CassieTrap?
Yup.
It’s everywhere today. “Love yourself! Put yourself first! Be yourself, and do whatever you want! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!”
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 CORINTHIANS 10:31
When I was a little girl, I was a major tomboy. Both of my sisters wanted to do dance, and I refused for a long time. I wanted to play basketball. When my sisters played with Barbies, I played Tonka Trunk computer games. When my sisters wanted to wear dresses, I wore a ratty T-shirt with a shark on it.
With time, my interests changed naturally. I grew toward different passions and things that felt right, that I would ultimately see Jesus in. But it wasn’t until He revealed to me that HE in anything is my only reason for the interest or passion; that I would only find myself when I surrendered to HIM, my Father and Creator, that I became truly JOYFUL.
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. HEBREWS 11:6
My joy in books will always run out. My joy in dance will always run out. My joy in food and controlling food will always run out.
My joy in Jesus Christ will NEVER run out.
And there are several things that happen when our joy, SUPPLIED by HIM, is in Jesus Christ: one quite important one being that “My joy” is no longer the purpose or goal, for His Spirit does not allow such focus. Joy comes from the serving Him, the lifting of His name, time in His presence, fixing on His beauty, exalting Him and repenting. We were CREATED for this relationship with Christ, to be temples of His living and moving and perfect Spirit.
Loving and fixating on my flesh and my self results in a free will movement away from my true identity– which is in Him, in my Father and Creator. Whose Spirit moves us to our knees, physically.
Who heals the broken and sits both in the Heavenlies and dances in a world of trials.
Whose very face is the only true picture of Beauty.
It is indeed when we take up our cross and give Him our lives that we discover the Truth– my joy in books is in HIS GLORIFICATION. My joy in dance is in the way HE MOVES me. My joy in food is in the beauty of HIS CREATION and to fuel my body to SERVE AND PRAISE Him.
It is true, of course, that we cannot love others if we do not love and take care of ourselves. But we do not LOSE anything when we give up that self to CHRIST… the only loss is in pursuing the flesh and the self outside of Christ.
For to live is Christ, and to die is gain. PHILIPPIANS 1:21
