Offering of the Natural

As I continue to struggle with obedience and self-discipline in my Christian life, Oswald Chambers once again challenges me that nothing could be more beneficial for my life than to sacrifice it.

"Sanctification means more than deliverance from sin, it means the deliberate commitment of myself whom God has saved to God, and that I do not care what it costs...We go wrong because we  stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves; physically, morally or mentally...You must discipline yourself now.  If you do not, you will ruin the whole of your personal life for God.  God is not with our natural life when we pamper it..."

"...and I do not care what it costs."  How I wish that were true.  I do care what it costs.  I sit and balk at the things I know I should do.  I whine because there is something unpleasant or I want to do something else.  I get angry and stomp my foot like a child because God will not give me the desires of my heart and will not allow me to continue in my sin.
I dread coming to the Lord sometimes when I have had a day of non-discipline.  I fear that the scripture will convict.  I cower at the thought of having to humble myself before the Lord and repent.  And so many times I do not repent.  So the pattern continues until I am so ashamed of myself that I stop going to God.  This is a dangerous pattern.
I must remember that I am under grace and there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.  Although I do not always live according to the commitment I have made, I know that I have a personal relationship with Christ and that the Spirit is in me.  So I must go to the Lord daily despite the fact that I may always do so on my face, always wondering if today is the day that I finally sin too much.
Praise be to the Lord that although I may feel that, it is never that way!  At this Christmas season, its easy for me to dismiss the holiday completely because of the familiarity of everything and the commercialization of Christmas.  But let me offer a challenge to you, reader, as well as to myself...let us rejoice and be glad that we have a Savior.  We are not stuck in the trenches of sin.  We have hope, a marvelous hope of true life.  Not the dingy, un-disciplined, self-absorbed lives of most sit-coms.  We have the opportunity of life, and life at its fullest.
I have to remember that to find my life, I must lose it.  That means not caring what it costs to accomplish what God has purposed for me before the world began.  I must not care that my abs hurt after a strenuous workout, I must not talk myself into McDonald's for dinner when I've had a day of eating well.  I must not let impurity and fantasy take over my thoughts.  I must be disciplined in all despite the pain.  If I must suffer as Christ suffered, then I shall suffer.  I shall do so with my eyes fixed on the Lord.  O Lord give me strength!
A little taste of our Christmas musical for you,

Your light has come.  Lift up your eyes!  God's glory shines upon the earth.  Let nations bow and kings arise, to proclaim Messiah's birth.  For a new day has begun. Your light, your light has come!

 I am grateful to the Lord this holiday season that I do not have to worry.  His light has come and I am no longer in darkness. 

Praise to the Lord the Almighty, the King of creation.  
O my soul, praise Him for He is thy health and salvation.  
All ye who hear, unto His temple draw near.  
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Obedience: Winning into Freedom

Reading Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest has been a blessing every morning.  The language is a bit archaic given today's slang and there are few concepts that slip by me because of the language, but this man had a clear understanding of what Christ meant when he said, "take up thy cross daily and follow me."
This morning Chambers was reflecting on the Son setting us free in John 8:36 (So if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed. NIV).  He talked about our individuality.  I have always thought that individuality was a good thing, but he related it as a bad concept.  He instead uplifted Personality.  He said that individuality goes against God but that personality soaks up things.  This is one of those concepts lost on me because of language.  I feel that I have a grasp for what he says.  Chambers states:

"God pays no attention to our natural individuality in the development of our spiritual life. His plan runs right through our natural life. We must see to it that we aid and assist God, and not stand against Him by saying, "I can’t do that." God will not discipline us; we must discipline ourselves. God will not bring our "arguments . . . and every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 2:5)— we have to do it."

Discipline and obedience have been big issues in my life lately.  I find myself sitting on my bed and whining like a little child.  No wonder God gives me spiritual milk when I ask for more.  I am behaving like a child.  I did have a victory this morning in relation to bringing my thoughts into captivity.  It is small, but don't small deposits in the bank lead to a fortune in time?
Here's an online copy of My Utmost for His Highest