This is an amazing verse:
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
There is so much to unpack from these verses. But one I want to focus on is the bit where it says "I no longer live". Ponder this for a bit. What does this mean for you to no longer live? It doesn´t mean you have physically died. But it does mean your life has changed and has been put to death. I think about this concept of "I no longer live" and why I don´t live anymore? because "I have been crucified with Christ". My life is no longer about me, I am no longer Queen of the life of Cat. It means that my desires, hopes and dreams and character and all the old ways of how I lived have been Crucified with Christ. Think of this freedom!! no longer are we slaves to ourselves and our fleeting desires, or to the world that pumps into our heads ideas of the perfect life. We are now free in Jesus Christ. Which means a change of living and thinking.
I look back on my day and I think - how many times have I thought of "me" of my desires, of my wants and of my needs. The world I live is about me and there is problem here, there is a conflict with living like this and living in Christ. I can´t live like this and shine Jesus, the only person I will be showing is my sinful self. If I no longer live, then the world that revolves around me needs to be turned inside out to a world that is centered on Christ. I know this isnt something I can do by myself but I can keep looking at Jesus, I can keep looking at the cross and pray the God would remind me of who I am living for. I can look at the cross and say - I have died there with Christ, this is not who I am anymore. Like this:
- When I think of complaining about my life because its not going my way.... I can look at the cross.
- When I think of not helping someone because I am too busy...I can look at the Cross
- When I think the temptation looks good and I want to sin... I can look at the cross
- When I think of not praying or reading my bible... I can look at the cross
- When I can´t be bothered to love some... I can look to the cross
- When I am too busy to talk to someone... I can look to the cross.
As a Christian I live a new life that doesnt revolve around me and my dreams.But its about the church and serving the church, its about my non Christian neighbour and helping at all times of the night, its about the student that I meet up with for a bible study, its about washing up, its about loving others, its about the homeless man on the street, its about the christian struggling in her faith, its about encouraging others, washing their feet, eating food with people,sharing the Gospel. Its about Jesus and what he wants with my life. Its not about my career, my promotion, my talk, my blog, my hunger, my "me" time, my shower, the way I think things should be run. Sometimes all of these things are to be crucified, we are to suffer our comfort for others.
You hate hearing those words? They are hard. But think... What does it mean for you not to get your own way? for you to be crucified in Christ? For you to no longer live?
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