Lifetime Daily DevotionsSample

In-Dependence Day

Personal independence was Adam's original sin. He, in effect, said, "I'll do it my way! I don't like your way! I insist on being in control of my life!" God hates independence. You please God through dependence by offering yourself as a living sacrifice through whom Christ can express life to the world. He wants to express His life through you, a part of His body, the church. You were re-created in Christ to be a unique, precious vessel through whom he reveals Himself to the world. The Father accomplished this by rebirthing you as a brand-new creation in Christ's resurrection (1 Peter 1:3)-a fantastic, life-changing truth we'll study later.

And folks, this is not limited to "churchy" activities, but also treating your spouse and kids in a Christlike manner, being friendly in the elevator, courteous at the four-way stop, patient in the checkout line, etc. He's talking about living a godly life that pleases your Father. It's the only life that pleases your Father. God designed it so. Anything else is independence-the original sin.

If you're familiar with our ministry, you know that part of my testimony is that I disgraced the name of Christ for years by the way I treated my precious wife, Anabel-and I was a deeply committed Christian! But God turned it around for me by revealing that Christ expressing His life through me would treat her like a queen if I would just act like He was doing so, by faith. It turned our marriage around!

Christ will replicate the same agape life-style through us today that He expressed 2000 years ago when He was limited to one earthsuit. (The Greek word agape connotes action and means "doing the most constructive, compassionate, redemptive thing for another.") Christ's sacrificial death for us is the epitome of agape love. By His life through our many earthsuits, we can bring honor to His name (reputation) on earth, which is what every born-again person desires. Jesus said it this way: "He who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father" (John 14:12). One Vine (Christ) with millions of branches (saints who trust Christ as life, by faith) can "bear much fruit" and do "greater works than these."

God wishes Christians knew that they were never intended to live the Christian life. He wishes we knew that Christ is to live the Christian life through His body of volunteers, the church, and that as such we will experience consistent victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil. Such a person is not a cordless Christian; he's plugged into a Source that's more powerful than an atomic generator! This is not a time to live independent, but to live in dependence upon Christ . So go ahead, declare today your day your ǃ_In-Dependence Day.ǃ_