HIS Agenda [Guest Post]

I live a typical life, if one can call any life “typical.” I guess I mean “typical” in the sense that during this season of my life—this season the Lord has placed me in, which may last two more months or ten more years—I live simple days, quietly at home, most of the time. Today I’ve done the simple things like baking cookies and College Algebra (whether that’s simple or not is debatable) and ironing, and yes, now I’m writing.

Granted, what I just described isn’t what many people might call their “typical” day; but I feel like it is what God has called me to right now—to be fully here at home, present and with a heart willing to learn what it means to wash the feet of others.

But, oh, I can be so selfish at times—self centered and self focused and self worshipping when I begin to let pride slip in. Self exalting when my heart grows happy over things I’ve “done for God” when in reality, I can’t do anything for God apart from the enabling of His Spirit so I really never deserve any praise anyways. I’ve been studying Colossians lately…this letter Paul wrote to another church he loved…and this man, this apostle, talks about how he wrestled for the believers not in his own strength but by “all His energy that He powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:29).

I used to have this list of things I wanted to “accomplish” each day…things I wanted to “do for God”.” I would feel like I was successful and He was honored when I did them, and I was a failure when I did not. Those these things were not inherently bad…for example, spending extra time in His word, reading a spiritual type book, playing with my little sister for a little longer than I may have wanted to in the moment etc., but they were wrong because I viewed them in a ways as if I was doing something “extra special” in these decisions that I thought put me on a “better standing” with God. I know, it’s silly and yes, as I can see now—foolish—and yet, how many of us live that way? Live as if we’re on a “what can I do for God” mission, yielding such little “sacrifices verses attitudes of absolute pouring out in response to His fully complete grace that leaves us spotless? Why don’t we instead ask ourselves…

How can I further learn the emptying of my self—so much further learn the death and crucifixion of my old man that nothing of me remains…nothing. How can I further learn to merely be an “empty vessel” (2 Corinthians 4:7) that His Spirit may flow through me—that I might merely be a flow through channel of grace, grace, and more grace. Grace in love, and patience, and joy.

That all in all, I might merely be a flow through channel of Christ.

Something the Lord began to impress upon my heart a little while back is that I am never to have my own agenda. What if our heart’s cry each morning was “God, what is Your agenda for my day? What plans do You have?” When we loose ourselves, those things we want to do, even if they are categorically “good things”—like reading a good book or sending emails discussing Christ’s work in our lives or chatting for fun with girlfriends over coffee—will slowly slip down on our priority list if they are not what God is asking for us in the moment. What if we took everything we do each day and surrendered it under Christ and what if we were constantly seeking His will? How many of us truly live with His purposes at the forefront of our minds?

Modern Christianity has turned into something that is a “pick and choose” religion. People take what they want from Christianity, and certain passages lie untouched in dust covered bibles. When did Yeshua’s—Jesus’ “loose your lives” and “living sacrifices” turn into “live life with doing just enough to be just good enough” and “give some here and there”? In the Greek, the word for loose used in Luke 9:24 is “apollumi,” which means, “to destroy fully”…the base word meaning “death.” 

Living for Jesus Christ—living in the light of His grace—living in the light of the realization that He truly owes us nothing and yet we owe Him everything should radically change how we view each day of our lives. It means living in light of the truth that we have been crucified with Christ—the old man crucified unto death—and now Christ lives in us. Oh! If we daily had hearts that were just spilling over with gratitude—abounding with thanksgiving (Colossians 2) in response to the Gospel and it’s present reality that applies to us every day of our lives….how would this change the way we as Christians lived? If we truly realized His gift of grace, than we would never spend any moment on ourselves, but every moment for His glory on His purposes.

I know that for me, as a college student—even an “at home” college student—“busy” is a word that can often slip out of my mouth and it’s a word I often hear circulating in circles of college students. And yet, are we really “busy”—“busy” with the connotation that is often given to that word in modern society—if we are about the Lord’s business? Should not serving Him be our souls deepest delight? Business should not be a burden when we are on His agenda, but rather a deep delight and pleasure.  Jesus lived a “busy” life—but it was a poured out one.

If we are truly seeking to live the exchanged life—Christ life for ours, ours for His—than this will radically show forth in how we live each moment of each day. We were bought with a price, and time is precious. Let’s seek His agenda for each day—not the things we think we should do, ought to do, or want to do. For if we simply lay down our time and own plans at His feet each morning in surrender, He will lead in exactly what He wants to be done and accomplished…each day.

“I’m not busy. I have all the time I need to accomplish the things the Lord wants me to do today.”

– Tim Challies 

Melanie loves...

Jesus--Yeshua--my Savior....more than anything in this world. Sipping sweet peppermint tea or chai tea lattes on rainy days. The smell of musty books with hidden truths inside. Old biographies of heroes of the faith. Summer breezes that make one's hair dance. Books by Elisabeth Elliot. Composing or playing worship music. Fluffy clouds. Worshipping her Savior. Journals. Gazing at starry skies that leave one's heart in awe. Reading, learning from, and soaking in the word of God. Fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ. Cooking. Capturing memories with her camera. Journals. The smells of warm vanilla sugar and lavender. Writing old-fashioned letters to far away friends. Playing with little ones. Strawberries and mangos. Anything vintage. Old chests full of memories. Communion with her Heavenly Father. Just living in the light of being a redeemed daughter of the King of kings. I am so unworthy... 

You can read more about Melanie and her writing on her blog, Forever His Servant