Intentionally Kingdom Cultured
So, the past, it has come back in similarity, into my present new year. Intentionally Kingdom Cultured, my spiritual growth zone for this year indicates to me that You, Lord Jesus, want to change up my reaction to this same recurring soul hardship. I can tell that You, Holy Spirit, want to teach me new things this year, desiring for me to learn to respond differently, to see from a different perspective and change things up in me.
Kingdom Courage Is What I Need
So, in light of my current soul struggle, teach me Holy Spirit, from Your kingdom perspective, how to take this recurring trial of my soul and see it out of a kingdom perspective, so it has a less of a negative impact on my soul and a more positive growth in my spirit. What new spiritual habits do I need to start putting in place to counteract this bitter blast from the past, that continues to knock me off my feet, causing me to lose my soul bearings. I sense You want to show me what courage is and to take my life and work into it an intentionally kingdom cultured courage. I will sit still on Your Potter’s chair, as responsive clay, yielding to Your Potter’s touch as You change me up.
Is My Courage Damaged By My Viewpoint?
Courage? What is it from Your viewpoint Lord Jesus? Is the lack of it a missing ingredient in my trust of You? I know that learning starts with a surrendering of my worldly viewpoint. I always thought that courage was when I am afraid, just pushing through the fear and accomplishing the thing I was afraid of. When does fear come in? It usually comes in when the familiar that I am comfortable with changes up, to something I don’t want to deal with. So, at the root of my fear, it is about me, it is about what I want, it is about my strong will, clashing with Your way for me. No doubt, which one will win out in the end.
Jesus left the upper room with his disciples and, as was his habit, went to the Mount of Olives, his place of secret prayer. There he told the apostles, “Keep praying for strength to be spared from the severe test of your faith that is about to come.” Then he withdrew from them a short distance to be alone. Kneeling down, he prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup of agony away from me. But no matter what, your will must be mine.” Luke 22:39-42
The Strength Of A Surrendered Heart
I keep thinking about You, Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, incarnate God, God in the flesh, feeling the things of the flesh, as You knew what was ahead and yet made the right choice when tempted to abandon the narrow path of suffering and take a broader path of ease. In the flesh you felt the pain of humanity, you knew the agony of having all the sins of the world on Your shoulders. It took courage, real courage to say: Not my will but Yours and then go and walk the road to Golgotha. You do understand our every feeling, Incarnate Lord Jesus.
Intense Stress Destabilizes Our Body
Jesus, I can see clearly from the amazing testimony of the Bible,(God’s gift of living words to us) that Your courage blossomed after You surrendered to the Will of the Father God. You seemed more focused on what He wanted, and surrendered to the way He wanted to purposefully take You. You left Your preference in the Garden. You struggled so much with your incarnate flesh that you sweat drops of blood; evidence of the effect of the intense soul stress on Your human body.
Soul Peace Is A Strength Like No Other
Jesus, You left that Garden in peace of soul, facing your fear with a heavenly bound focus. Is this the way of intentionally kingdom cultured courage? A wholly-holy surrender of what I want and a turn-to focus from my worldly viewpoint, to a Kingdom of God perspective. Purposefully so, what is best for the Kingdom, is always going to truly be best for me. It may not feel like it at the time that it is best for me here and now, but God’s Providential Care will have the final say-so as His purposes of bringing forth good for me and glory for the Kingdom intertwine into a Sovereign outcome.
He is the Bridegroom, and the bride belongs to him. I am the friend (family) of the Bridegroom who stands nearby and listens with great joy to the Bridegroom’s voice. And because of his words my joy is complete and overflows! So it’s necessary for him to increase (We are the increase of Christ as his counterpart. Just as Eve was the increase of Adam, the bride is the increase of Christ on the earth) and for me to be diminished. “For the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks from the natural realm. But the One who comes from above is above everything and speaks of the highest realm of all! John 3:29-31 The Passion Translation
Staying In A Comfort Zone Is Dangerous For Us
Jesus, I surrender this recurring situation that makes me so uncomfortable, I yield my will to You, recognizing that this situation has kingdom purpose. I will stop seeking my personal ease and step outside of my comfort zone. I acknowledge You, in this way, knowing that staying comfortable is a growth danger zone I don’t need to camp out in. Teach me Holy Spirit, how You want me to respond to this situation that brings out the worst of my negative emotion? I don’t like it; it is not the way I would choose, but one thing I have learned is that the ways of my choice are not always the ways of Your Sovereign Will.
Pray It Up For A Heavenly Exchange
I don’t want to have the typical reaction, that changes nothing in me. I surrender my will to You, take control of this recurring situation that I react so negatively to and change it up in me; help me to be intentionally kingdom cultured. I pray my emotions will not be cultivated by my worldly viewpoint. Break the power of the enemy over me in this situation, change up my way to Kingdom Courage, that it would not be a way of willful pressing through, which never succeeds, but it would be a way of surrender to Your Will, by the power of Your resurrection alive in me.
Surrender Is The Way To Courage
It seems unnatural that surrender would be the way to real courage, but this was Your Way, Jesus, and I will follow it; I will change it up from more of You, to less of me. I will be intentionally kingdom cultured. Father forgive me for all these years of trying to be comfortable with what I wanted and not being open to what You wanted for me. Change it up in me. Shape Kingdom Courage In Me. I surrender to Your Will for my life. Less of me and what I want, more of You. Create in me a pure heart, one that is intentionally kingdom cultured, working hard to lay down old human habits, exchanging them for new spiritual habits, kingdom cultured spiritual habits.
Hello, thank you for stopping in The Bridegroom’s Café. I hope you enjoyed your spiritual meal at the Author Table today. God is doing new things and He is shaping us to live “Intentionally Kingdom Cultured”! You can follow my growth in this area this year by subscribing by email to The Bridegroom’s Café. I wrote a book called: The Bridegroom’s Voice. I highly suggest it. It is a fantastic way to decrease and allow Jesus, His way, truth and life to increase in you. You can purchase it here:
Purchase The Bridegroom’s Voice
