It hit me recently (again…because I’m a slow learner). As I wrestled to find the root of some bitterness in my spirit, it hit me: Every stinkin’ day I get to choose life or choose death.
When I stand before my Maker one day, I’m not going to be able to point to those who hurt or disappointed me as justification for any harbored unforgiveness or unlove. It will be me before Him — the Him who peers into my core; the Him who cannot be manipulated or coerced with tears; the Him who knows every piece of what makes me me. It will be me before Him. And I won’t be able to blame anyone for wasted time, or wasted grace.
This day I get to choose. And so do you. I can choose to pour life or I can choose to pour death into the relationships with which God has blessed me. Blessed? Yes, blessed. Choosing to pour life begins with one solid conviction: God has blessing in this relationship for me. Yep, that one too.
If you know me at all, then you know that one pillar to my existence is the firm belief that my God is sovereign. From the words of Scripture, to the words of Jesus when he walked this planet, to my personal experiences in life, God has proven that nothing can touch me as His child apart from His love. Nothing.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Matthew 10:29-31
That means that He allows — and dare I say “gives” — even the difficult, messy relationships to bring blessing into my life. And more often than not, the blessing He intends is the priceless blessing of me being transformed into a selfless, holy vessel of His love.
We have to start there. If we don’t begin with the conviction of God’s sovereignty over the relationships in which He has placed us, then we’ll live life in the “but only” or “what if” or “if he/she” realm. And those realms never produce life-givers. They produce naysayers.
Today we get to choose. Beginning with the character of God Himself, we can be life-givers in every relationship with which He’s graced us. And when we choose to pour life into others, we choose life for ourselves.
Choosing to let God define us frees us from unhealthy dependence on people to give us our identity. Choosing to intercede frees us from the bondage of a critical, negative spirit. Choosing to forgive breaks the chains that suffocate the gift of grace lavished on us. Choosing to encourage out of the overflow of being full of His Spirit spurs courage in us to keep running this earth terrain.
Choosing to be life-givers means we’re choosing life for ourselves. Abundant life. The life Christ died to give us.
I know relationships can be complex. I know that some wounds run really, really deep. But our God is the Healing God. He’s the redeeming God. And it’s just you and me individually before Him. His desire for us is freedom. The freedom to love unhindered because we’re so secure in His love for us.
Today we get to choose. By His gracious empowering, we can choose to pour life into the relationships in which He’s placed us. And then tomorrow, we can do it again.
Fill me, Lord…
Of the four steps to being a life-giver (Let God define me, Intercede, Forgive, Encourage), which do you currently want/need to focus upon? Why?
If you missed any of the Life-Giver series, click here to read all six posts.
And I said I would have a printable today, but alas life happened. Lord willing, I will have it posted on the blog tomorrow. Grace appreciated.
