A profound thought ...

So, I have a wonderful friend who is my intellectual, thought provoking gal pal.

She has challenged me to think about alot things, and give me the opportunity very often to really put down in email what my real thoughts and feelings are about things.

One of the topics we have been discussing has lead to some really great, encouraging and empowering concepts for me ..I thought I would share an excerpt from one of our notes:


I certainly dont know why God did and does what he does, but it makes sense to me to think that he wanted us to love him by our own choice. Because of that, he had to create conflict. Afterall, there is no victory without conflict, right? I think of Adrian..I want him to love me by choice. NOT because he couldnt find anything better, or because I have manipulated him into needing me so bad he wont leave. I want him to want to love me ..therefore I have to know that he has other temptations and other oppportunties to NOT love me ..and when he does, his love means more because I know he COULD, NOT love me.

When we feel victorious over anything, its because there are two sides ..the right/wrong, the good/bad ..when we note the conflict then chose correctly we find victory.

So, God gave us that conflict of "nature" (which craves the physical gratification of self) and "spirit" (that desires something greater, and needs him for fulfillment) in order that the victory OVER our nature is that much more victorious AND, it results in a true love of Him and true glory brought to his name.

Galatians 5:17: "For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want."

(but) ..dying to self is so hard! We, by nature, desire to meet our physical needs first. We desire to meet OUR needs first. Our spirit desires to connect with God, but that cant be done with ourselves in the way ..thus conflict. The act of dying to your nature, denying the satisfaction of self is a profound thought ..it means that you claim victory over that which drives you "naturally".

..By doing so you open up a whole can of worms! It means that you now have to put yourself in the order where your dead nature puts you..behind a bunch of other stuff. Including our families, whom we now live to nurture for the PURPOSE of glorifying GOD! Not, so that they meet our own needs of fulfillment, control, whatever whatever.

Feeding our spiritual nature, requires the OPPOSITE of what our nature desires. We must love our kids and husband MORE than we love ourselves (because THAT is what our "new" nature desires!). We must serve even when it doesnt feed our first "nature".

So, all that to say, while we have already claimed victory over the conflict between nature and spirit, because we still live in this physical world we still must constantly fight it (Romans 7:21).

...Being a mom is an awesome example of putting your "nature" aside...for example, if you are falling then you catch yourself by your natural instinct. Put a baby in those arms, and start to fall..you suppress that desire to save yourself and will put yourself in the most vulnerable position in order to protect that child.

A NOT mom..can go potty, eat, sleep, and dress all she wants to, whenever and however her nature drives her. A mom, has to put that nature aside and potty, eat, sleep, (and dress) based on the nature of someone else. And, its a drive. Kinna like we dont have a choice. Its hard, but its our "mommy nature" ..not the one we were born with, but the one we have taken on when we became a "new creation".

Wow. That is profound ...

Another thought that I have been really pondering..is that our spiritual potential is SO much greater than our physical potential! ... you CANNOT be the kind of person that your spirit CRAVES to be without the Spirit!

Your physical NATURE doesnt want to, ..NO, its UNABLE to love agape. It CANNOT be gentle, kind or self-controlled to the point of satisfaction of our spiritual nature without the Spirit and God in us. You dont reach your potential by being a "good person", it doesnt satisfy that innate desire you have for more.

God created us to have incredible potential ..to love people unconditionally, to disregard hate, to see people for what they could be and not for what they are, to have patience with impossible people, to forgive in unlimited degrees, to have peace amidst trouble ...we have the potential to be LIKE GOD!

We cannot do it with our physical nature in the way.

We have to put it to death every day ..and therein lies the pain, and the victory. The conflict of our natures gives power to our meeting the potential that we have within us, because God is there. By our choosing our spiritual nature over our physical nature we give power to that person that God sees that we can be, what he created for us to be IN ORDER that we bring glory to Him.

Truly, its a freedom that goes behind going to church on Sundays to see your friends. Its a life-changing, peace-giving, spirit-fulfilling thing we have.

Awesome.



Awesome, also that God gives us friends and sisters in Christ to share these thoughts and challenges with.

I pray that today, you feel a total sense of freedom in Christ and gratitude for the ability we have to put away that part of us that is less than worthy of grace! I know I do!