I just got glasses a few weeks ago. Pretty exciting, huh? Well, it actually was very exciting to me for a couple of different reasons.
First: because my inner-third-grader rejoiced as I carefully chose my very first frames ever. For some reason, I desperately wanted glasses in elementary school..so much so that I TRIED to fail my eye exams every year... The nurses were not fooled. I had perfect vision. **insert pout of third-grade Sara**
Second: because my eyes have become so weak and strained during this college career I currently find myself in. Spending hours looking at a computer screen, up and down from my notes to a powerpoint, and just plain old exhaustion has taken a toll on these eyes of mine. This strain caused daily headaches and sore eyes for months... even to the point of nausea. I was ready to fix my vision...and I was ready to get back to normal.
So, naturally, getting glasses was a relief to me. I never knew I needed them..but it has actually fixed the physical problems. Gone are the daily headaches and tired eyes...all because I wear my glasses for even just couple hours a day. Putting them on for a few minutes allows my eyes to rest and see normally throughout the day. I still have perfect vision, but I just need these glasses to stop the strain so my eyes can rest a little. Weird, I know. I don't even fully understand how it works.
There is a point to this...I promise... but until I get there...
Every once in a while, I am brought to a moment that completely stops me. I'm talking about a physically-cannot-move-because-God-has-so-completely-blown-my-socks-off-with-this-simple-realization moment. It happens, I promise. As a matter of fact, I was stopped by a particular realization in the middle of my Romans class mid-September.
The realization that God brought me to is so simple, yet so profound. I could not do anything but shake my head at my inability to understand how it completely shapes my entire life. It has changed my entire perspective on who I am, on how earthly relationships work, on what life is about, and on who God is.
Here it is...brace yourself, friend..the reality of a redeemed life:
EVERYTHING is about Jesus. NOTHING is about me.
Crazy simple. Crazy profound. Crazy important to understand.
Let me explain how I came to this conclusion. It's not a long story, there is not a 5 step process, nor is it a complicated theological concept. I had mentioned that I was sitting in my Romans class when I was hit with this mind-blowing concept. In my Romans class we, well, study Romans. Shocker, huh?
As I am reading and studying Romans this semester, I keep getting slammed with this idea. I am learning constantly about how the gospel affects my life... yet this very idea that everything is about Jesus and nothing is about me is what God is using to mold me into His image this semester. Every day in class, every assignment, every time I open the book, I am reminded of this.
Realizing that everything is about Jesus and nothing is about me changes how I live my life in every way possible.
It changes my entire perspective on who I am by drawing me to my knees in humble adoration of my Savior. If you know me at all, you probably know that I like to be in control, in charge, and in the middle of everything. You probably know that I always have an opinion, I know the right way to do things, and I know that I can make things happen. So, recognizing that I literally have NOTHING to do with salvation, with sanctification, with God working in the lives of others, and with loving others how they deserve to be loved throws me to my knees in humble surrender.
Recognizing the everything is about Jesus and nothing is about me also radically changes my perspective on every relationship in my life. When I come to terms with the fact that nothing is about me, I come to terms with the fact that I cannot invest or influence anyone on my own. I cannot be who they need me to be without Christ. I cannot love them without Christ. When I rely on my own strengths and abilities, I become selfish. I pray for what I want within those relationships rather than praying that God will make those very people I love so dearly more like His son. Romans 12:9 says to "Let love be genuine.." Paul continues on through the end of the chapter to explain how to genuinely love others by loving them with the pure, who, unadulterated love of CHRIST. Once I recognize that it is all about Jesus, I can rest in His power to show me how to love them the way they need to be loved. I can trust Him to give me the wisdom to love them in whatever way is MOST loving to THEM rather than how I want to love them. It's not about me. Actually, I come dead last in my priorities when it become all about Christ.
