Here is the revelation that is shaping my life today – making it or made it? The perspective you have on life will shape your life profoundly.
Galatians 3:5,10 TPT
[5] Let me ask you again: What does the lavish supply of the Holy Spirit in your life, and the miracles of God’s tremendous power, have to do with you keeping religious laws? The Holy Spirit is poured out upon us through the revelation and power of faith, not by keeping the law! [10] But if you choose to live in bondage under the legalistic rule of religion, you live under the law’s curse. For it is clearly written: “Utterly cursed is everyone who fails to practice every detail and requirement that is written in this law!
Observation
How much of the pain in my life, in our society, is caused by our constant need to ‘measure up?’ How much of our poor self image is fuelled by a deep feeling that we don’t and can’t make it. How much of our numbing entertainment is employed to silence, or escape, this frantic life of measuring up? Is this why we have so much difficulty being present in the moment, being present with others, being present with God. Is our constant running an attempt to outrun our failure? Are we simply exhausted by the weight of the detail and requirements that others, culture, society, family, place upon us? Without being able to be present life is largely a blur of passing moments and longing for a better tomorrow.
But, what if we never had to measure up? This is the first gift that comes when life is shaped by the story of God. I have made it. I did not take the earn and deserve route, i did not measure up and need to keep it up, I arrived by faith. Faith is an acceptance that when God says live your life from the fresh perspective of ‘arrived,’ then I live from this shaping story. No more measure up, no more compare and compete, no more laws for making it, no more cursed life, just rest in that I have arrived in a place of perfectly right relationship with Him. From this place I now can accept me, and you! Rest. I can now be present. I can now see the beauty that surrounds me. I can now be creative. I can now love. Peace rather than pace surrounds me. Today can be lived and tomorrow enjoyed when it arrives.
I can now be the true me. The self created attempts to become something, to measure up, are replaced by the power of being right with me, right with God, right with others, right with creation. I am no longer trying to make life work, I am now simply part of life – everywhere, everything life. This was God’s creation plan, for me to be present to His presence, and from this experience see myself and life through the revelation of Him. And that I would then go from His presence and be present with all of creation mirroring that encounter. His divine image in me is restored in His presence, and then I go and be me. Not self made me, but divine-human me, the true me.
Application
How important is the starting point. I will not wake to face the day under the pressure of making it, I will wake to embrace the day knowing that the race is over and the pleasure of life, all of life, is now mine to explore. I will not be cursed by the details and pretence of performing, I will lived blessed, full of gratitude, released in generosity, present in peace, embraced by the love that has made me right.
Response
Thank you for this life. Thank you for this invitation to faith, to new story.
Meditation
Meditation truth – you have made it.
Consider:
How much of the pain in your life is caused by the demands of trying to measure up?
How present are you to the presence of God around you, everywhere? How present are you to the moments, to others, to self?
JOURNEY DEEPER