On Monday I shared my excitement. On Wednesday I shared a plan. Today I ask, “What do you want?”. Deep down in the pit of your soul, are you satisfied with where you are or do you really want to change?
It’s a tough question. Flippantly, I think most of us would say that we want to change. We want to mature, be wiser, and have less “yuck” in our life. We say we want to know God better; for Him to be our guide.
But do we? Really?
Just like a food diet, we get excited for change. But after a few days of having self-control, we get tired and revert to old habits.
In her book Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When God is Speaking, Priscilla Shirer explains that unlike in the salvation process, growth in our Christian life required cooperation.
Immersing ourselves in the Word, actively listening for the Spirit’s voice within, watching for His activity around us, and living in obedience to His directives – these are the ways we participate with the Lord’s work in us. He promises to radically change us.
…And the more you participate in this effort, the more quickly and effectively you will see these results taking shape.
How do you cooperate?
You get in the habit of daily presenting your body as “a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God (Romans 12:1).
[You daily] give Him your hands to do His work, your feet to walk His path, your back and shoulders to perform His ministry, your sexual members to enjoy His purity, your ears to hear His voice.
If you’re serious about discerning the voice of God, then get serious about meditating on the Scriptures.
The more you immerse yourself in the Word, the more closely your thoughts, emotions, and decisions will align with what the Spirit is saying to you and the more your flesh will lose its power and strength.
So, I ask you again. What do you want? Do you want your thoughts, emotions and decisions to align with the Spirit or do you want to be ruled by your sinful flesh?
The choice is yours. Don’t make it flippantly.
If you deeply desire to choose God’s way, I encourage you to join us for a five week book study on Priscilla’s book Discerning the Voice of God. Leave a comment on Monday’s blog post to join us and enter to win one of three copies of this book.
If you have questions about how to choose God’s way, please email me. I’d love to explain more.
Rachael Brooks says
I would like to joing the 5 week study! Thanks!