Read with me, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21
Every instance I take captive opposing thoughts I gain life. Every moment surrendered is a moment fully alive. Every time I give up my own opinion, I gain clarity. The Scriptures have an uncanny tendency to steer us in a direction opposite to the fulfilment of our wants. There is an emphasis on the denying of opinions and thoughts, on satisfying the self-indulgent whims so notoriously common for the carnal mind.
If to live is Christ, then to live is not self. Sometimes we feel more relevant when we fulfil a specific want, but it does not follow that we are consequently living fuller lives. You are only truly alive when you are fully living your purpose. You will only fully live your purpose when you have abandoned yourself to His will and Kingdom. This is the irony of it, it is a concept that seems divergent and illogical. To be more, you have to be less. To do more, you have to do less. In truth, to be more in the Kingdom, you do need to do less of what you want to do, specifically impulsively. To do more of what is significant, you need to deem your own wants less important.
To die to self is gain. If you want to be more in the Kingdom, let go of your agendas. It is the illogical maths of the Kingdom that makes perfect sense and offers an immaculate solution- less of me, more of Him. With less awareness of self comes an intimate knowledge of the Power available to us through death. The more we seek Him, the more we find, and the more fulfilled we are for it. Living for Him yields the empowerment to accomplish great feats. With Him you can move a mountain, traverse highest walls, and in victory send armies fleeing. That sounds like a pretty fulfilling and significant life to me.
There is a marked difference between fulfilment and significance of self. When we are all important in our eyes and elevation happens, we improve only ourselves. But when we surrender our hearts and minds to further His work, we elevate nations, families, also entire groups of people.
Greatness starts when we allow Him to be God. Significance is accompanied by surrender. He loves a yielded heart. Awareness of His power made available to you is what sets you up to live a fulfilled life. Do not become a slave to your own wants, enslaved by the desires of your carnal mind. Be free from the chains of self-gratification. Hold on for a fulfilled Christ life. Let His truth reign in your mind.
