and the like I realized something; I was a card carrying member of what a friend called the “bitter brigade”.  So do I still belong to such a “prestigious” group?  This year, I’m revoking my membership.  No, this doesn’t mean that I’ve found the women of my dreams or that I’m turning to celibacy.  This year, I’m accepting the blessing that God has placed upon my life.  On this day (and many others to come), I’m going to praise God for the opportunities to love He has given me.

In years past I might rant on about “commercialism’s delusion” or the slack guys and girls who wait for one day to tell someone how they feel.  Today however, after a day full of serving other people and listening to some wise men, the Lord laid a new realization on my heart.  Instead of focusing on the absence of the “love of my life” I should instead focus on the true Love of My Life - Jesus Christ and how I can show those around me that same love.  Today I believe I understand that to understand “true love” one must exhibit that same love (as close as we humans can manage). May this be my prayer today and everyday (thanks to George T. at church for some inspiration on this prayer):

Lord, thank you for saving my soul.  Thank you for the love that you first showed me.  Please remind me each day of the gracious gift of salvation you offer to not only myself, but to everyone who accepts you.  Lord, burden my heart for those around me.  Allow me the opportunities to share your love with those around me. May I not give up… back up… let up… or shut up until I’ve preached up… prayed up… paid up… stored up… and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ and I must keep going until He returns, give and share His story that changes lives until all know…
And when he comes to get His own, Oh how I pray He’ll have no problem recognizing me.

May each of you know this love today and every day until the Lord returns or calls us home.