As I was sitting in church the other day, listening to my pastor bring the heat, I thought of something very important.
As new creations in Christ, we learn many new things that we didn’t know before we became alive in Christ. Our finite selves forget. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit brings up things for our remembrance.
The world believes we must be individualistic, and do it ourselves. They say, “I’m just gonna do me. I’m gonna do what I gotta do. It’s me, me, me.” I know you’re thinking of someone specific who says things like this!
What I want to share with you today is one of those things that we forget, but thankfully, the Holy Spirit reminds us: we are but vessels for the Spirit to dwell in.
We Are Not Individuals Becoming Greater, But Vessels Of Someone Greater
We are not some individual generator or windmill of a sort. We do not pump life into ourselves. We are simply like cups. Water vessels don’t generate power or life. Neither do we.
What a mistake it is to believe that our life comes from ourselves. What a mistake it is to believe that our faith, energy, strength, obedience, knowledge, etc., all comes from ourselves. This is insanely wrong.
Let me sum this up in one verse:
“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)
We exist for the glory of God to shine. Read that verse above one more time.
Believing that you must try harder or do better to be someone greater is a false hope that will leave you disappointed. We must rely on God the Spirit within us in order to remain where we want to be—faithfully found in God.
To the dude new to the faith, and also to the old dude who’s been faithful to God for decades, remember to rely upon God, not yourself. Every day we must live wholly believing that God is my strength, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my hope, my song, my joy, my peace, my shield, my horn of salvation, my stronghold, my all in all.
We are never not in need of grace. We are never not in need of God. Fill us, Lord.
Responses