Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.
Luke 17:33 NIV
If you grasp and cling to life on your terms, you’ll lose it, but if you let that life go, you’ll get life on God’s terms.
Luke 17:33 MSG
Living on our own terms is futile. Are we not rife with worry, fear, anger and anxiousness? Thus, do we not know and agree that the ways of the world are imperfect and cannot be trusted?
That is truly the question we must wrestle with when it comes to stepping away from life on our terms and leaning into life on God’s terms. When we live life on our terms we are basically telling God that we know better than He does.
However, when we know His word, we know that scripture says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
When we know the truth of whose way is better, how can we not constantly choose life on God’s terms instead of our own? Our life becomes more full when we do it His way. We are able to have more fruits of the Spirit when we give up our life and choose to follow God’s life for us.
Considerations for your planner:
- Write down the areas of your life that you know you give to God. Now write down all the areas of your life that are not yet listed.
A Prayer for Our Community:
Father, be with us today as we recognize the areas of our lives that we have not laid down to You. Convict us of what we need to change and how You are transforming our minds. God, we want to live a life that You are directing. Make us conscious of all the ways we are trying to live on our terms and not Yours. Let us be joyful for the stretching as we know You are working all things for our good. Amen.
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