But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
I'm going to be honest with you, the first time I heard the concept of being "set apart" for Christ, I thought it meant that I had to lock myself up or dedicate my life to be a nun. Putting all jokes aside, some people feel called to be nuns, and we respect that, but what I'm trying to say here is that a lot of us might think that being set apart means that we lose our freedom. It is quite the opposite dear friend. Being set apart is actually a "set-up" to receive His love and glory in abundance (1 Peter 2:9). It means that I'm not desperate for this world to satisfy me, but I'm desperate for Jesus. The world will only satisfy your desperation in the short term, but in the long run, you will sit with more pain and brokenness than you can imagine (1 John 2:17).
It's out of our desperation and true longing for His love that makes us vulnerable and open to receive the Father's love for us.
If you are looking for a quick fix, a plastic replacement for a broken heart, the world will be happy to give you a second-hand, cheap product. But if you are desperate for His loving hand and guidance, God will miraculously come and do surgery in your heart and replace the old and broken with a brand new heart that beats for Him, that is a promise (Matthew 7:7). No catch, no terms and conditions, only a decision to take this present that Jesus gave us after His resurrection from the grave - New life, a new beginning with Him (Colossians 3:3). That's exactly what water baptism symbolizes, dying to our flesh, to the world, and being resurrected with Jesus. It's hard to leave the things of the past, but if Jesus was willing to lay Himself down so that we might have this new life with and through Him, can't we do the same? My friend, Jesus is content with Himself, He doesn't need us to satisfy Him, He is more than happy with who He is, still, He chose to have a relationship with us, He longs to have a relationship with you. https://youtu.be/kFfztu8-bBQ - Control by Tenth Avenue North (give this song a listen).
If we are honest with ourselves, measuring a few years on earth against eternity in Heaven, what is more important? (Philippians 3:20) What we are sowing in life on earth, will be reaped in eternity one day. Maybe it's time to change our mindsets from short-term thinking to eternity thinking. In the movie Gladiator, Maximus said this well-known phrase, "Brothers, what we do in life...echoes in eternity." All of us are standing in front of decisions. Ask yourself, "How will this decision affect me in the long term?"
When I'm set apart for Jesus I trust Him to be my provision and my guide every day (Proverbs 3:5-6). We need someone we can trust, to be honest, sometimes we cannot even trust ourselves (for e.g. how many times have you eaten that cookie that you promised yourself to leave for the next day?)
We are created to trust and rely on Someone, He is the only answer.
This all might sound nice, but let's make it practical with a few guidelines to be set apart for Christ:
Sit down and ask Jesus to help you compile a list of values and beliefs (with scripture), that you are not going to compromise on (1 Peter 1:16). Ask your accountability partner to pray with you for guidance and to show you whenever you backslide from those values.
Refrain from places and people that make you give in to temptation (1 Corinthians 15:33). If you've burned your hand on a hot stove in the past, why would you ever want to do it again when you know that it would have the same effect?
Spend time in His word every day. When you go for coffee with a friend, you usually meet them at an arranged time or you write it down in your diary. Do the same with Jesus. Be intentional with spending time with Him daily.
God has transmitted his very substance into every Scripture, for it is God-breathed. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness. Then you will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (TPT)
Comments