Be You

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Scripture: Mattthew5:16 (ESV)

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Devotion:

            Another step in spiritual growth is trusting in Christ to make you more yourself than you ever have been. God wants to strip away all the stain of sin which has accumulated over the years leaving you a slave to righteousness. It can be a painful process. As the Holy Spirit peels away at every taint of sin that clings to us. In the end, however, we are transformed into new creations that are able to serve God with a pure heart.

            Some of the steps that God may take in preparing to release the authentic you from under the grip of sin are:

1.      Releasing you from a rules based righteousness. Getting rid of the need to live in subjection to laws made by men. Moving you into a relationship with God and other people which is based on the law of love that Jesus gave to his disciples. This will free you from the need to obey rules that men set down for you.

2.      Making you realize that you are truly a child of God. Freeing you for an intimate relationship with him. The realization that you are a beloved child of God makes you more able to resist temptations to sin because you desire to please only God not yourself or other people.

3.      Discovering and using your spiritual gifts for the good of Christ and of his church. God puts into your heart a desire to know the gifts which he had given you. Once you know how you are gifted God will make a way for you to use those gifts for his glory.

            God’s desire for you to live according to your authentic self in service of his kingdom will be your foremost goal in life. As a result, you will become the person God created you to be. How can you begin this process? By immersing yourself in the word of God so, that you will become assured of your grace based salvation not dependent on works of the flesh. Your relationship with God must become more intimate so that you know that God loves you and desires the best for your life. And aware of forgiveness that never ceases. Knowing that when you do sin (and unfortunately no matter what you will still sin) you have forgiveness through Christ’s death upon the cross. This forgiveness is total, irrevocable, and unending. This will free you to be the person God created you to be. Let us pray that we may become God’s true children:

Prayer:

            Holy God we come to you in prayer this day desiring to be free to be our authentic selves. We know that you desire that we lay aside everything that would hinder us from having a truly intimate relationship with you. Open to us your Holy Scriptures that we may learn how we can move toward the goal of being in an intimate relationship with you. That we may follow you closely and faithfully each day. Make us aware of our God given gifts and empower us to use them to serve your family of faith. Amen.

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