What's mine is His and that's all good.

What's mine is mine so don't try changing that. Yeah I think that's where I've been with multiple things throughout many times in my life... Can I be honest with you for a brief respite? I still have this struggle. Seriously I don't want to give up all of me at times. What I am talking about is fundamental to the faith that has a claim on all of my life. I fight this claim on what I believe is still my own.

Now I will tell you what inspired all of this. I was reading a book by Chuck Swindoll on the life of Jesus. In this book Swindoll writes, "The rich and powerful hoped He [the Messiah] would not come in their lifetime, because that would end their personal claims to wealth and status." Looking at my own life I can say that I want Christ to come back and that's after realizing what I would be leaving. See, when I worship God and sing about his reigning over everything that includes my life too. Having been abroad a handful of times now I can say that living as a student in the US puts me on track to being "rich and powerful" if I am not already (I pray it doesn't go to my head). I cannot say now that I believe Chrisitans are not allowed to be in positions of power and influence, but I can say that those positions should not be what we define ourselves as.

The following sentence Swindoll writes goes like this, "The poor and downcast longed for Him to come and break their yoke of oppression." I can say that I have felt downcast in my life at times and its true this makes you long for a hopeful end. I am going to go out on a limb and say that though this is the more favored position among Christians it would be foolish to say this is what defines us. I mean yes sin deprives us and casts us down from what we were and that's not something I am shrugging off. I am simply reminding all of us that the Messiah has come and made the sure promise that His first coming has redeemed all regardless of position. We are not deprived we are blessed because of this promise alone.

It all comes at a cost though. In order to receive this promise you must let go of the world's promises. There in lies the struggle for most. Let me say I am with you. Giving up your whole life is not easy by any means. In order for the eternal life of Christ to become my source of life I must forgo my finite life. May we lived blessed as blessings.

In Him who came and is coming.