Faith Dare, Day 11: A Different life
Dare to Live No Longer for Self
I’ll never forget it. Back in the day, when I taught in a virtual school and worked out of the school office in Columbus, Ohio, my routine had been to walk daily during my lunch hour through the scenic and peaceful trails that followed the Olentangy River, near our contemporary and beautifully landscaped offices. This was my time to steal away and recharge spiritually and mentally from a typically hectic and tiring day.
My goal during those years had been centered around building my career and doing something “important” with my life. I was ambitious and thrived on recognition and working my way up the ladder of success.
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| Here I am with one of my first graders and her first science fair. Fun! |
During one particular walk, I had been whining to God about my life – all my frustrations, difficulties, having to do it all alone as a single mom, feeling overwhelmed with a way too stressful life, and suffocating under the pressure to be successful in this competitive atmosphere. I clearly heard this phrase,
“It’s not all about you.”
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| This was the amazing group of professionals I had the privilege of serving with. Such awesome teachers! |
I don’t know when I had ever heard the words of the Lord more clearly than that day. It pierced my heart and rang through my mind continuously for days after that. What did that mean? I began seeking God for clarity, and what he showed me humbled me to the core!
As much as I had loved and served God throughout my life, my priorities had fallen a bit out of balance. He showed me areas of my life that had become self serving, and I was climbing the ladder for all the wrong reasons. I was looking for my importance and value from success in my career, and I was striving for what made me comfortable and to feel good. From that revelation, I began surrendering areas of my life that I hadn’t realized that I was withholding from Him. He began drawing me into a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him.
Through several rounds of fasting and many more prayer walks, God began to confirm to me that He had “called me, chosen me, and set me apart.” I was no longer to live for self but was to live a life devoted to serving Him full time. I had accepted His calling on my life as a fourteen year old, but now I knew that He meant business. He was orchestrating my steps and positioning me to eventually serve in full time ministry. I was finally ready to say “Yes!” with all my heart!
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| Every year, across each state, our schools had group costume contests. Ohio’s crazy teachers dressed as a giant “boo-rito!” Hey, it got us free burritos from Chiptotle! |
Since then, I have had several seasons in which the same message rang loudly and clearly in my heart, and I felt compelled to lay more of myself down in surrender to Him and to change my focus. I have become more determined than ever to live my live totally for Him and to serve others. I am striving to allow His glory to show through my life more each day.
However, as I should have figured, the more I think I have arrived, the farther I realize I have to go. He continues to show me that this life is not about me, my comforts, my conveniences, my fulfillment, or any of my selfish desires. He would rather build my character and form me into His image than satisfy my every whim. I belong to Him, not myself, and my purpose is to allow Him to live through me. I want to make a difference for eternity! However, I continually find selfish layers that need to be peeled back.
I am so glad He is patient and continues to work on me! I am certainly a work in progress! Today, I am married to an associate pastor, and we work as a team in many areas of the church, particularly in music and worship. I am blown away at the journey God has led me to travel these past several years away from self and into deeper relationship with Him. He is calling me even now to a new area of ministry, and I have struggled with letting go of self, but I am ready to dive in to all He has called me to do!
More of God and less of me!
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| Another group costume contest! We were a box of crayons! I’m the giant yellow crayon, or is it marigold? |
Answers to Today’s Questions…
Today’s Truth is Speaking to Me…
Living for Him may not be easy, but it is the very best life possible! We can live well even in difficult times by putting our trust in Him. On the contrary, living for self is an unproductive life that leaves one stagnant and empty. The highest yield for our investment comes when we allow Him to live through us.
I have learned that I can trust God’s direction and yield happily to Him because I know His plans for me are to prosper and to have a full, rich, and abundant life. However, the focus is not on me. Sometimes we insist on our own way, but He has something bigger and better planned for us than what we can ever imagine for ourselves. He will take care of us and provide everything we need, so I know I can trust Him as I surrender all to Him. His purpose for us is much higher and more important than anything we have ever sought for ourselves. We find our true purpose when we surrender all and allow Him to live through us. It is all about what gives Him glory and fulfills HIS purpose for our lives.
God is asking me to…
To continue allowing Him to peel back the selfish layers in my life so that I no longer live for myself but for Him alone.
To surrender all to Him – my future, my choices, my habits, my career, my (really His!) ministry, and my devotion to Him.
To love Him with all my heart and to let Him live through me.
My challenge is to…
To remember that it is not all about me – my comfort, my convenience, my happiness, my fulfillment, etc. It is about living for Him, but understanding that all the rest comes in His way and His timing.
To trust Him when it is hard or doesn’t make sense.
Today’s Prayer… (Debbie Alsdorf)
Jesus, I often forget that you are the Good Shepherd – not just any shepherd but my Good Shepherd. Thank you that you desire to offer mercy, grace, and compassion to me. I sometimes feel ashamed of what I am feeling or thinking, and so I keep it to myself rather than bringing it to you. Remind me to bring everything before you, because you desire to bring me to a place that is bigger than just me and filled completely with you. Thank you for leading me to what is best for me.
Favorite Quotes… from The Faith Dare, by Debbie Alsdorf
“We were created for something bigger and better than our way.”
“What if we believed, really believed, that God’s love is powerful enough to protect us, keep us, and guide us into everything we will ever need in our lifetime?”
“And herein lies the problem: the basics of the faith have become so common to us that they have lost their power to move us.”
“Do you want to be set free to live a different life? Then you must go back to the basics, the essentials of faith, and learn what it means to put all your faith in the truths represented there.”
“He wants the best life for us and is always working in our lives, even when life is difficult.”
“He understands our temptations and weaknesses and sympathizes with us.”
“He came to give us the best life, a full life – which might not be a life of ease but a life of peace and blessed spiritual substance.”
“He (our enemy, the thief) will try to make sure we see our lives as empty rather than full, because he does not want us to trust in the living God.”
“Part of living with an undivided heart is learning to live well even when the sky is falling – especially then! It’s time to battle through our moods, feelings, and attitudes to the point of complete faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Ask for the grace to live bigger than the smallness of yourself.”
“Give Him the details that are heavy on your heart and thank him for the advantage of his presence and power working on your behalf.”
“It is better to live for Christ than stay stuck in self. The Lord, my Shepherd, longs to be gracious to me!”
