Am I Giving the Lord My Whole Heart?
As a Christian woman who professes to love the Lord God with all her heart, soul and mind - do I really? Have I given the Lord my whole heart, soul and mind? Or am I still clinging to bits and pieces of myself I don't want to give up?
Have I really truly purposed to serve the Lord in the way I walk, talk, and treat others? Or am I still defaulting to my old ways and bad habits?
Have I gotten into the routine of going to church on Sundays to fulfill my “Christian duty” so I can assure myself a spot in Heaven? I know many people are under that pretense, but surely not me? Right?
Do I go about my days doing as I please, pursuing my own desires? Not giving one thought to the way the Lord would like me to fill my day?
Yes, I am afraid I'm guilty of this type of behavior.
Even as a strong, devout Christian woman, I fail at these attempts of piety sometimes. I confess, I am tempted to do my own thing, follow my own pursuits, and do my own good pleasure versus asking the Lord what He has planned for me.
Some days it is hard to keep pressing forward in my Christian walk doing the things I know to be right. Do you find this to be the case as well?
Is God Disappointed in Me?
I strongly believe that everyday should be committed to the Lord, allowing Him to work in us His good pleasure.
As a woman of God, this is my profession everyday, but, even with my strong faith, I fail to take action on this sometimes.
Is God disappointed in me? Perhaps. But He is so forgiving, and knows my frail human nature and tendencies.
The day I become aware of my failings is the day I ask for forgiveness and get back on track, living for the Lord's glory in all I say and do.
I believe God hears me when I call out to Him and comes to my aid immediately, offering His forgiveness and understanding.
I believe He knows my heart for He is the One who has given me this heart of faith.
Above all else, I want to live for Him in every moment of every day. Even when I fail, my heart tells me what is right and leads me back to the path I should be taking.
The Lord is looking for women of faith who will commit their lives to Him. Will you be one of them? I want to be.
Will I Step Up to the Role of Being a Godly Woman?
He is searching the whole earth for a woman who will pray and believe in Him, who will commit her day to Him, and ask Him to lead and guide her into all good things.
This type of woman believes and hopes in the Lord even in the face of difficult situations that arise and throw her off kilter.
She picks herself back up again and does not find an offence with God because she has chosen to live for Him and He is the One in Whom she trusts.
The Lord is looking for a godly, committed woman that will do His will on earth. Will you be one of them? I want to be.
My intention every morning is to get up and give the Lord the first fruits of my time and energy, and I do this by reading my Bible and spending time in meditation and prayer.
Sometimes I get distracted from my purpose and spend time putting together a to-do list, or browsing on my smartphone, or entering into a conversation with a family member.
All these things will get my mind moving in a hundred different directions and if I'm not careful they will completely distract me from my desire to offer the Lord the first fruits of the day.
During one of my morning offerings to the Lord, a Bible verse jumped out at me, encouraging me to be steadfast in serving the Lord on a daily basis.
Will I Embrace the High Calling of Christ Jesus?
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24 NIV)
After pondering this verse, I realized I'm running this race in life to WIN, and each participant in this race may have the same desire.
Through the grace of God, I need to give all I can, and do all I can to win the race and obtain the prize, which is the high calling of Jesus.
This high calling of Jesus demands self-control, restraint, discipline, consistency, and a willingness to be refined and confined.
Everyone who competes in the race goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Corinthians. 9:23 )
In my heart I have determined to be a participator in this race, and I want to win the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. I want to be apart of what God is doing in the earth and in heaven forever.
Will everyone get this prize? No, only one will receive it, and the others will be disqualified.
Will the prize be easily attained? No, it will take much hard work, focus, and discipline. My body, its desires, and wishes will have to come into subjection of the ruling of the Holy Spirit.
Will I not have control over my own body anymore? Yes, I will have complete control over what I do, say, and where I go. This is when I will choose to live my life for the Lord, when I choose to commit my days to Him, and chose to go where He tells me, and choose to do what He would like me to do.
I Will Live for Jesus
I want to be a participator in the Gospel and I want to be apart of God's kingdom. Therefore I must live for Jesus.
Do you love the benefits of following the Lord? Do you love His peace? and the peaceable fruits of righteousness?
Do you love the pleasure of knowing you have found His favor? Walking in his ways brings such life, peace and joy into my life. I love living for Him.
Those that live for themselves live without this deposit of the Holy Spirit in their life, and they have no idea of the benefits of walking in the Lord's ways. Neither do they understand that there could be a beautiful prize waiting for them... should they turn to Christ.
My focus each day is to remain steadfast in my faith and set my eyes on the Lord, my prize. If I keep my eyes on the finish line, then the things of earth will not distract me and take me off course.
When my morning offering of Bible reading, meditation and prayer has come to an end, I wonder if the Lord is pleased with me today?
Will my behavior reflect the fruits of righteousness today? Will I walk as a child of Light? Will I waiver in my focus? Will I live for Him?
There is such freedom in my life when I embrace the concept of living for the Lord. To quote Paul the apostle, "I do all for Christ."
And when I fail, and come short of the glory of God, I must remember that the Lord is faithful, just, and kind and He will remove our shortcomings far away from us and give us grace to get up and try again.
Nothing on earth can separate me from the love of Christ. Not life nor death nor angels, principalities, or powers, things present or things to come. Not height, nor depth nor any other can separate me from the love which is in Christ.
I am the only one that can separate myself from the love of Christ. Nothing else on earth can separate me from the Lord if I walk in victory and have the mindset of living for Him.
If you are reading this blog post to this point, then there is something in you that desires the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Would you like to receive this prize as well?
Would you like to live your life for the Lord? Will you respond today?
Steps You Can Take Today:
Find a godly church and start attending church services again.
Focus your life on serving him wholeheartedly, not just on Sundays.
Open your Bible and begin reading and asking the Lord to give you understanding.
Serve Him with your whole heart, soul and mind.
Let nothing separate you from the love which is in Christ.
Forgive your husband, your friend, co-worker, or loved one that has offended you.
Pray for those who have hurt you.
Practice singing and rejoicing before the Lord at church, and at home.
DO NOT let anything come between your relationship with the Lord.
Run the race --which is your walk with the Lord.
Earnestly desire to win the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
And end well!
Let's Pray Together
Father in heaven, thank you for this opportunity to share with other women the precious things that you have put in my heart. You are kind and thoughtful to have given me this platform in which to bring glory to You. May this blog post reach women who have a desire to live for You, but maybe don't understand what that means, or how to go about it.
Lord, I pray that You would touch and meet the women who are reading this prayer right now. Give them a deep understanding of Your precious promises that await those who live for You.
Pour grace into their heart to enter into the purposes You have waiting for them, should they respond to Your call, and Your promptings.
Help us Lord, to walk in victory, in the name of Jesus. Help us overcome personal struggles that bind us, and hold us back. We want to be free to follow You and to run after You with our whole heart.
Lord, it is so easy to become offended and fall short of Your grace. Life throws us hard balls sometimes and it isn't always easy to respond in a godly way. But we desire You, and we desire the benefits of doing things the right way.
Help us Lord, do what is right in our life, and towards others. May we find peace and grace in walking in victory today, living for You.
Hallelujah!
In Jesus precious name, Amen.
Read more prayers HERE, and while you pray, trust the Lord to help you overcome bad habits that hold you back from living for Him.
Blessings ~
Angie
The Founder
of My Sun & Shade
