Making Choices for
Things that Last
Words from Jesus
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Everything that happens in your life is for a purpose and is an opportunity to make a choice. Your choices have consequences, and right choices lead to eternal outcomes and rewards. Choices made for love of Me and others will last into eternity—including the unseen moments of love, compassion, and giving and sacrifice.
I told My early followers that “the last will be first and the first will be last,”1 and many people will be surprised when they come into My heavenly kingdom to see the great importance of lovingkindness, the hidden, unseen acts of love and compassion, the unselfish caring for the well-being of others. For to love is more important than service, more important than ministries, more important than many things that seem so important in this life.
The calling of discipleship is a call to love. It is a call to think of others, to give of self, and to forsake your own personal plans and preferences, if need be, to be able to give and share the gospel with those who are in need.
Much of the love that I can show others and My offer of salvation can only be shown through another. Much of the comfort and encouragement and affection that I wish to bestow can only be given through another. I have ordained and designed it this way that My love can best be shown through another.
His treasures
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. I understand your struggles, I know that the world exerts relentless pressure on you, trying to squeeze you into its mold. This is why you need time alone with Me.
When you open up to Me and invite Me to transform you, I can work freely in you and accomplish amazing things. One of My most challenging tasks is renovating your mind, and My Spirit is always at work on this project … showing you where you need to make changes and helping you develop new attitudes.
Many Christians are unable to discern My will because their minds are entangled in worldliness. The glitter and glamor of this world distract them from Me, so they do not sense My nearness. As you are transformed by the renewing of your mind, you progress in your ability to discern My good and perfect will. You also become increasingly aware of My loving Presence with you.
This awareness is so pleasurable that it draws you ever closer to Me—increasing the effectiveness of My work in you, creating an upward spiral of transformation. Thus you grow not only closer to Me but also more like Me. This is a foretaste of what is to come when I am fully revealed: You will be like Me, for you will see Me as I am.2
Hold things with loose hands, but cling tightly and always to My hand. To be spiritually healthy you must not be overly attached to your possessions. These are all blessings from Me, so receive them with thankfulness. But don’t forget that ultimately I am the Owner of everything…
Another thing to hold loosely is control over your circumstances. When your life is flowing smoothly, it’s easy to feel as if you’re in control. Enjoy these peaceful times, but don’t cling to them or think they are the norm. Instead, cling tightly to My hand—in good times, in hard times, at all times. Good times are better and hardship is more bearable when you’re trustingly depending on Me. My abiding Presence is your portion forever!3
Times of change and choices
Life is full of a multitude of choices, and what you choose will to a great degree determine your character, the path of your life journey, ministry, and personal happiness. Your choices also have a lot to do with how much of My blessings, supply, and the manifestation of My love in your life you are able to experience.
It’s a part of human nature to make poor decisions and mistakes from time to time, and this serves to help you to realize that you’re imperfect and in need of Me. What I look for is yieldedness—a desire to put Me and My will first; a willingness to be made willing and open even when it’s hard; an openness to hear from Me for My guidance for your life.
The fact that something draws to a close and becomes something different doesn’t necessarily indicate that it was wrong or that something went wrong. Things change. People change. Circumstances can dictate change‚ as can people’s choices. But a misconception many people have is that when such changes bring with them some pain or personal sacrifice, this means that I’m somehow displeased or that I’ve deliberately withdrawn My blessings. That’s not true. You must instead seek the new ways I will supply your needs and open new doors of opportunity in your life.
I am able to work within any life change—whether it looks to you like a good change or a more difficult one—to open doors, supply your needs, and bring new blessings, if you are open to looking for them and receiving them. I will not fail to make My love and presence known and clear.
Seeing Him in every season
I’m not going to let you down. I will come through for you. The mountain of obstacles you perceive ahead of you will shrink down to their true size when you come to Me and pray. I will give you wings as the eagle. You will have wings out of weights. Those things that look so hard to figure out will be seen from My perspective, and the picture will become clear.
You just have to open the windows of your soul to Me. Let My wind and the refreshing air of My Spirit flow in and clean out the debris, the stale air, the confusion. Receive the air of My Holy Spirit and let it refresh you and cleanse you.
When your heart is aching, turn to Me. When your strength is failing, turn to Me. When your mind is tired, turn to Me. I will heal your heartache. I will renew your strength. Remind yourself that you can’t do it, but I will give you grace and glory.
My grace is sufficient for you, and I will come through. You will glory in Me, and that glory will be your joy, a strength that no one will be able to take from you. Let My enthusiasm well up in you today. For you have this treasure in your earthen vessel, that the excellency of the power may be of Me and not of you.
When you have nothing left in you, when your body is tired and your mind feels like mush, and yet there’s a day ahead of you full of decisions to be made, cast all these burdens upon Me and I will sustain you. I am present in every aspect of the work of your life. I am in every change you face. I am here. My presence is with you to keep you in all your ways. Commit your ways to Me and I will never fail to establish your thoughts.
Published on Anchor February 2020. Read by Jerry Paladino.
Music by Michael Dooley.
1 Matthew 20:16.
2 1 John 3:2.
3 Sarah Young, Jesus Lives (Thomas Nelson, 2009), and Jesus Always (Thomas Nelson, 2017).
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