This past week I went to boot camp for the world race. Here I got to meet and build relationship with my squad for about 4 days. Through these days I came to love these people that God put with me so much and learned to be vulnerable with them as well. It is beautiful to see how when God is helping, he can bring 39ish people to have relationship with each other and love one another in less than 4 days. Throughout these days I also got to see God move in amazing ways, see him change hearts, see how absolutely Holy, Worthy, Beautiful, Glorious, Good, and Loving our Father is, and see how absolutely helpless I am, and that if I want to live for Christ, than I must surrender, give everything to him, abide and then follow and seek him with a longing to know him and worship him.
This last realization that I had, has been one that I have been working through for the last 3ish months and will be working toward for the rest of my life. When I say surrender, I mean learning to say “God here I am, unclean unworthy, helpless, deserving of death. Only though you do I have life and life to the fullest. I give my life to you and I give my desires of this world away so that I can follow you fully, because the desires of this world are not of you, and I only want to be of you. I lay down my pride, my wants and desires, and I say here I am, your vessel, do with me as you may, so to bring glory to your name.”
This is what I want my heart posture to be, not my will, but thy will. I am not on this earth so to bask in the pleasures of this world, and to try to satisfy myself with the things of this world that will never actually satisfy. I am here to worship Jesus Christ, strive to know him and share his name.
This process is not easy and it will hurt, but we as followers of Christ are called to be like Jesus, which means being willing to lay down our lives for our lord, our God, the great I am, the Alpha and the Omega, our Love, our closet Friend, our beloved, our Papa, our Dad, the Only One that Deserves All Our praise and Adoration. Learning to sacrifice is so beautiful, and yes it may be hard and sad, but Y’all, Getting to sacrifice our lives is so joyous, because by doing this, we get to give just a small amount back for everything that Jesus did for us. He did everything, he took on ALL the wrath of God that was meant for US and so much more! Getting to give our lives isn’t actually a sacrifice its an honor and a gift! Our father is so beautiful, Holy and Worthy of all that we have to give him.
I pray that I learn to fully sacrifice myself. I know this road won’t be easy, but I know it is worth it, because we get to know our father and have a deep and intimate relationship with him, which is better than anything this world has to offer. I pray that we begin to start asking God for things that we can sacrifice, and not what we can get! God I Praise you for your goodness, your love and simply who you are! I love you father, and I pray that I learn to surrender and live with a heart of abandon and a heart that is willing to give everything up for you! Because you are worthy of it, and I just want to love you and be with you and know you, because you are all that matters, all that is good and all that I long to seek.
this is good man! proud of you!
What a blessing you are and will be to so many! Remember that the power of the Holy Spirit in us will change our hearts ??
For the Glory of God!
I love this Luke. Beautifully and thoughtfully written. A BIG Amen?
Amen and amen! Getting to live our lives for Christ is an honor. Thanks for sharing your heart, Luke. Getting to know you a bit lately has been a joy! This WR journey ahead for you isn’t going to be an easy road every day, but I’m confident God has blessings in store for you and your squad beyond what you could ever ask or imagine. Excited to pray for and watch your journey from afar.