The Same Attitude

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Philippians 2:5-8 NLT

Say you're in the grocery store and God nudges you to pray for someone in one of the aisles and you don't know the person. Or perhaps you get a heart-check to pay for their groceries, would you do it? Or would you politely decline with something like, "That's way out of my comfort zone, God. I can't do that." And then expect God to understand... I don't think He will understand. You see, in Romans 8, verse 29 (the Message), we are told, God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.

There were times Christ operated outside of His comfort zone. If you don't believe that, read the account of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. In His fully human state, His spirit was troubled. Matthew 26:39, He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me..."  And yet, even when He was out of His comfort zone, He operated in obedience to God. 100% and always. "Nevertheless, Thy will be done."  

According to the Word of God, God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son.  And as our Promise for Today clearly states, we are to have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 

Prayer:

Father,

           Help us to walk in full obedience to You as Christ did, even when outside of our comfort zone. We know it's all about obedience and following you. Holy Spirit, as was promised, give us the power to become the children of God. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

 

Challenged

“You abandon the commandments of God to follow human traditions.” He added, “You have no trouble rejecting the commandments of God in order to keep your own traditions!"
Mark 7:8-9 GWT

Lots of people think they would like to have a checklist of precise do's and don'ts to follow to get themselves into Heaven. Things they can pick and choose and accomplish on their own. It doesn't work that way. There's only one way in - John 14:6, Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Jesus was - and IS - the Champion Challenger. He stepped all over the rules and customs of the Pharisees and religious rulers; both then and now. The fact is, we want to be in our comfort zone - whatever and wherever that may be. We want to follow our calling, but we want to do it from our easy chair. We don't want to be uncomfortable.

We want all the answers first, and all the plans perfectly lined out before we take our first step. Let's be perfectly honest. We want to predict and control what will happen with the least amount of struggle. That's not Jesus's way. Controlling a situation has nothing whatsoever to do with trusting God.

The fear of getting out of our comfort zones can be paralyzing. However, in order to grow, we need to be using our spiritual muscles! Think about this. Is it the enemy of our souls trying to stop us from the very encounter that will cause us to grow and mature? Truth - comfort and growth do NOT go hand-in-hand.

Is it fear of failure that keeps us from stepping out of our comfort zone? Listen, it's on us to be obedient, and not to be worried about failing. The Truth is, we cannot fail when we walk in obedience to Christ. The challenge is to hear the Truth and then to trust God enough to take action.

Prayer:

Father, 

           Help us to respond wholeheartedly to the challenges You lay before us. We want to know Your voice and hear You above the chaos around us. Let Your seeds of Truth take root in our lives and bring forth a bumper crop in harvest. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen