This reality of Him looking through His eyes at our heart, and seeing us perfected made me realize that I need to live more radically for Him. When I was in the world partying I radically lived a life of drugs, promiscuity, and alcoholism. I was always the person that had to get a little higher, or a little more drunk. If I was going to do something I had to give it all I had, and go to the extreme. The definition of radical means being far beyond the norm, and that was me in a nutshell. I had recently ran into some old friends I used to party with, and when I told them I was living my life for God they were taken aback. This person in the six years they had known me had only met me one time when I was sober, and it was on that very day we had gotten reacquainted. The thought of this left me bewildered in thought that if this was the way I was when I wasn't living for God what is holding me back from living a life full of His spirit. I want people to come up to me for the rest of my life from here on out to say to me, "I have never seen you without the glory of God on your face".
I am beginning to understand the meaning of radically living for Christ. I am going to allow myself to be susceptible to radical growth in my Spirit. This growth will lead to radical giving, prayer, fasting, studying, loving, healing, miracles and obedience to name a few. Out of a love place for God extreme living for Him becomes normal to yourself. It will not matter what others think of my lifestyle, because I have the knowledge and understanding of Him being the Bridegroom.
Ephesians 1:17-18
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
When you gain wisdom, revelation, and knowledge of Him no material item, or social status matters. You begin to perceive life through His eyes (in the spirit) instead of your own (in the flesh). We as a culture are so stuck on being different, yet we join "Cliques" so to speak. This happens in schools, jobs, churches, and most forms of society. Each and every person has a different finger print scheme, and we are so uniquely made, but do not want others to think we are too far out of the box. I realize that at times I fall in this category of social conformity. It is not a fact to be so extreme just to prove a point to be different, but to be my own unique self not allowing others to influence me to be who I am not. It kind of blew me away when I looked up the word unique, because it had the word radical in it. To be unique is to be radically distinctive and without equal. In Christ I want to be far from the norm with distinctiveness, and without an equal. I want to allow myself to live the life I am supposed to live for God without any conformity to the way things are "Supposed" to be done. I have always carried myself a bit different than others, and in my early years suffered repercussions for it. Being ostracized from certain social groups had me shift to rebellion to be accepted. In His word it says rebellion is a form of witchcraft, which in turn is a step toward darkness. In Acts that they all sold their worldly possessions , and allotted them together as one for the whole group to use. This act of these people that were on fire for God to sell everything they owned, and put it in one common area is radical living for Christ. People are so consumed about the next toy they are going to get, and are so attached to things they miss God's call. I am not saying to sell everything you have and form a community, but to allow yourself to be so in tune with what God says that you will not think twice to detach yourself from possessions.
Needless to say some people believe I am already living a radical lifestyle by holding off on a career to go live in the woods as an unpaid intern for a ministry. I will say that this is an interesting decision to some, but an act of obedience for me. To see how God has plucked me out of my lifestyle of radical prodigal living to pouring out His favor and tender mercy on me is worth it. He as taken me as a broken and bitter person, and raised me up and transformed me into who I was meant to be. I am full of love because I have fervently sought Him. He has opened up heaven to me, because of my willingness to beat my body into submission for His calling on my life. There is nothing in this world that is worth even the most minuscule amount of His anointing on my life. I only hope that I can walk in love as Stephan did in Acts chapter 7.
Acts 7:57-60
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;
58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
I pray that I get to the place of love that when people are murdering me physically, spiritually, or verbally that I ask God to not charge them with the sin they are committing. I am not yet at this point, because I would be asking God to take them to hell. Stephen throughout chapter seven was wrongly accused, and told his accuser and judges that they resisted the Holy Spirit, and killed the Messiah. He stood up for what he believed in and boldly proclaimed the Truth. Even throughout all of that he asked God to forgive them. This is a story I will never forget, and I want to live as radically as he did (Side note-Jesus lived more radically for God than did anyone else in the Bible, but this is just a chapter that I am on as of now. I am by no means putting Stephan before Christ in who I want to be like).
I love y'all whom take the time to read this. I want to encourage you to take steps closer to God, and allow Him to work His will in your life. Remember that every trial in your life is something that God is using to teach you something. Allow the trial to have its perfect work in you (James 1:2-4)
Hebrews12:10
10 For they indeed for a few days chastened
us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers
of His holiness.
Chastened-Teach/Train up a child
Profit-Companionship/Union/Possession/Endure
Partakers-Participate/Eat/Receive
In order for us to become
spiritually mature we need to be chastened by God to bring unity,
companionship, and endurance, so that we may participate and receive His
holiness (Secret Place).
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