Relax in God

Romans 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

The submitted, obedient life that we hear preached about so much seems all too often to be so far beyond the realm of possibility in the weekly work-a-day grind that it might as well be talking about the lifestyles of the rich and famous. It is interesting to hear about, but we know it isn't something we are ever going to see personally.

Romans 8:3 for what the law was not able to do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, His own Son having sent in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, did condemn the sin in the flesh,

Luke 1:37 For no promise from God will be impossible of fulfillment.

Just like the old adage of how to eat an elephant (one bite at a time), we find that many of life's great problems are solved one step at a time. Here's an example: when you find that stress from the day has put tension knots in all your muscles and though you have gone to bed, you are too tight to even consider sleep, a proven method is to mentally go from muscle to muscle, tighten, then loosen each one.

If you start at your feet, work up from your ankles, calves, right on up to each shoulder and down your arms to your fingers, one muscle at a time, and let your focus and attention concentrate on one muscle, to feel it, tighten it, hold, then release the muscle, you will find that they stay relaxed as you move to the next. A relaxed state is the normal state, and sometimes our muscles simply need to be given permission to relax after a hard day.

In the same way, God will not ask of us what cannot be done. However, from the point we find ourselves at times, the described goal seems too far to consider reaching easily, simply, or quickly. God breaks it down for us and gives simple, short, doable steps that can take us along the path which leads to where we want to be.

A willing hand lets God's love be shown.

A watching eye lets God's glory be revealed.

A listening ear lets God's word be heard.

A ready tongue lets God's truth be known.

A waiting heart lets God's Spirit flow.

Let Him guide you in the exercise He has for you today. Practice it, focus on it, concentrate on it, then move to the next one He gives you. As His children, our normal state is one of loving obedience and willing submission to our King and Lord, and we will find that we will stay in that mode as each part of us gets to practice His love.

Lord, we thank You for the unspeakable riches and wealth that You provide us with. The truth that brings freedom, the light that brings life, the blood that brings soul-deep cleansing which no other solution can provide, and without which, we have no hope. We recognize that poverty is the opposite side of the same coin as wealth, and that every form of wealth brings another form of poverty. We willing turn our backs on the wealth of the world which brings such poverty of spirit, lack of loving care, scarcity of kindness and openness. We seek and strive and work to bring ourselves under submission to You, Father, and turn our energy and time to exercising our hearts and minds in Your Spirit that we may be found trustworthy of the wealth of Your love, not hoarding it as earthly riches, but giving it away as Your Son, Jesus, showed us to do. Thank You for helping us realize that You are not concerned over how much we give, but how much we want to keep for ourselves. We release our desires to You, O God, and we ascribe to You the glory due Your name, worshiping You in the splendor of Your holiness.

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