Wanting to be like Jesus?

Yesterday when I prayed about revival, I had to admit that I was not really wanting it. Why not? Because if it happened, all ‘normal’ life would cease. Reading stories about what happens during a revival made me tired. Since we moved six months ago, life has not been ‘normal’ and the stress of so many unexpected events has been difficult, even if the events have been mostly a blessing. I don’t think I’m ready for what a revival would be like and the demands it would make on my days. 

Piper writes in today’s devotional about his own pity-parties and how a story of a missionary helped him. The missionary lost his wife on the way to where he would work. Alone, he walked many miles to serve people. From the hardships this man experienced, Piper realized that his desires for life’s comfort did not match the call of Christ on his life.

Normally, I do not like to feel better by comparing myself with someone who is in a worse condition. It sounds too much like the words of the Pharisee who said: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” And Jesus response was, “…Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:11-14)

However, both these stories are helpful. So are the remarks Piper makes about feeling sorry for himself over an extra meeting, an ill-timed hospital call, and too many choices. For one thing, how can I feel sorry for me about something that has not even happened — yet?

Besides that, it is easy to boast like the Pharisee or even like Peter who said, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.” (Mark 10:28). Jesus was not impressed. He replied, 

“Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29–30)

The kingdom of God includes losses. The goodness of God includes great replacements. I’ve experienced many of both. How can I think that the ‘replacements’ for any future losses that would come from God with anything but great and powerful joy-filled events and experiences? The missionary’s life was filled with hardship. But God blessed him with laughter and the deep conviction that he was where he needed to be — by God’s grace.

Piper speaks of his own passion to have the mind of Christ. The Bible expresses in many ways what that means:

And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves. (Luke 22:25–27)
 . . . .  and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:27–28)
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” (Acts 20:35)

PRAY: It is easy enough to boast that I want to be like You, Jesus. It is much more challenging to consider and count the cost. I can easily be critical of others who are more interested in personal comfort than seeking Your will, but I am the same… even about the discomforts that are not happening. I’m okay with dying and going home but I’m not okay with staying here and losing everything to serve others? I want to be like You in saying and doing what blesses others, but without negatives that go with selflessness? Conclusion? You have much to do in my heart… 

Avoiding a DIY salvation!

 

On those mornings when I wake up tired and feel like staying in bed, an inner compulsion overrides that lethargy and I get up. On those days when I’d rather watch television than do the dishes, an inner prodding gets me off the couch and into the kitchen. In my heart, I know this is the mind of Jesus Christ at work, overriding my fleshy laziness and motivating me to do what needs to be done.

Today’s reading begins with the prayer of Jesus that is a promise for His followers:

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20–21)

The problem the author has is believing that the will of God’s people overrides His will and that He cannot keep His promises if we don’t want Him to. What kind of salvation is that! I’m saved only because I cooperate? If that were true, no one would ever be saved…

As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:10–12)

However, there is something deep in the human heart that wants to be loved, loved in spite of being imperfect and full of flaws. People usually don’t love flawed people, but when the Spirit of God reveals to me that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8) then that deep desire is filled. Believing in Him changed me, gave me the life of Christ and the growing realization of how much He loves me. Not only that, I love Him “because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

But then today’s reading spoils the wonder of this by saying, “We may have it all, dear Christian, if we are but willing.”

What? To be a Christian means that God made me willing, that He wooed me into His forever family with that powerful love, with grace and undeserved mercy and kindness. While I was still a sinner, He died for me. With that new nature,I am now willing.

The only problem I have with my will comes from that dead (separated from God) old nature that the devil appeals to with lies. He suggests God does not love me. He says I know more than God and I can run my own life, and I don’t need Him. The Bible is filled with warnings to not buy into those lies. Fleshy thinking cannot rob me of that new life that God has given, but it can trick me into thinking it can. Such nonsense can fill me with despair or with the notion to “try harder” to save myself by an act of my will. But God says:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)

He not only makes me willing but able to do His will. I’m fully aware that wanting the will of God is part of what Jesus does in redemption. Otherwise I would never want it. I pity those who are caught up in the idea that God only keeps His promises if we cooperate or in other words, even after being saved and reborn, my will is stronger than His? Really? I could not worship such a God.

