security – Far More Life

Glorious Destiny

I was so foolish and ignorant—I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. (Psalm 73:22-24, NLT)

Father God, I admit my understanding is limited. You are all-knowing, but my finite mind cannot grasp the complexity of You or Your creation. Despite this, thank You for always being with Your children. Like a caring, protective parent, You hold us by the hand; You keep us on the right path, steady us when we slip, and are the best companion we could ever want. You share wise counsel that offers trustworthy guidance through both the calm and difficult terrains of life. And every step we take moves us closer to the fullness of Your glory. Holding Your hand through this life is wonderful, but being with You forever will be even better! Our glorious destiny will be the ultimate far more life experience.

Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. (Psalm 73:25, NLT)

Most High God, I am eager to be with You. My eternal security is in You; it does not lie in angels, fate, karma, or any other spiritual being or idea. Your Son gave His life to purify me and bridge the gap between us, and you are preparing for my arrival in Heaven (John 14:2-3). Nothing in this life or on this earth is more attractive to me than a relationship with You. I may enjoy aspects of my life here, but I await the day I can leave it behind and see You face to face. I only find far more life in You. You are my future, my glorious destiny.

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. (Psalm 73:26, NLT)

Glorious Creator, You made our bodies from dust, and sometimes that fragility shows. We suffer from illness and disease. We grow tired of the daily physical, emotional, and spiritual battles that confront us. But through good moments and bad, You strengthen our hearts. Your Spirit dwells within us to keep our peace, joy, hope, love, and more alive and thriving. Your Spirit will never fail or grow weak within us: what a glorious destiny! Far more life is always available to us, starting the moment Christ became our Savior and lasting forever. We only have to look to You for all we need.

Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. (Psalm 73:27-28, NLT)

God Who Sees, Your Word tells us that not everyone who claims to follow You is Your child; some will reveal the true condition of their heart by leaving You when they face adversity (Matthew 7:21, Luke 8:13). But those who have truly given their hearts to You want to be near You. With You as our shelter, we can weather any storm. You are our safe place when danger threatens. You are our stability when everything is shifting. Experiencing Your protection and provision proves Your character to us. Doubts about your reality, care, and involvement fade when we see You act in our lives. Far more life wants others to experience You, too! We share our story of You with others who seek a glorious destiny.

Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. (Psalm 73:1, NLT)

Righteous God, thank You for showing Your goodness to Your children. First, to the Israelites, then to all who have been made righteous through Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:11). You have purified our hearts (I Corinthians 1:30) and blessed us with far more life. A relationship with You is the best gift, but You have given us so much more. Thank You for Your generosity and our glorious destiny. Thank you for far more life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sisters,
How has God guided you, even when you were foolish and ignorant?
What competes with God for your attention and desire?
How has God strengthened your heart when your flesh and soul were weak?
When have you made God your shelter? What story can you tell?
Thank God for a pure heart, a glorious destiny, and far more life!
-Shari

P.S. I would like to share your definitions of far more life — and Bible verses that remind you of far more life — in a future blog. If you are willing to share, send them to farmorelife@gmail.com.

Reborn This Way

“I was born this way” is a common phrase heard in defense of a trait or behavior others find undesirable in us. Is it a valid explanation for our quirks or an excuse for our sin? Of course, it can be either, depending on the context. God’s Word offers insight on who we were at birth and who we are now that may challenge our perspective.

Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb… (Ecclesiastes 5:15, NIV)
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. (Revelation 3:18, NIV)

We came into this world exposed and vulnerable. We had nothing as we entered an unfamiliar environment, the physical world. We had much that we needed to survive, but also much that we relied on others to provide for us. Throughout life, we continue to walk the balance of independence and dependence. Far more life depends ultimately on God, remaining exposed and vulnerable to Him. It trusts His selection of “gold” that will hold its value eternally: character (Proverbs 31:30) and loving God and others (Matthew 22:36-39). He reveals the righteous thinking and actions that become our garments (Ephesians 4:23-24, Ephesians 6:11, Colossians 3:12-14). By remaining vulnerable to Him, we may be misunderstood, rejected, mistreated, and persecuted by some people (John 15:18). But we will also find people who accept, love, support and encourage us (John 13:34-35, Romans 12:10-21). We were born exposed and vulnerable. But far more life offers security through a relationship with Christ.

Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. (Psalm 51:5, NIV)
All of us also lived…gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts…we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:3-5, NIV)
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8, NIV)

We entered the world as sinners. We were selfish and inconsiderate. We became angry when we experienced discomfort. We wanted our own way and did not consider the cost to anyone else. We can justify this behavior in babies as being necessary for their survival. They cry until their needs for food, a clean diaper, comfort, or pain relief is met. But as we grow, we continue to think of ourselves first. Many successful marketing campaigns boldly state what we already think: we are most important, we deserve whatever we want, our needs come first, it is good to obey our bodily desires. These mottos appeal to how we were born: physically alive but spiritually dead. Far more life has accepted Christ’s offer of spiritual life. It recognizes that, without His help, we cannot overcome our sin and selfishness. Far more life means we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) that is righteous and holy (Ephesians 4:23-24), Romans 3:22, Colossians 1:22). We were born sinful. But far more life makes us righteous before God and gives us the power to say no to sin.

Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. (John 3:3, NIV)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God (I John 5:1, NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (I Peter 1:3, NIV)
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. (John 3:5, NIV)

Born again. New birth. Born of water and the Spirit. In Christ, we have a second — spiritual — birth. This birth comes from believing Jesus Christ is the Messiah, God’s Son who, though himself sinless, took our sin on the cross and died in our place then rose back to life on the third day. He overcame physical death to offer us far more life, an eternal relationship and a renewed heart. While claiming “I was born this way” often highlights our sin nature, claiming “I was reborn this way” gives God glory for our redeemed nature!

…Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (I John 4:7, NIV)
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. (I John 5:4, NIV)
We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. (I John 5:18, NIV)

When we are born again, we are different. We can love unconditionally and unselfishly. We have power over sin. Jesus keeps us safe from damage. Satan cannot cause us spiritual harm. We do not have to strive to live this way in order to please God. Far more life chooses love, righteousness and more out of gratitude for the second birth God has given us. If you have not been reborn, make today your rebirth day!

Sisters,
Do you often say, “I was born this way?” Is it usually an excuse for sin?
What are (or were) you like without Christ? How does (or did) sin define you?
What helped you see your need to be born again, to accept Christ’s offer to pay for your sin?
How is your reborn self different from your old self?
Experience far more life today by focusing on your forgiveness and righteousness. Praise God for being reborn this way!
-Shari

Foundational Truth

“You are still his mom.”

These words were a balm to my aching heart as I struggled to understand exactly what I was grieving about my son’s upcoming out-of-state move. I expected to be sad; change is often hard for me and I have spent every day of the past 20 years investing in him. And I understood the bittersweet happiness of watching his face light up as he counted down the days until his new solo adventure began; he is leaving home to pursue the dreams and goals he has been working toward since he was quite young. But my grief was surprisingly bigger and deeper than I had expected.

I told my husband the strength of my grief must mean this life change was revealing a false belief I held about my identity. Although raising my children was an important job, intellectually I knew it did not define me. While mothering has been a focused, sacrificial, time-intensive effort, it was not the foundation on which my life was built. But somewhere along the line, I unknowingly adopted the belief that being a mom was who I was. My sense of value was threatened when I realized I would no longer be investing in my son face-to-face each day. My husband’s response – you are still his mom – reminded me of an important truth: my role as a mom has changed many times over the years, but my identity has remained the same.

I am thankful that my significance, security, and acceptance – and my experience of far more life — do not come from being a mom. In fact, they are not based on any human relationship or earthly role. Instead they come from Christ and my relationship with Him. One day my roles as wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, ministry leader, employee, and more will come to an end. But I will remain who I am in Christ forever. And while my earthly roles are rewarding for a short time, they are not the foundation of far more life that brings contentment and joy for eternity.

Dr. Neil T. Anderson pulled together a list of Biblical descriptions of our identity in Christ. They provide a wonderful reminder of what is unchanging and valuable about each of God’s children. These are our defining characteristics, what truly give us significance, security and acceptance. Even if everything else is stripped away from our lives, these foundational truths remain intact. Read through the list slowly, letting the importance of each statement about your identity sink in.

I am God’s child. (John 1:12)
I am Christ’s friend. (John 15:15)
I have been justified. (Romans 5:1)
I am united with the Lord and one with Him in spirit. (I Corinthians 6:17)
I have been bought with a price; I belong to God. (I Corinthians 6:20)
I am a member of Christ’s body. (I Corinthians 12:27)
I am a saint. (Ephesians 1:1)
I have been adopted as God’s child. (Ephesians 1:5)
I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 2:18)
I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. (Colossians 1:14)
I am complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)
I am free forever from condemnation. (Romans 8:1-2)
I am assured that all things work together for good. (Romans 8:28)
I am free from any condemning charges against me. (Romans 8:33-34)
I cannot be separated from the love of God. (Romans 8:35)
I have been established, anointed and sealed by God. (2 Corinthians 1:21)
I am hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)
I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected. (Philippians 1:6)
I am a citizen of heaven. (Philippians 3:20)
I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
I can find grace and mercy in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me. (I John 5:18)
I am the salt and light of the earth. (Matthew 5:13-14)
I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life. (John 15:1, 5)
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit. (John 15:16)
I am a personal witness of Christ’s. (Acts 1:8)
I am God’s temple. (I Corinthians 3:16)
I am a minister of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)
I am God’s coworker. (2 Corinthians 6:1)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm. (Ephesians 2:6)
I am God’s masterpiece. (Ephesians 2:10)
I may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

I am thankful for these reminders of the identity God has given me in Christ. I will probably need to revisit them again next week when my daughter moves out of the house. I do not know what false beliefs that change will reveal, but I am thankful God’s truth is reliable and unchanging! He is the only foundation on which we can build far more life.

Sisters,
What has challenged your sense of identity?
Where, besides Christ, have you looked for significance, security, and acceptance?
As you read the list of truths, which were most meaningful? For any that were hard to believe or accept, what do you believe instead? Consider talking to God about the differences and working to discover the barriers that keep you from readily accepting His truth.
Thank God for being the stable foundation on which you build far more life!
-Shari