Joy and Strength (Christian life and music)

We all do it.  When things are going well, going as planned, going as we like, we tend to not lean on God so much.  We don't think we need Him as much as we do in the harder seasons. Big mistake. We need to thank God for everything and everyone that drives us to our knees in utter dependence on Him. For those are the times when God does His greatest and deepest work in us.  How so?  Because that is when we are full aware of our need for Him. Wish there weren't so many trials?  That's what a heaven is for!  All will truly be well there. But for now! Our greatest strength comes from our deepest dependence on God.  Not in ourselves.  Not in our circumstances.  Not in relationships, finances, prosperity - none of these, as nice as they may be, could ever give us the anchor for our souls that we need. When we look to anything or anyone else other than Almighty God for our strength and might, we will come up short.  Oh it may look or feel good...

I read a verse this morning with which I was very familiar, have known for decades, but in a different translation than I usually read. It is Ephesians 2:10.  The translation I am accustomed to is, "For we were created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which He prepared in advance for us to do."  In that translation, it's all about the good deeds that we do.   But in the NRSV, the verse reads like this: "For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life."  Our way of life. Wow!  To me that takes on a whole new meaning.   I've written many times here in this blog and in my books that God's main aim in saving us is to then form the image of Christ in us.  Out of that relationship and transformation, we do good works for Him, from His Spirit in us. I think there is a huge difference between seeing "good works" as individual items that we check off our to do list, and ...