Sacrifice

Philippians 3:12-13  Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it on my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

This Scripture is so beautiful to me. Laying things down and dying to myself isn’t a general thing. Its something that must be personal to me because Christ is personal to me. So often I would search for belonging in other things. In relationships, friend groups and communities. But these things always fail. They’re never perfect because we’re not perfect and when they’re not founded in Christ they almost always end. Belonging to something is a desire I think every person has, and its one God gave us. But we so often corrupt it and turn these relationships into idols and put them before God, even glorify them.  To belong to Christ is one of the keenest pleasures I have ever known. To belong to Him and be His child, I have gained so many brothers and sisters in Him.  And He’s never failed me or let me down even though I’ve definitely failed Him.  

 Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. This is so convicting for me in so many ways. I so often become nostalgic of “the good old days” or times when God worked in really evident ways. While rejoicing and praising the Lord for what He’s done in my life is a good thing, I can often let this become dwelling on my past and forgetting the present. And there’s a difference between being eager for what God has for me in the future, and being obsessive. To live in the present and look for what God has to show me in the now.

Application: I will seek my belonging in Christ and His body and spend time tomorrow that I would normally spend by myself fellowshipping with others.