20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 NIV)
The irony of the Christian life is that it is a complete contradiction of the obvious. The obvious says, “We are given life at birth and then, some time after that, we die.” The Bible clearly teaches that we are “dead” at birth and only God can make us “alive.” The Bible teaches we are dead to the things of God, dead to the will of God, and dead in our sins. Only by the saving grace of God can we, who are born dead, be made alive in Christ. (Colossians 2:13) When God gives us new life, through His Son, we become alive to the things of God and the will of God.
Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” When we die to ourselves we put to death our will, our wants, our plans, and our hopes and dreams for the future. Christ lives in us and therefore it is His will, His wants, and His plans that are to direct our every thought and action. This is God’s purpose and plan for every believer. As I survey my life, the past week of my life, I see that there is still a lot of me that is still alive. My wants and wishes are still very much alive. God’s will and purpose for my life is so often discarded as I pursue what I want for my life. This troubles me today.
I must crucify my flesh, die to myself, each and every day, throughout the day, if I am ever going to become the man God has called me to be. I want to live out God’s plan for my life, but my plans so often get in the way. I believe that the key to my growth today is to spend more time thinking about the fact that Jesus has loved me and given himself for me and less time thinking about what I want to happen in my life. As if “my life” is mine anyway.
My prayer today, Lord, is that this Scripture will reverberate throughout my heart and mind throughout today so that, by Your grace, I might live this day with only Your will and plan in mind.
