God's Not Finished With Me Yet

Last night, I went to sleep meditating on Galatians 5:22: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." 

This verse hit me in a deep and sincere way last night.  How many people do you think that we come into contact with each day take the time to dig into their Bibles, to really know and appreciate the man of Christ, to learn who He was and what seperated Him from everyone else?!  Most people may think they understand who Christ was; Maybe he was a nice man who walked this earth and did some amazing miracles and gave his time to widows and sick people.  They might see him as a "Mother Teresa" type figure; a do-gooder, a Saint and a prophet.

But Jesus was so much Greater!    He was so much greater than a good man, a man of healing, forgiveness, and compassion.  We're talking about the Ultimate SON of GOD here!!  Jesus Christ was absolutely perfect- he sat at the right hand of God in Heaven!  He had the perfect body and lived in a perfect world with no sin or sickness and was able to worship our Creator all day long.  How absolutely amazing is that visual?! 

Because of sin brought into this world, Christ willingly gave it all up, though.  God gave Him the Ultimate Mission and Jesus took it on humbly and with 100% fervant and fire. 

You see, we have all sinned.  We all deserve to die and live forever in Hell.  Having decent morals, trying to be good, and keeping the 10 commandments does not excuse our sin.  No one has been able to fully uphold all of God's Will, except Christ Jesus himself.  But our Creator deeply desires a personal relationship with us.

Jesus, being fully God, came to this earth to serve as a replacement for us.   He knew that He had to send the Perfect sacrifice, in His Son.  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.  He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:23-24).  Since no human being is inherently righteous, no one can enter into fellowship with God on his or her own.  A person's most basic spiritual need is to be reconciled to God, to be made right and whole before God.  The sole answer to our dilemma is found in Christ, who justifies us in God's sight through our faith in Him. 

John 3:16-17 clearly states that: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."  Through Jesus Christ's death and burial, we have the hope of meeting our Creator one day!  We must commit to follow him completely, though!  That is my challenge to you today, as well as myself. 

I woke up this morning with these words on my heart: "I'm not finished with you yet."  I know that we have a great battle ahead of us right now.  Yes, I have cancer; big deal.  The important thing is this: God has a huge voice for me to speak up for Him, right now, in the present!  He's not finished with me yet and has super extradordinary things in my future!  He is bigger than this! 

I meditated on those fruits of the spirit last night from Galatians, and know that I personally will live each day in such a way that those around me see Christ.  I commit today to live a full life of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Will you take this challenge with me today?!  Will you live your life from this point forward in such a way that those around you actually SEE Jesus in you!?!

I hope you are challenged today and get some inspiration from this song, as I do: Wait and See by Brandon Heath.  This song is wonderful to just listen to when it seems like your life isn't what you thought it would be... But to remember that God is in control and He does have a plan, even if we can't see what it is right now. 
God bless you all,
Alicia