Last night as I was sitting around dinner with some friends,
I said, “Sometimes, I think it would be
easier to die for Christ than to live
for him.” Then as I was reading this
morning God brought this verse to mind, “For to me, living means living for
Christ, and dying is even better.” ~ Phil. 1:21. Turns out I’m in good company. Paul too thought it was easier to die for
Christ than live. I guess in our flesh
there is going to be a constant battle. Lately,
it seems like everywhere I turn there is an explanation of God’s glory and how
amazing He is and recently as I was doing a John Piper study he expanded our
definition of sin to mean, anything that exchanges God’s glory for something
less. I do that everyday! I tell God that his glory is less important
than my happiness or than my sleep! I
don’t even think I know when I do it all the time. We get so comfortable with that being okay we
don’t even see it. Everybody does it and
it makes us feel better about ourselves when we do it. I am in a battle to learn how to discern when
I am exchanging God’s glory and to crucify myself and my desires for God’s will
and his glory! As I read Paul’s struggle
it encourages me to know that he wrestled with the same thing and yet it
frustrates me because it means that the battle never ends…until we die which
brings us back to the first point! What
a journey! God, make me more aware of
when I exchange your glory for something else!
It’s not worth it!