Well, I've been thinking a lot lately about blogging again. I realized today that it's been over 2 years since I blogged about anything. I can look back and see all the things that God has been doing in my life and in our family since then. We've gone through trials, challenges, and triumphs. God was and is in all of those, and they have all turned into blessings, even though the harder ones at the time didn't feel that way.
I read a quote recently and felt that it really summarizes the life of a Christ-follower:
"With Jesus, everyday has the potential of being the best day of your entire life." -Eric Ludy
I was thinking about this, and how true it was. What constitutes the "best day of your life?" Is it when everything goes your way, the laundry is caught up, the kids all get along and the bills are paid? Is it when the kids eat all your cooking without complaining, your husband calls you "beautiful" and the 2 yr old doesn't fill his sisters slippers with sink water?
Looking back at the last year, I'd have to say that it has been the "best year of my life." No, we didn't win the lottery, nor did we take a cruise to Hawaii. The kids still act like kids, and I still have to daily rely on the grace of God to supply my every need. What changed is that I have had a revelation, of sorts, that truly with Christ the circumstances of our day or year don't matter in creating that "best day or year." What matters is that with Christ in me, I truly have everything I need for life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3 )
The Bible says that when we ask Jesus to be Lord and Savior of our life, we die to ourselves, and He literally comes in and takes over the throne of our lives. We are no longer the person we were before. Our hands become His hands. Our minds become His mind. Our words become His words...as He transforms us to be like Him. The amazing thing is, the Spirit of God truly IS all the things Galations 5 says He is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
You know why that is so amazing? Because when God's Spirit comes to live in us, WE have all those things as well. We can love the unlovely, because God is love and He is now in charge of our life. We can have joy (not grumpiness) because God is the author of joy. We can have peace, even when there is noise and chaos all around. We can be patient, yes, even with THAT 2 year old, because God is patient and He is giving us EVERYTHING we need to live this life victoriously. We can be kind...and good...and faithful...and gentle...because HE is all those things....and we can have self control....which means we can mother without yelling or having a tantrum even when the toddler IS. Seriously..we don't have to act the way we used to act once we realize WHO is now King of our life. Every fruit of God's Spirit is now ours when we live In Christ.
Anyway, this revelation has transformed our family. The Gospel is truly amazing. But it isn't just amazing because it saves us from the penalty of sin (hell), but because the Gospel truly is the power we need every day for living a life of godliness and joy and triumph in Christ.
Today can be the best day of your life, even if it is filled with diaper changes, cooking and laundry. We just need to believe God's Word by faith the miracle that happens when the Gospel becomes real in our life. As Oswald Chambers said in today's devotional:
Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. It is a life of Faith, not of intellect and reason, but a life of knowing Who makes us "go." The root of faith is the knowledge of a Person...
So go on out there and live by faith and have the BEST day of your life!!!
