A FAVORITE SCRIPTURE

A FAVORITE SCRIPTURE

“And it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”(Galatians 2:20 NRSV)
The path to true fruitful and successful living comes when we daily take up the cross of Jesus Christ. It has been said that we are living in self –centered times. Even a self-centered generation knows that self-denial is the path to success. But, there is a catch. Self-denial will not bring us fulfillment if we only live for ourselves.

If you're exercising to improve your health, you may say, "I am not doing this for my husband or my wife. I'm not doing this for my children. I am doing it for me." Or you may say, “I am changing my eating habits for me not for my family but for me”.

That is all fine. That may help you stay on your diet. That may help you begin your exercise schedule. But, it will not bring you ultimate fulfillment. Ultimate fulfillment comes only when we say, "I'm doing this for God and for the people I love." “My wife / my husband or my children. We should care for ourselves because we care about our family.

I heard once that our will and God's will is like this, "Imagine a person carrying two buckets, one of them filled with oil and one filled with water. Now they are completely filled so that you cannot pour the oil from its bucket into the water bucket because there is no room and besides oil and water don't mix.

Now imagine that one of these buckets is you and your will and your purpose and your plan for your life and the other is God's will and plan and purpose for your life. Before you can know God's will and plan and purpose for your life you're going to have to empty your bucket to receive what God has to give. Now whom do you trust the most to know where real purpose, joy, satisfaction, and peace lie, with you or with the heart of God?"

I have come to know that my peace, joy and happiness comes from God and my willingness to let William die! I am not speaking physically, but spiritually. The key to successful living is to deny my self (William) so that Christ can live in me. So that Christ’s love and grace will fill me. To have my life overflow with God's presence and power. Praise the Lord.

As Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, "and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." There is our path to joyful and fruitful living. If we who are followers of Jesus will embrace this teaching, we could turn this world upside down.

Jesus thank you for loving me so much that you would give your life for me!


Pastor William
What is your favorite scripture? Why? I would love to know.