How Then Shall I Live

So How Then Shall I Live?

In light of the fact that we are:

God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph 2:10 NIV)

And

In view of Gods mercy we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices

(Romans 12:1NIV).  

What the heck does this mean? How am I supposed to live?

I found myself asking this question the other morning when I woke up after tossing and turning fraught with worries and fears because I had just laid aside my job at Gods asking.  

This adventure began last October when we first moved to Place Rd.  God spoke to me through John 6 and like with the feeding of the five thousand He wanted me to stop working, sit down in this place, give thanks for my husbands paycheck for it was to be sufficient and feed the multitude through blogging.

On the one hand I really wanted to do this because I have this burning desire to preach and teach Gods word (to the point of cutting of my husbands ear with the sword I have been given, but this is another blog) and this would be my outlet yet on the other hand, because of choices that we made along the way that seemed good at the time, we are in a very tight place financially which makes this request logically foolish.

Ok, so I was brave enough at that time to lay aside my job for a week.  But then that fear and doubt thing just took over and neither my husband nor myself were ready, willing or even aware enough to lay aside our planned lifestyle and live a lifestyle God had planned for us. So back to a full part time patient load I went.

God though is in relentless pursuit of us to bring us into the perfect place of his plan for us kept after me.  Again He used scripture to speak to me and as I was studying about Gideon in Judges 6 I heard God clearly say, “lay aside your job”.  Now, because I am slow of heart and slow to believe that the God of the Universe would actually be talking to me I asked God to give me a sign like He did with Gideon to let me know it was really God talking to me and not my own vain imaginations.  I then asked God to allow me to bring an offering and set it before Him.  God said ok, bring me an offering of praise and thanksgiving today.  I did just this, thanking Him and praising Him all day as I drove to see my patients that day.  As I was finishing up and swinging by the office I met my supervisor out in the parking lot and she happened to ask “off the cuff” “Hey can I flex your hours to zero this summer?”  That was the sign I needed so I said ok, and began working only as needed or per diem.  I am not ready to quit altogether and do not think this is what god has asked, just a laying aside of my steady part time work.

So now here I am walking this thing out in reality...not so easy…. while my husbands pay check is enough to cover the bills it leaves us with very, very little to live on.  Not to mention the fact that my kids and husband and friends all think I am out of my mind. 

I find myself thinking about how I am going to pay the taxes we owe from my working too much, the bills, how I am going to buy gas, what am I going to cook for dinner which leads me to how am I going to buy groceries? Not to mention what are my friends and family thinking? How come they can work and they just don’t understand what I am hearing...and on and on the list goes.

And God speaks:

You are to lay every burden down…you are still burdened with the things of life…you ask how then shall I live?

Clothe yourself with Christ.  In the garden mankind made a covering that was completely inadequate made from fig leaves when what I required was a blood sacrifice. I gave them a temporary covering by the sacrifice of an animal and now I have made the perfect covering, the once for all time covering through the sacrifice of my Son. 

I have made a call on your life and My call and My gifts are irrevocable (Romans 11:29 NIV).  

You are to clothe yourself with Christ and do not think about how to gratify the flesh rather you are to offer your body- your mouth, your heart, your eyes, your emotions, your will, your personality, your soul and your mind as a living sacrifice (Romans 13:14 NIV)

Christ died…that’s the dead sacrifice or covering however Christ was raised from the dead so you could be clothed with life.  Now you are to walk it out, this is your living sacrifice.

Think about Me; how to gratify the Holy Spirit in you by renewing your mind.  Dwelling on what a beautiful day it is rain or shine, listening to the birds singing, or asking Me who I want you to love on that day.

Never be lacking in zeal, keep being excited about Me. Keep your spiritual fervor, serving me.  Be joyful, patient, faithful, share with others and practice hospitality (Romans 12: 11-13 NIV).

Yes, you are to submit to authority established by Me (Romans 13:1 NIV) and you are to pay what you owe to the governing authorities such as taxes and not let any debt remain outstanding except the debt to love one another (Romans 13:8 NIV) but your are not to be burdened by this.

How?  You ask, when it seems the more you work the more burdened by taxes you become and the more you get to know me the more your family thinks you have lost your mind and the more judgmental you become toward them. (I made a vow to God about eating and drinking and found myself judging my husband on this issue) 

To this I say:

Put aside the deeds of darkness, the worries of the world and put on the armor of light, behave decently, clothe yourself with Christ (Romans 14:12-14 NIV) and stop worrying about your burdens.  Stop judging others whose faith is weak for this pleases Me and is approved by mankind.  And don’t worry about what others around you are doing or eating or drinking or what you are eating or drinking for:

My kingdom is not about eating and drinking but rather it is about

Righteousness  (which is your covering given to you by Christ)

Peace

and

Joy in the Holy Spirit          (Romans 14:1617 NIV)

You then who are strong in Me ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not please yourself but you should please others; your neighbor, spouse, child, parent, and friend for their good to build them up (Romans 15:1-2 NIV)

In other words be patient with others even when they mock you or don’t seem to understand where you are coming from.

For even Christ did not please himself but as it is written:

            The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. 

            (Romans 15:3 NIV)

When you are insulted by others weak faith, misunderstandings, ignorance, etc… you are to put them on Christ as you are clothed in Christ and then lay them down, let them go and do not worry.

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us that through endurance and the encouragement of scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4 NIV).  Accept others; your spouse, your children, your sisters and your friends to bring glory to Me and so clothe yourself with the life of My Son.

Remember life has nothing to do with eating and drinking and rules and regulations but how you live with others and how you treat them.

Submit to others, stop fighting with them and trust in Me, not in your job, your family, your friends, your church but simply in Me alone.

And I will give you endurance and encouragement and a spirit of unity with others as you follow Christ. 

So that with one heart and mouth you may glorify Me God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Accept one another then as Christ accepted you in order to bring praise to Me. (Romans 15:5-7 NIV).

I have given you all you need to live a life holy and pleasing to me and I will supply all your needs according to my glorious riches in Christ Jesus.  (Phil 4:19 NIV)

Wow! What encouragement just when I was ready to give up, throw in the towel and run back to my old life of doing my own thing God speaks.  Some days it just seems it would be easier to live according to the worlds view, gratify my own desires and wishes and give up on this God thing but that in the end that would be disastrous. 

Whether you are in an easy place or hard place in your life right now, whether God seems close or far away, or is asking the seemingly impossible from you

Be Encouraged, keep going Gods way, offering your whole self, mind, body and soul as a living sacrifice to God. 

Allow Him to have His way with you for in the end It Will Go Well With You!

Live, Laugh and Love much for if God is for us then who or what can stand against us! (Romans 8:31 NIV)

Loving on you,