Bishop Wills' Life Journal entry for December 1, 2008 -- Life Is Not About Me

Life Is Not About Me

S: Romans 8: 9 (The Message)
But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. ( vs. 10 Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells-even though your still experience the limitations of sin-you experience life on God’s terms)

O: Old ways of living can start living in our lives again, sometimes without us even knowing they are there. The sure way to tell is that you begin to start thinking more of yourself than of him.

A: Up until recently, this has been a very difficult time in my life. What comes to me daily is not “good news”. There are so many problems in our church and in our churches.

I must work with Pastors who have fallen or who are having a very difficult time in their churches.

And on top of all of this, I am aware of so many who are facing hard times financially. These hard times effect our churches and the ministries beyond the local church which we support with apportionments. But behind the hard times of finances, I see so many people who are suffering because of our dwindling resources.

I guess this morning the Lord is telling me, it is easy to put Jesus first when things are going well and the news is mostly all good news. But when trouble comes, I easily start thinking more about myself than I do of Jesus.

I must be reminded I am not in this alone. God has taken up residence in my life and my focus should be on letting God direct my life and help me during these difficult times. God is not my judge, but a loving presence within me which still seeks to redeem me so my life reflects Jesus and I live in such a way that I know “absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us” (vs. 39)

P: Father thank you this morning for helping me and living within me. Let me not forget I am becoming a new creation in Christ Jesus and that I am not alone. Love, Dick

Y: I give up my focus on myself.


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