Chasing with a Reckless Abandon . . .
When I began this journey of trusting God through faith in Jesus, I promised to give my all . . . to go full-on for the Lord the way I had for myself before I trusted the Lord. I figured at the time, “if he is God, he did create everything, and gave his life for me then I should follow him with all I am.” That promise and his revealing of himself to be trustworthy and true has led me into a life of abandonment. Am I completely there? NO, but I long to be . . . I want to know him and to fellowship with him in such a way that I can understand him and all he longs for me and has planned for me. Paul, this amazing dude from the bible, who was radically transformed when he saw Jesus for the truth of who he really is – says it this way . . .
Philippians 3:10-14
“10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
As I pray this prayer, God continues to ruin my life . . . but it is the best kind of ruin I have ever experienced. God also continues to remind me that my life is not my own but I have been bought with a price OR is that just pretty words that church people say. If you believe you have been bought with a price and you are not your own then it is easy for you to give of yourself, it is easy for you to serve, and it is easy to sacrifice – actually it’s an honor to give self, to serve and to sacrifice.
I have come to a place where I do truly BELIEVE & TRUST and it is more than saying the right things or knowing the right answers. The Life I live is LIFE . . . I don’t do what I do for any other reason than the fact, it is LIFE!
Katie Erwin said,
June 26, 2011 at 10:19 pm
I’m going to make this as short as possible…
So today after church I had the Lord weighing “reckless abandon” on me for some reason. So as I was digging into this and over-analyzing what He was trying to show me. I stumbled across your blog. And immediately was drawn to the post entitled, “Chasing with Reckless Abandon.” As I was reading it I came across your prayer of Philippians 3:10-14. Less than a week ago, I was offering words of wisdom to a friend and kept inspiring him to, “Keep his eyes on the prize.” Later that day I read Philippians 3:10-14 and was able to share that with him as well.
So as I was reading, in awe of the sneaky ways that God reveals himself to me, and texting my friend to share with him what God had just brought around full circle for me… your next blog post is what sent me over the edge… I attend NewSpring church.
Thank you for allowing God to use you to reveal to me just how ALL over and in my life He truly is! I love the constant reminders he is showing me that He truly is in control of EVERYTHING!!!
Our God is an AWESOME GOD!
Thank you again and God Bless!!!