Irresistible Invitation by Maxie Dunham - Day 28

Irresistible Invitation:  Responding to the Extravagant Heart of God                   

Day 28:  Choosing to be Whole

Create in me a pure heart, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Ps 51:10-12


Have you ever looked up the definition of integrity?  One definition is “the state of being complete or undivided.”  According to Dunham it is a challenge we all face in life and in our Christian journeys.  Most of us, says Dunham find ways to divide ourselves but in truth our life in Christ calls us to wholeness.  He reminds us of Maslow’s study of healthy people as the model of what people could be and notes that Jesus was indeed one of those healthy self-actualized people. 

 

In this light we can begin to understand what Jesus is all about, that in fact Jesus did not come to tear us up and scatter the pieces but to help us get it all together.  The purpose of Christ is to help us find our true self and celebrate it.  Sadly for many of us when we look in the mirror what we see is not all that we would hope to be.  The good news for each of us is that it doesn’t matter what is there, God offers forgiveness as well as the choice to put whatever it is in our past and not part of our future.

 

In those times when we find our days – or ourselves – to be meaningless, when we feel complacent, we have to remember that there really is more to life than we have known thus far.  God – through Christ—frees us from meaninglessness by providing a sense of purpose, a sense of mission, a sense of responsibility, a feeling of self-worth a basis for relationships and a reason for being.

 

Christ frees us and fits us:

The full measure of Christ means that he comes to both free and fit us for kingdom living.  The key is in giving ourselves to Jesus and allowing our sin to be taken away.  In the process, however, we are as holy as we want to be.  This week have you asked yourself: do you want to be holy?  Are you willing to yield?

 

Claiming the promise:

Do you recall the grand promise?  It’s on worth committing to memory:  “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.  He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”  It is so easy to settle for less than is promised and far less than is possible.  Yes we can do even greater things, but only if we remember that we are more than we think we are and that there are things that we can do and be, but will never do and be apart form Jesus Christ.  Ha this study had an effect on your faith in any area?  If so how?

 

The surest path of all:

Remember Paul’s one sentence autobiography?  “I have been crucified in Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”  This commitment to Christ shaped every decision Paul made and determined every step he took.  If we identify with Jesus in the same manner as Paul we must also identify with Jesus’ suffering.  We can’t sidestep challenges just because we serve Christ.  However, we know that, suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character hope.  In what ways could Jesus e with you in a time of suffering?

 

The hands and feet of Jesus:

When the gift of the Holy Spirit fell upon the early followers it changed their lives forever, it has the very same effect today.  Part of the maturation of our relationship with God calls us to disciple others with the help of the Holy Spirit and to be disciplined as well.   Is there anyone in your life that you currently disciple?  Is there anyone who disciples you?  If the answer to either question is no, consider asking God to open your eyes to the people around you.  Certainly there are both people who need your wisdom and people who have wisdom of their own to give you.

 

Communion through conversation:

Prayer is not about telling God what to do; it’s about giving God the chance to meet our needs.  Remember that god really does want to give us good gifts and that one of those gifts is our relationship with him.  Have you been considering your prayer life a privilege or a duty?  Have you established a regular practice of coming before God?  If not what’s keeping you from it and how can you overcome those challenges?

 

Planted by water:

We can know the will of God for our lives.  We know it through Scripture, through wise counsel of godly people and through the Holy Spirit.  Once we hear that direction we are obligated to follow in order to walk in the fullness of Christ.  How could/would your life be different if you sought consistent guidance from God? 

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