Embracing His Lordship
"Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." -Philippians 2:9-12
Each of us comes from a different spiritual background, with perhaps a different idea of who Jesus is. Some of us have only known God as our all powerful God, a God to be reverently feared, while some say that through Jesus we can be friends of God. Both are true, however sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking that because we are God's friend everything (including our sin), is accepted by Him. This is a dangerous assumption.
If we were to think about a romantic relationship, the two parties of the romance must decide at some point, that if they are to go further in relationship, they will be choosing each other and not other people who could have held their interest before. Now their relationship is exclusive - with one choosing the other, and not someone else. It is much the same in our relationship with God.
Sometimes there will be things we'll need to sacrifice in order to make Him Lord of our lives. The Bible says those who practice "sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these" (Galatians 5:19-21) will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Don't let this be you!
"You say, 'I am allowed to do anything' - but not everything is good for you. And even though 'I am allowed to do anything,' I must not become a slave to anything." -1 Corinthians 6:12
It all comes down to what or who we are following. Are we following our sinful desires or God's Holy Spirit? As sons and daughters of God we are called to a higher standard. And although we need to live in "God consciousness" versus "sin consciousness," we need to be sure that there isn't any sin that is holding us back or holding us hostage.
Have you embraced Jesus as the Lord of your life today?
Related resource: In Search of Wisdom: Life-Changing Truths in the Book of Proverbs, by Joyce Meyer
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