Giving it all up

 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it (Luke 9:24).

"Dear Lord God, I think I still seek Your peace and assurance in the fullness of my own mind in order to move confidently into a lifestyle of losing it for You. It would appear  that I tend to shy away from leaps of faith when I can't see the whole thing, or at least be assured of a good outcome by visualizing that potential. Maybe that's not faith at all. Maybe that's double-minded, unstable, a wave tossed about in the ocean thinking. Faith is believing I have heard from You, God, and then forging ahead and applying time, skills and much prayer. Faith. If I sense a need to go - and I hold back, that is living for myself; that is saving my life - living for a lifestyle good and decent (and safe) in my own eyes; my own way and making that a higher priority than living for Jesus. Letting go of my life and living under God's direction is, in a sense, losing it. Losing the control, and the authority of making my own choices based on my own finite knowledge.

Lord, thinking about my life, my whole future, is incredibly overwhelming. So many decisions lie ahead. So many good, charitable things that can be done. So many temptations / distractions too. But You call me into this moment. This right now time. Listen to Me - now. "

Tune into your heart. Seek the voice of Jesus in your heart. Stop and ask about the next thing. And by His leading - forge ahead in the grace and sufficiency He supplies. Great or small. And when you've completed it, return again to the Lord. Ask about the next thing. Give up all the detailed planning of the day. Certainly the Lord knows what has to be done. He understands about some planning and organizing. And it's not just about the doing. But seek Him about your current situation and how to react. What's the harm in checking in with the One Who knows all? What peace and assurance do we forfeit because we continually forge ahead in our own knowledge and self-sufficiency? Seek the Lord always. May the peace of Christ be with you - right now.