"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters," (Col. 3:23 NIV)
In the quest for further freedom in the new year, my cry has been to the Lord, 'Unleash all the truth, no matter if it reflects the good-bad-ugly, so that I can surrender what weighs me down. I want YOUR truth, Oh Lord. Let my eyes see what you see."
He made it very clear that I was His daughter and that He accepted me as I am. Then...he pulled back the veil from my eyes. I was holding a yellow stick, measuring ten feet tall, beside me. It was the measuring stick I was using for myself, my appearance, my parenting, my time schedule, my efforts. Perfection, towing far above my own abilities, was what I compared my daily everything. I then saw myself pick up that stick and beat myself over the head with it. Condemning myself for not reaching the standards set by my heart...not His heart.
This was a sad picture to realize all the wasted effort and emotion - measuring myself by man's standards and mine. It was time for surrender. What a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Daily I am letting go of some long held unhealthy expectations of myself.
The thought came to me. How many of us let man, even ourselves, be our "master" in the daily trod of life? Colossians 3:23 has been one of my favorite scriptures for some time, because of the first part of the verse. My heart has been for years to apply excellence and worship to the Lord, even in the most minute details of servant hood.
In the process, I picked up legalistic thinking of perfection. The end of the verse has been in flashing neon for me in recent days. I had become my master, and my endeavors always proved to be a big disappointment, since they were always falling short of the mark.
Lord, we want to put YOU and You alone on the throne. You are a Master that loves us with tender care. You created us and delight in our humanness. Thank you for bringing a smile to our faces today by preparing a bonfire for our measuring sticks. Amen
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Unbuckle the Iron Mask
Identity can be tricky, especially if we cannot TRULY see who we are. Many of us have seen the movie 'The Man in the Iron Mask' that was on screen several years back. The thought of the mask came to mind recently as I pondered about our sluggish and caged thinking in relation to our identity in Christ.
The mask hid who the prince really was, an equal heir to the throne. It did not change who he was, the identity was simply hidden beneath the heavy laden burden of what others had applied to his face. He was isolated in the tower, simply because his identity was hidden.
What is the truth about our identity?
1. We are His masterpiece. (Eph. 2:10)
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
2. We are wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
3. Our freedom has been paid. (John 3:16-17)
For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
4. His grace is sufficient for us. (I Cor. 12:9)
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness...”
How long will we stay in the tower of our false thinking. In regards to the limits others put on us and who we are, it is time to allow heaven to reveal who we are, even to ourselves. Then we can use supernatural strength to break free from the bounds of our false thinking and engage in our true God calling.
Is today your day? Today my heart pounds with determination to believe WHO I really am. Nothing will stop me from descending the tower of doubt and being a joint heir with Christ. Will you, too? We are heirs of Elohim, and all that He has is ours and waiting on the unmasking.
The mask hid who the prince really was, an equal heir to the throne. It did not change who he was, the identity was simply hidden beneath the heavy laden burden of what others had applied to his face. He was isolated in the tower, simply because his identity was hidden.
What is the truth about our identity?
1. We are His masterpiece. (Eph. 2:10)
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
2. We are wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
3. Our freedom has been paid. (John 3:16-17)
For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
4. His grace is sufficient for us. (I Cor. 12:9)
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness...”
How long will we stay in the tower of our false thinking. In regards to the limits others put on us and who we are, it is time to allow heaven to reveal who we are, even to ourselves. Then we can use supernatural strength to break free from the bounds of our false thinking and engage in our true God calling.
Is today your day? Today my heart pounds with determination to believe WHO I really am. Nothing will stop me from descending the tower of doubt and being a joint heir with Christ. Will you, too? We are heirs of Elohim, and all that He has is ours and waiting on the unmasking.
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