Day 27 - Lisa Moon
Is there a specific Bible passage or verse that comes to mind in the context of “Less of Me and More of Him”?
Luke 22:41-44 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw and knelt and prayed saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
I am neither very young nor very old. To some, I might seem to have a lot of life experience, but to others, not so much. Nevertheless, I can say that I am still at the center of experiencing the hardships and discomforts of life. Lately, this Bible passage comes to mind when I think about the theme, “Less of Me and More of Him,” and has been a great comfort to me. Even though it is recorded in three of the four Gospels, Luke’s version touches my heart the most. This was Jesus’ prayer to God just before His sacrifice. God Himself was born into this world and lived a life that wasn’t easy. Yet, He lived without sin and still gave up His life. This truth is so comforting and wonderful to me. Jesus prayed with all His might for the Father to remove his cup, so much so that His sweat became like drops of blood. And although the Father could have done so, Jesus prayed that everything would be done according to God’s will. In the end, Jesus fulfilled God’s will and died to save us from our sins.
If the Lord endeavored to fulfill God’s will, I must also humble myself. I can’t dare to think of increasing myself. Instead, I must focus on becoming less so that He can increase within me. These days, I find comfort and even strength in this message as I meditate and think about these verses.
Briefly explain which areas of your life you find most difficult to surrender to Christ.
I’m constantly struggling to balance two different lives in my heart. Even now, far into my Christian life, I am still running an ongoing race. Part of my heart knows the teachings of the Bible and the blessings of the Holy Spirit. Yet the other side is dominated by worldly thoughts and desires. These two sides continue to fight within my heart. Still, I believe I can enjoy true happiness and freedom when I obey the Holy Spirit. I know listening to the Holy Spirit will help me live with gratitude every day and change how I see the world, the people around me, and even my problems. Some days, my heart can only give 50%, and sometimes it might reach 70% or 80%. Life can be difficult, but I’m determined to keep running this race and strive to give 100% to the Lord.
Share the areas of your life that have shifted from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness.
The main area in my life that has shifted from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness involves my two children, Mattew and Benjamin. Even though I didn't have any qualifications, I became a mother to two precious sons whom I received as a blessing from the Lord. Like any other parent, I wanted my children to live healthy lives in a loving and stable familial environment. I wanted them to learn and do what they wanted, live in a nice house, have a nice car, and travel wherever and whenever they wanted. I especially wanted them to grow up without any worries, but I knew that this desire was unrealistic. It was this wish that gave me the most difficulty, as my hardships in life were not only limited to myself but also affected my children.
When my children were very young, I was in a position where I did not have any money. I had to leave the place where I was living, and I cried while looking at my children. It was the most challenging time of my life. But during that time, the Lord spoke to me, saying His heart ached for me and my children. He assured me that I was His daughter and that my children were His sons. At that moment, I realized that my children were not mine. They are the Lord’s children. I completely laid them down before the Lord, and because of this, parenting became a Christ-centered area of my life.
As a physical parent, I do my part as a mother and try my best to provide an example of how to live a life of faith, but I know that the Lord will take care of my children. I believe the Lord has done so much in my children’s lives and is still working in them. I know He will continue to move. I know that our suffering was a time of refinement that God utilized so that we could enjoy a pleasure that the world could not provide. Regardless of whatever my children do in the future, I will always be confident that they are sons of the Lord.
What are some practical ways you can display Christ to those around you?
“Do you go to church? Have you accepted the Lord?” Rather than preaching like this, I am overly cautious about my words, actions, and thoughts every day. I constantly think about how others see me outside of church. Lately, I have been thinking about this a lot because sometimes, I do not act as a Christian in my workplace. Even writing this, I feel embarrassed and regretful about how my actions do not seem “Christian.” Maybe some people can naturally convert non-believers into Christians, but I do not believe I am like those people. However, I know that our words, actions, and thoughts are different from those who do not yet know Jesus. Thus, we must continue to live differently so that those around us can follow. We must pray to the Lord at every moment. We must speak and act with the thoughts and wisdom given to us by the Holy Spirit. And we must look back and repent every day and have God pour new wine into new wineskins.