The Pursuit of Deeper Holiness

As we pursue the deepness of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we will soon face many trials and tribulations that seem to keep us from going deeper.  As humans we easily become entangled with the world around us. 

For as many people that there are there are many forms of entanglement. Some mothers get entangled with the lives of their children when those lives look like they are not doing well.  You know you are entangled with something when you cannot escape the thought of it.  When your mind constantly wanders back to it.  It isn’t something that brings you joy, but on the contrary these entanglements often draw you down a deep path of darkness to a place of fear and anxiety.

Another person may not be able to escape the entanglement of His financial need.  His gaze is upon His wallet.  Such fear can rise within a man’s heart about his finances that he can be paralysed and his only meditation is upon the things he thinks he needs or wants.   The Lord taught us to pray for our daily need, but the entangled soul worries about much more than that. 

Another person worries about being sick.  Their entire mind is focused on overcoming death in the natural.  They worry so much that they bring this fear to every table that they sit at without even noticing that they have brought it there. 

I heard one preacher say that we speak from the place of the issues of the heart.  Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”  The essence of this passage likens the heart to a fountain.  Out of fountains spring forth water that hopefully satisfies the thirst of all who drink from it, but some fountains have bitter water so that all who drink of it regret that they did.

From the mouth comes forth the things that we worry about.  If we have a grievance against a brother or a sister out of the mouth often flows criticism toward them.  If all you think about is money then out of your mouth will flow concern for that matter.  If you are deviant and perverted, then out of your mouth will flow words that show this character within you.  If you worry about life and death this water will also flow from your life. 

I have friends who have the TV running all day long.  Night and day they listen to things that come across that screen.  I find it difficult to be in their houses because I don’t want to hear the negativity that comes with doing this.  Recently I was in England and there had been a terrorist attack aboard a train.  My friend listened to the BBC for the three hours I was there.  I heard over and over about this event that took place.  The same interviews and the same commentary must have been spoken 10 times during my time there.  I was overwhelmed, but this is how many live their lives.

What we meditate upon is what comes forth from us.  I would like to say I am free from all distractions but God.  This would not be true.  I face many issues of the heart also and my concerns and sins will flow through my tongue many times.

I have such sorrow at my lack of righteousness.  I want to be like Jesus but I do not have the strength in myself to conform to His identity.  The most that I can do is surrender to Him and pray a simple prayer.  I ask the Lord who is the potter to have His way in my life.  I often pray, “Please Lord Jesus make me into your image.”

I have learned some things, but not everything that I need to know to live in the will of God.  My life presents me with many challenges and my hope is that with the struggles that come I will learn who Jesus is within that fight.

The only way to life is to find Jesus within all things.  Somehow when He illuminates Himself within the struggle I am changed.  As I see Him, I overcome.  But there are things in my flesh that would weigh me down.  I must die to self.  I must embrace the cross.  Death is not easy.  Dying to the flesh is sorrowful.  When we worry and fear we are saying that we are still alive because there is something that still can hurt us.  I am with you in this struggle.  I am not there yet.

My hope is that Jesus will mark Himself inside of me in every battle.  I want His holiness inside of me, but I also know that such a desire comes at a great cost.  If I say to Jesus, “I want to live with you in your glory,” I am also saying I want to die with you in your death.  What if freedom comes through humiliation.  Are you willing to embrace that cross.  I am not sure I am, but if the Lord deems fit that I should be humiliated to be free then die I will.  Not because I have chosen humiliation but because I have chosen the cross.  I said ‘yes’ to the Lord a long time ago.  My desire is not to be conformed to this world, and therefore the Lord is doing the work to separate me from it.

My words are not clear, but let’s just say if I have things in my flesh that I wrestle with God will deal with them.  He will root it out one way or the other, and while this may make me uncomfortable, I gave Him permission a long time to do it when I said, “Not my will but yours be done.”  I may not have understood the fulness of what I was praying, but I prayed it, and I meant it.  Therefore, come what may, I am in Christ and He is in me.

I pray for you today that you will overcome all things.  As you fight the good fight of faith it is not that your confession will be perfect, or that issues that are weighty will not flow out of your heart, but you will overcome because Jesus has overcome.  The battle may come but I declare that you shall be fine in Jesus’ mighty name.