Day 25 - Ashley Sim
Is there a specific Bible passage or verse that comes to mind in the context of “Less of Me and More of Him”?
Galatians 2:20-21 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
For years, I would be convicted by Sunday sermons or even some moving words in a worship song, but my Christian life remained the same. No matter how hard I tried to change, I was in a long spiritual drought. But Paul reminds us in these verses that it is through faith alone that we can die to our old selves and live new lives in Christ. It was only when Paul accepted that he could not achieve righteousness on his own and had put his faith in Christ’s righteousness that he was able to truly live for God. The less we rely on ourselves and our understanding, the more we can trust the Spirit to lead us into faith.
Briefly explain which areas of your life you find most difficult to surrender to Christ.
It has always been challenging to surrender control of my life. My mind is regularly filled with agendas and next steps as I try to organize my life how I see fit. But during this season of Lent, God has called me to stillness - apart from my thoughts and plans and the distractions I usually surround myself with - to be in His presence.
It’s been challenging, but as I slowed down little by little and filled the time by offering a prayer or reading His Word, God reminded me that He had always been in control. I remembered all the moments He’s carried me through, the good and the bad. And He has been patiently waiting for me to surrender to Him. Lord, grant me the faith to submit my life into your hands.
“I've never been more glad
That I put my faith in Jesus
'Cause He's never let me down
He's faithful through generations
So why would He fail now?
He won't.”
(Maverick City Music - Firm Foundation)
Share the areas of your life that have shifted from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness.
The natural tendency of my heart is to be proud and selfish, to live for myself, and to seek my pleasures. I have been content and comfortable in this current state of my life, and my heart hardened. I came to a point where I even thought that I could be okay without God, that I could be self-sufficient, and that thought scared me. Even this fear took a long time to yield an action out of me. But in this season, God has graciously softened my heart to deeply desire change. I’ve been making small spaces in my heart to let Him in to mold and use me, and I’m stepping closer to obedience each day. I’m nervous but excited to witness how His faithfulness will be displayed.
What are some practical ways you can display Christ to those around you?
God has given us the Holy Spirit to be our Helper and to be like Christ. I want to rely on the Spirit to seek wisdom in all my relationships and encounters with people. I want to pray for strength to be slow to anger and to be patient and loving. And I want to show kindness through my actions and words.