The world tells me to make my mark. I am bombarded with pressure to be my best and to out-best everyone else in the process. I am encouraged to focus on me, myself, and I. But, my mom was right when she told me everyday that "The world does not revolve around Sara." When I focus on my own power, wisdom, and significance, I am so very limited in the circle of humanity. When I focus on the reality of everything being about Jesus and nothing being about me, life takes on complete new meaning. There is nothing I can or ever will do in my strength and power that will mean anything. I don't have the ability to accomplish my dreams, to leave a legacy that outlasts my breath, or to be anything special in this sea of drones we call humanity. When I understand that anything worthwhile that comes from my existence is because He has chosen me to work through, then and only then do I understand this life. I have been made to bring glory to God, to show His glory, and to proclaim His glory. I have been made for His purpose. This causes me to look at life and decided that I only want to be whatever He can make me. I only want to do whatever He can do through and in me. I only want my life to be about Him.
Finally, recognizing that everything is about Jesus and nothing is about me reveals God to me in deeper, more intimate ways than ever before. It shows me how He is good, faithful, righteous, and holy. It shows me that He is my hope and my freedom. Understanding that all of life comes down to knowing Jesus and making Him known shows me how the very person of God affects my life in specific ways. Explanation of a few of those characteristics I have found to be true of God in Romans will follow this post in this mini-series on Romans.
But before that, I still have one crucial realization about this life-changing understanding. I must recognize this very fact every single day. I must take rest in it, I must abide in it.
You see, just like consciously and intentionally wearing my glasses each day for the purpose of resting my eyes, I must consciously and intentionally recognize that everything is about Jesus and nothing is about me EVERY single day. Abiding in Him, in His promises, in His strength, and in this knowledge provides the rest that I need to continue on in His strength. It takes the focus off of me and allows me to rest in His glory. Taking those few minutes to put on this reality allows me to see clearly the rest of the day..because when I try to see life through my own eyes, they quickly become tired and strained. But when I rest each day in Him, I have to power to see without strain and exhaustion.
So now I challenge you to this: read Romans through the lens of everything being about him and nothing being about you. Follow me on this journey through this book. Look for God in each word. Rest in the knowledge that it is all about Him and not about you. Examine how this affects your own life.
Trust Him, dear friend. His grace is sufficient for you.
First: because my inner-third-grader rejoiced as I carefully chose my very first frames ever. For some reason, I desperately wanted glasses in elementary school..so much so that I TRIED to fail my eye exams every year... The nurses were not fooled. I had perfect vision. **insert pout of third-grade Sara**
Second: because my eyes have become so weak and strained during this college career I currently find myself in. Spending hours looking at a computer screen, up and down from my notes to a powerpoint, and just plain old exhaustion has taken a toll on these eyes of mine. This strain caused daily headaches and sore eyes for months... even to the point of nausea. I was ready to fix my vision...and I was ready to get back to normal.
So, naturally, getting glasses was a relief to me. I never knew I needed them..but it has actually fixed the physical problems. Gone are the daily headaches and tired eyes...all because I wear my glasses for even just couple hours a day. Putting them on for a few minutes allows my eyes to rest and see normally throughout the day. I still have perfect vision, but I just need these glasses to stop the strain so my eyes can rest a little. Weird, I know. I don't even fully understand how it works.
There is a point to this...I promise... but until I get there...
Every once in a while, I am brought to a moment that completely stops me. I'm talking about a physically-cannot-move-because-God-has-so-completely-blown-my-socks-off-with-this-simple-realization moment. It happens, I promise. As a matter of fact, I was stopped by a particular realization in the middle of my Romans class mid-September.
The realization that God brought me to is so simple, yet so profound. I could not do anything but shake my head at my inability to understand how it completely shapes my entire life. It has changed my entire perspective on who I am, on how earthly relationships work, on what life is about, and on who God is.
Here it is...brace yourself, friend..the reality of a redeemed life:
EVERYTHING is about Jesus. NOTHING is about me.
Crazy simple. Crazy profound. Crazy important to understand.
Let me explain how I came to this conclusion. It's not a long story, there is not a 5 step process, nor is it a complicated theological concept. I had mentioned that I was sitting in my Romans class when I was hit with this mind-blowing concept. In my Romans class we, well, study Romans. Shocker, huh?