PRAY: Lord, this morning my will is to forget Wednesday and have a long nap. Your will has other ideas. Yet my old nature could nap and You would not strike me off Your ‘fulfilled promise” list. I’d still be Your child, still be saved, still enjoy Your blessing, and still experience the reality that You can use even my disobedience in some way to make me more like Jesus. Just confessing it puts me back on track because I am safe in Your care, even when stubbornly sinning or not listening. You have saved me, still working to that end, and will not quit until one day I see you face-to-face and become just like You. My will is part of my old nature and will never want to cooperate with the perfection You have promised — it is only interested in do-it-yourself projects.

All for Jesus…

Today’s devotional builds a bit on yesterday’s thoughts. It begins with, “pure religion resides in the will alone” meaning that our will governs our nature and if the will is set right, all else will come into harmony. It goes on to explain that our emotions should not be allowed to govern our lives.

By this he means that as our will is not those sinful I-wants but our deciding power. I assume he means the deciding power of a will that is yielded to God and not the will yielded to the flesh. However, it seems to me that if my will can be in submission to God's will, then also can my intellect and my emotions. (See Nee’s diagram)

The Bible says of the human capacity called intellect:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5–8)

This is plain; don’t let my human thinking determine my actions unless that human thinking is totally submitted to the Lord. He will use my brain but my brain is not useful unless it is motivated by His Spirit. If I’m dismissing God's guidance and going with my way of doing things, then I’m not in God's will.

What then about emotions? Interesting that those who say facts must lead our faith always put emotions as the last item on the ‘train’ of how to live for God. They do not leave it off. I cannot either. Emotions are part of our lives, saved or not. I’ve known people who shut down negative emotions like raging anger only to find that they are not able to feel positive emotions like empathy and pity. What about God’s emotions? Cannot the Spirit convey to us the burdens He wants us to feel for others (so we will pray and/or act on their behalf)? Cannot He motivate my feelings about needy people that match His? I know He can; otherwise my fleshy emotions would not care at all about many things. He even says things like:

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. (Ephesians 4:26–27)

His Word does not forbid the emotion of anger but forbids me to allow it to motivate sin, a strong suggestion that it can motivate repentance or even action — quickly, before the sun goes down —  if it is yielded to God. I need to carefully consider how Jesus displayed anger and realize not all emotions are fleshy and sinful if they are governed by the Holy Spirit.

It is the same with my will vs. my I-wants. The Spirit of God can motivate me to want certain things. A simple illustration is the times I’ve been in Christian book stores without any particular book in mind, yet one catches my eye and the thought “buy this” comes to mind. I do and it turned out to be just what I needed to read at the time. Without that “I want this” thought, I would not have purchased that book, but God gave me the will to buy it.

Months ago, God spoke to me about organizing a family reunion. I resisted, had no desire to do that. His Spirit worked on my will so that I eventually said yes, but He also worked on my intellect and emotions so that I also heard His instructions on how to do it, but became excited about it. My flesh still resists and will whine about the work, but I know that God is still telling me to keep at it.

Being yielded to God is not confined to the will as the only motivating part of me. God uses emotions to move me to action. He also uses logical thinking to enable me to solve problems. The will is heavily involved in paying attention to His Spirit, yet He is able to get my attention in many ways and help me say yes to Him rather than resisting His voice or simply not listening at all.

PRAY: Jesus, each day brings varied challenges and varying emotions. If I listen to You and let You motivate my mind, emotions, and desires, then the day is so much different than when I make my own plans, or entertain my own feelings, or stick to whatever I want. You truly do bring “healing to my flesh and refreshment to my bones” for which I am joyfully grateful.