“And Christ lives within you, so even through your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” (Romans 8:10-11 NLT)
It’s ironic on some levels that the life within us isn’t our own, but He who gave us physical life in the beginning. What are the implications? Physical life is existence and constitutes the presence of the ability to function as a human being without being plugged into the source of real life, the Lord Jesus Christ. In some ways it’s like being a “moon” who has no light of its own. It’s “alive,” in the sense that it exists, but without the light of the sun few would even notice it.
That’s how many people on planet earth go through their day – unnoticed, blank faces plastered on a wall with billions of other faces no one recognizes, or cares exist. At least that’s how they feel about themselves. The fact is, Jesus came to earth to change all of that.
To Him, EVERY face matters! When He hung on the Cross, every face passed before Him and He made the conscious decision to die for each one. Every life matters, even the ones that are snuffed out before they draw their first breath. Your life matters! The Lord Jesus, Creator of all that is, knows your name and cares about every detail of your life.
He died for you. That’s how much He loves you. He so desires for you to know Him and love Him in return. It’s not that He needs your love. He doesn’t. He doesn’t need anything. But He knows that when we plug into His eternal life it brings light and life to us that is available in no other way. We can be given a fresh new start and can learn what it means to be alive and in love with the Author of life.
Frederick P. Wood gives us clues as to what that can look like when he wrote: “Ask the Lord to make your life a glory to him, a menace to the devil, a strength to your church, and a witness to the world.” Think about the impact our life could have if our life was a glory to Him. What might that look like?
What comes to mind when you think of the word “glory?” Honor, praise, credit, renown. The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary suggests “resplendence” or “magnificence.” How might we have to live to render those kinds of considerations to our Lord and Master? Selfless, dependent (upon Him), loving, kind, caring, considerate, compassionate, Spirit-filled and Spirit-led.
It would have to be a life lived in total surrender to His will, knowing that every detail of our life matters as it relates to how we reflect His life being lived out in and through us. Our life should be a menace to the devil as a dripping faucet is to a homeowner, but how? By constantly staying in tune with our Savior, desiring His will above our own. Marching to the beat of His desires.
We are a glory to God additionally, by being a strength to our church, but how? By being more than an attender! By being a “belonger!” What does that mean? It means being a part of the family by doing our part. Getting involved in serving the needs of others in and through our church. Volunteering to work or serve in ways that may stretch us spiritually. Support your church financially and with positive reports about them to others.
That’s an important way we are a positive witness to the world, as well as sharing our love of the Lord with others with our words and deeds. These are just a few ways we can give visibility to our life in Christ.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 