He's Alive! And He's Perfect!

"He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay." 

~ Matthew 28:6

Jesus is alive! He died and rose again, conquering sin and death forever and ever! We don't have to live in sin or in fear or in bondage. We can have victory through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord! Jesus died on the cross and rose again, cleansing us from sin and clothing us with His perfect righteousness forever.

During our Good Friday service, we took communion and had a time of reflection. As I prayed, it stuck me to the heart that, "He was perfect so that I don't have to be. He was perfect because He could be and I couldn't be."

I spend so much time trying to be perfect. I want to be a perfect daughter, perfect employee, perfect friend, perfect sister, and ultimately, a perfect Christian. But that's not what God wants me to focus on. He wants me to focus more on who He is and how perfect He is than on how perfect I am trying to be. Perfection is unattainable outside of Christ.

In Christ, I am made perfect. I am crucified to myself and I live in Him: "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" (Galatians 2:20). My identity isn't wrapped up in my efforts of striving for perfection, but in His perfectly glorious holiness.

Because of His gift of life, I am going to put on the Lord Jesus (Romans 13:14), clothing myself in His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) instead dressing up in my dirty rags of trying to be good (Isaiah 64:6). I don't claim to know exactly what this will look like in my daily life, but I do know that turning my focus away from myself and trying to be perfect and instead fixing my eyes on Jesus and His perfection will change the way that I live. For when I am in Christ, His love controls me and I'm not living for myself, but for Him.

"For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." 

~ 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Jesus is alive and Jesus is perfect! He died on the cross and rose again, conquering sin, conquering death, and giving us abundant life. His perfection is perfection. And He is alive, perfectly reigning forever and ever. Amen. 

Rejoicing,
Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory

Psalm 16:5-6

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

~ Psalm 16:5-6

Let Me Feel What You Feel, Lord

Emotions can be like a roller coaster. Sometimes we're happy, sometimes we're sad, sometimes we're worried, sometimes we're excited, and sometimes we're just "blah". While some of us are more emotional than others, we all have feelings.

I'm the kind of person who tends to deeply feel my emotions as well the emotions of others. As I thought about my tendancy to ride the roller coasters of my own and other people's emotions, I started to wonder, "Do I also feel what God feels?"

It's good to be aware of our own emotions and understand why we feel the way we do. It is also a good thing to be in tune to the emotions of others because it helps us to be sensitive to their needs. At the same time, how often are our feelings swayed by God instead of the feelings of others? How often are we caught up with how God feels about something rather than letting our own feelings lead us?

Our God is a God with vast, strong emotions. He feels love (John 11:36), He feels anger (Deuteronomy 4:21), He feels joy (Zephaniah 3:17), He feels jealousy (Exodus 34:14), He feels sorrow (Isaiah 53:3), He feels peace (Romans 15:33), and so much more! God's emotions are absolutely perfect in every way.

If we focus on His feelings, we are able to feel deeply ourselves and for others in healthy ways. As I've prayed that God would allow me to be in tune to how He feels more than I'm in tune to the emotions of other people or myself, I have realized that there I have many opportunities to put this into practice.

When I see a friend in a deep conversation with someone else and I want to talk with her, I can easily feel jealous or selfish. But instead of letting my emotions dictate how I feel, I can think about how God feels. My friend is investing in the life of another person and this is pleasing to God. Like Him, I want to feel pleased instead of jealous or selfish.

When things don't happen the way we want them to, feelings of frustration often arise. It is easy to become impatient, as some friends of mine did when we were stuck behind a train on the way to a concert. Instead of letting their frustration frustrate me, I decided to be thankful. I knew God would be pleased by us having more time to cultivate our relationships with each other, so I felt His joy, and sought to share it with my friends.

When I'm stressed because school deadlines are pressing (but not this week, since I'm on Spring Break! YAY!), I can quickly give in to those anxious feelings that knot up my stomach. But I don't have to, and instead I can think about how God takes pleasure in my hard work and in me surrending my time to Him, so I can feel pleasure in His grace.

When I'm making a decision, I don't have to base it on how I feel about the situation or how other people feel about the decision, but rather on how God feels. I can discern His feelings about my decision by the truth of His Word, seeking Him in prayer, and listening to the wisdom of people who will share the truth with me - not just their feelings.

When someone is excited about something, I can rejoice in their joy, as God rejoices with them and when a someone is sad about something, I can sorrow with them, as God sorrows with them. If my emotions are in tune to God's emotions, I can care for others with the care of Jesus Christ. The care of Christina can only go so far without running out, but God's care and concern will never run out.

What opportunities in your life do you have to focus on the emotions of God more than you focus on the emotions of other people or the emotions of your own heart? His feelings are perfect, because all His ways are perfect.

"This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true;

he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. For who is God, but the Lord?

And who is a rock, except our God?— the God who equipped me with strength

and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer

and set me secure on the heights."

~ Psalm 18:30-33

When our feelings are based on His feelings, which are an overflow of His character, we have a rock solid foundation from which to feel our own emotions and to be sensitive to the feelings of others. 

Lord, help us to be like you. Give us your peace. Show us how to love with your love. Grant us your graciousness. Let us help those who are hurting with your help. Put your song into your hearts. Teach us to be angry at what angers you. Fill our lives with your joy. Guide us to feel what you feel. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Seeking to feel what He feels,
Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory!