The change in perspective that will change your life
“Jesus, remove me from me.”
This has been my constant prayer for the past few months. I have slowly and painfully come to the realization that I am the greatest hindrance to my walk with the Lord and what He wants for my life instead. I am naturally all these things that prohibit what God wants to accomplish in my life:
- Selfish
- Proud
- A dweller in self-pity
- Undisciplined
- Greedy
I am constantly in the way of God’s plan and purpose for my life and desperately seeking to get over myself and allow God to work. I tend to think everything about my life is about me, and, it’s not. That’s a tough pill to swallow.
I have to beg God to remove me from me, step back, and expand my heart, my mind, and my view. I have to ask Him for a glimpse to see that my life, little ol’ me, is only here for just a tiny fraction of time in the grand scheme of time itself.
“For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes,” James reminds me in his letter. Do I really want this bit of time I have to be ruled by my selfishness, my greediness, my pride, and then be over when I am over?
Could my life actually make a lasting impact when I focus on Jesus, surrender to His plans, and do what He wants me to do?
See, life is not about me. It's about Jesus – getting to know Him and sharing His love, mercy, and grace with others so that it can make an impact on their eternity, not just my day-to-day.
Mindful of John the Baptist’s humbling declaration that “He must increase, but I must decrease,” I beg God to remove me from me and fill me up with Him. It’s a daily battle, a daily prayer, a daily surrendering to Him, but He’s the one worth living for. He’s the one worth sharing. It’s not about me. It is all about Him. Through His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit I can choose what He wants for me instead:
- I can be selfless like He was on the cross (Matthew 20:28).
- I can be humble because I know my need for grace (James 4:6).
- I can dwell on His goodness and forget both my failures and successes (Philippians 3:7-10).
- I can be devoted to Him wholeheartedly (Matthew 22:36-38).
- I can give to others freely and abundantly because He will meet my needs (Luke 12:32-33).