Day 39 - Steve Lee
Is there a specific Bible passage or verse that comes to mind in the context of “Less of Me and More of Him”?
Joshua 1:6-9 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
God called Joshua to be strong and courageous as he led the Israelites into the Promised Land. God charged this new leader to stay fixed on the path that God had prepared for him, that by doing so, there would be victory and success wherever that path led him. He was to meditate on the Word of God because that would be his guideline. And God reminds him again to be strong and courageous because God is with him. God is putting me through a season where things are not very clear. The road is neither clear nor straight, but this passage reminds me that staying on His path and following Him will bring success and victory. I'm not to look left or right or to what I believe is the right path but to stay on the path set for me.
Briefly explain which areas of your life you find most difficult to surrender to Christ.
Of the hardest things to surrender is my career and what I define as success. I worked very hard to get to where I was in my previous career, but it required me to make big sacrifices in other areas of my life, including family and church. So, when God opened the door for me to change jobs, I knew it was the right thing to do, but I hated it. However, after trusting in God and leaving my previous career, I was able to devote time and energy to raising a family. I was finally able to serve the church, something I hadn’t done in a long time because of my previous work schedule. It's been two years since I made the transition, and now, I have an amazing and beautiful son, and I serve the church to the best of my ability, but still, I question God's decision for me, whether it's okay for me to hate my job and dread my future career. Still, God is reminding me that what I think is best for me and what God knows is best for me are not always identical. All the evidence points to me not making the best decisions for myself and that I must trust God's perfect plan for my life.
Share the areas of your life that have shifted from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness.
God has been shifting, albeit slowly, my views on hard work and success and how I can receive glory to how Christ can be most glorified in my workplace. He has been making me think about how this place can become a mission field for those who desperately need the love and peace of God and not just a place to achieve worldly and monetary success.
What are some practical ways you can display Christ to those around you?
Forgive once, and then forgive again. I always think about Peter asking Jesus how many times he must forgive someone who sins against him in Matthew 18. Jesus says, not 7 times but 77 times. If I received grace and pardon for my transgressions, I should likewise forgive, giving grace because of who God is to me and what Jesus did for me on the cross.