As I am reading and studying Romans this semester, I keep getting slammed with this idea. I am learning constantly about how the gospel affects my life... yet this very idea that everything is about Jesus and nothing is about me is what God is using to mold me into His image this semester. Every day in class, every assignment, every time I open the book, I am reminded of this.
Realizing that everything is about Jesus and nothing is about me changes how I live my life in every way possible.
It changes my entire perspective on who I am by drawing me to my knees in humble adoration of my Savior. If you know me at all, you probably know that I like to be in control, in charge, and in the middle of everything. You probably know that I always have an opinion, I know the right way to do things, and I know that I can make things happen. So, recognizing that I literally have NOTHING to do with salvation, with sanctification, with God working in the lives of others, and with loving others how they deserve to be loved throws me to my knees in humble surrender.
Recognizing the everything is about Jesus and nothing is about me also radically changes my perspective on every relationship in my life. When I come to terms with the fact that nothing is about me, I come to terms with the fact that I cannot invest or influence anyone on my own. I cannot be who they need me to be without Christ. I cannot love them without Christ. When I rely on my own strengths and abilities, I become selfish. I pray for what I want within those relationships rather than praying that God will make those very people I love so dearly more like His son. Romans 12:9 says to "Let love be genuine.." Paul continues on through the end of the chapter to explain how to genuinely love others by loving them with the pure, who, unadulterated love of CHRIST. Once I recognize that it is all about Jesus, I can rest in His power to show me how to love them the way they need to be loved. I can trust Him to give me the wisdom to love them in whatever way is MOST loving to THEM rather than how I want to love them. It's not about me. Actually, I come dead last in my priorities when it become all about Christ.
The world tells me to make my mark. I am bombarded with pressure to be my best and to out-best everyone else in the process. I am encouraged to focus on me, myself, and I. But, my mom was right when she told me everyday that "The world does not revolve around Sara." When I focus on my own power, wisdom, and significance, I am so very limited in the circle of humanity. When I focus on the reality of everything being about Jesus and nothing being about me, life takes on complete new meaning. There is nothing I can or ever will do in my strength and power that will mean anything. I don't have the ability to accomplish my dreams, to leave a legacy that outlasts my breath, or to be anything special in this sea of drones we call humanity. When I understand that anything worthwhile that comes from my existence is because He has chosen me to work through, then and only then do I understand this life. I have been made to bring glory to God, to show His glory, and to proclaim His glory. I have been made for His purpose. This causes me to look at life and decided that I only want to be whatever He can make me. I only want to do whatever He can do through and in me. I only want my life to be about Him.
Finally, recognizing that everything is about Jesus and nothing is about me reveals God to me in deeper, more intimate ways than ever before. It shows me how He is good, faithful, righteous, and holy. It shows me that He is my hope and my freedom. Understanding that all of life comes down to knowing Jesus and making Him known shows me how the very person of God affects my life in specific ways. Explanation of a few of those characteristics I have found to be true of God in Romans will follow this post in this mini-series on Romans.
But before that, I still have one crucial realization about this life-changing understanding. I must recognize this very fact every single day. I must take rest in it, I must abide in it.
You see, just like consciously and intentionally wearing my glasses each day for the purpose of resting my eyes, I must consciously and intentionally recognize that everything is about Jesus and nothing is about me EVERY single day. Abiding in Him, in His promises, in His strength, and in this knowledge provides the rest that I need to continue on in His strength. It takes the focus off of me and allows me to rest in His glory. Taking those few minutes to put on this reality allows me to see clearly the rest of the day..because when I try to see life through my own eyes, they quickly become tired and strained. But when I rest each day in Him, I have to power to see without strain and exhaustion.
So now I challenge you to this: read Romans through the lens of everything being about him and nothing being about you. Follow me on this journey through this book. Look for God in each word. Rest in the knowledge that it is all about Him and not about you. Examine how this affects your own life.
Trust Him, dear friend. His grace is sufficient for you.