"Marching Orders" (Part 2)

Scripture:  “If you love Me, keep My commandments.  And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever…”  John 14:15 (NKJV)
As God’s redeemed ones, we’ve been called to believe His declaration that we have been liberated from bondage, fear, chronic discontentment, and feelings of powerlessness over our emotions. (John 8:36; 2 Cor. 5:17)  We’ve been set free indeed because we’ve believed our Lord’s Word about our identity in Jesus Christ! That said, redeemed ones, do you desire to choose more CONSISTENTLY to walk by faith, give thanks in all things and situations?  Are you practiced in daily casting all your cares upon Him?  Are you quick to forgive offenses from others, or are you still struggling with withholding grace when some thoughtless individual crosses your path in traffic, unfairly criticizes you in the workplace, or perhaps even in church?

While Scripture plainly teaches that we will never be more than “positionally perfect” or totally sinless this side of Glory, we still must recognize that daily submission to Christ’s lordship does not come by osmosis; rather it’s a conscious pursuit! If you’re like me, I am sure you’ve discovered the need to daily renew your focus  upon yielding to the lordship of Christ and humbly obeying His marching orders?  By marching orders, I am referring to Scriptures that should be committed to memory, perhaps recited each morning, or during some part of your day to remind you and I of our Lord’s commands. Remember that His indwelling Spirit and this flesh are continually in opposition.  (Galatians 5:17) We all have some besetting sins that need to be confessed, conscientiously dealt with, and laid afresh at the foot of the cross!   We dare not take lightly the Spirit’s command in Ephesians 4:1 to “…walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called..”
  
 Clearly, too many who profess Christ as Lord have a mentality that says, ‘Oh, as long as I just make it in [to heaven], I’m good; I’m alright!’  Sadly, this way of thinking mars what should be the distinctive character traits of a child of the King.  Let us prayerfully renew our commitment to loving Jesus more than we have in days and weeks gone by!

Prayer:  Dear Father, help us to be in such pursuit of You that onlookers see a genuinely lovely Christ-like difference in us—one that says we have been in Your presence!  Thank You, in Jesus’ name! Amen.

(By Sis. Denise Diggs)