It takes courage and bravery to allow God to break you. It takes even more to intentionally ask God to have His way in your life.....especially if you know the sacrifice that it may require.
Why would we even want to experience the pain of brokenness, emptiness, or loneliness for the sake of Christ? Because it is the only way we can truly know Him. It is how we truly become one with Him.
It's not an easy process and is not for the faint of heart. It is for those who have reached a point where they recognize the need to die to self daily. It is for those who are secure in their faith, but they want more of Jesus. They want to know Him so intimately that they desire to trade their own selfish desires for His Will on a daily basis.
Paul knew about this journey of faith that requires so much of us. Yet he continued to pursue Christ despite the pain and hardships he had to endure. Why? Because he realized that despite all the trials he suffered, it only brought him closer to the One who had already saved him.
In comparison to a life filled with uncertainties and a thirst that could never be quenched, he had now tasted true freedom....even in the confines of a prison. No chains or bars could contain the spirit of Christ living within Him. His soul had tasted the living water that can fill all of the empty places in our lives.
That same spirit lives in each believer and longs to be set lose in our everyday lives and circumstances. It is that spirit of Christ living in us that transforms our thoughts and directs our words and deeds. It is that same spirit within us that gives us the power to live a sold-out, all-in-it-for-Jesus lifestyle that causes others to want what we have.
Do we have the courage to ask this of Christ? Are we brave enough to ask him to break us if that is what is required? Are we willing to feel empty and lonely while we wait for Him to fill us and complete us?
He longs to be our heart's desire.
He longs to be our everything.
When we give him the broken pieces of our hearts, He can be trusted to put them back together. When we give Him the remnants of our shattered dreams, He will give us a new vision and renew our purpose.
I love this new song by The Sidewalk Prophets. It was the inspiration for this post. Click the link to listen.
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Labels: faith
