There are Too Many saviors on My Cross

At church Sunday, the music leader mentioned that one of his favorite quotes says, "You can change your circumstances without changing the person. Change yourself, then your circumstances will follow." Had I for a second started to think that the problem wasn't me? I'm afraid so...Here I was trying to find the perfect solution to all of my problems, my family's, my friends', the world's, etc...but there was always a simple solution--Jesus. They don't need me to save them--they already have a Savior! One thing I have learned lately is that conviction is a must. I should never live a day without conviction in my life. In a strange way, I've grown to love it. I wonder if that even makes sense--I guess I'm just beginning to understand that changing who I am isn't a one time event or a process that I partake in and then sigh with relief when it's over--It's a lifestyle. I think I'm beginning to grasp the motivation behind David's prayer "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalms 139:23-24). In a previous post, I mentioned thinking that this prayer was very scary--and it is. But now I also see that it is life. I hope that I'm beginning to grasp the meaning of living "the abundant life." It's been my desire--but I hope now that it is becoming my reality. 

So, maybe I want to change the world for my Jesus--maybe I want to see Him glorified in all. But this doesn't start with what I do for other people--but with who I let Him make me to be. It starts with recognizing that I'm the problem--and dying to myself. I once heard "revival starts with standing in the middle of a room, taking a piece of chalk, and drawing a circle around yourself. Then saying, "The revival starts here." I'm thankful for what God has taught me--and I'm even more thankful that He isn't done with me. No more days of trying to put myself on the cross to save myself or others. No more days of finding some thing or someone to put on my cross to save me. It IS FINISHED. It's already been paid--my freedom has been purchased. My Savior already came, died, and rose again. Why? Because "of the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame" (Hebrews 12:2). The JOY of our relationship--our forever life of love. There is no greater love than this...

"How precious are Your thoughts towards me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand." (Psalm 139:17-18a). How He loves--I can barely comprehend it, but He has greatly lavished it upon me. How good is our God!