Living Life Securely

The primary reason for the feelings listed above (and note, they are feelings!) is the attempt to evaluate life, ourselves and others apart from who we are in Christ. It is a dependence on that which was discarded when we became believers: the self nature. It is interesting to note how much of today's pop psychology is devoted to the improvement of self. Self cannot be improved. It will always make us miserable. It is destined to the cross of Christ and only when it is securely there can we realize who we are in and through Jesus Christ.

The way out of the wilderness is found in Galatians 2:20: 'I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.' I am reminded again of the stories of Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit. When Brer Rabbit struggled with the tar baby he became immured. The longer he struggled the more immured he was.

People in general struggle with who they within themselves. It is amazing that so many people who have achieved greatness in the natural world and in its values are so chaotic within themselves. It is even more amazing that so many believers face the same struggle. I want to give some thoughts regarding this which might be helpful:

When we became believers we were made to be new creations: 'Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new' (2 Corinthians 5:17). We become new creations, not the old reformed or reconstructed. Old things have passed away. However, we still have the memory of old things and the old way of life. Memory is very tyrannical and is ever pressing us into its mold. Our tendency is live according of who we were instead of who we are. The imprint of the old person we were is very strong in our memory. As always, the memory of past failure will produce an expectancy of future failure.

When I was a child, my father was a rancher in New Mexico. One of my favorite times of the year was round-up and branding time. I would mount my horse as did the men and we would ride to the back side of the pastures of the large ranch on which I lived. Upon bringing in the cattle, the calves would be separated from their mothers and we would begin the branding process. The calves would be roped, wrestled to the ground, their feet tied until they were branded, earmarked, vaccinated, etc. When they were freed they would often remain in precisely the position they were in until someone would grab their tail and raise them up. Then they would run off to be with their mothers. The memory of pain and confinement was so powerful that even when they were free, they didn't live free.

Successful living is measurable to the degree we abandon the painful domination of self to the cross and release the powerful and enabling presence of Christ in our lives. All that we need He already is within us and to us. As Jeremiah said: 'Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord (lit. go rushing to the Lord)' (Lamentations 3:40).

All sense of insecurity, low self-esteem, rejection and inferiority must be seen as a work of self and should be abandoned to the cross. We will never have the security and Godly confidence we desire when we look within ourselves. When we embrace Christ with all our hearts (mind, will and emotion) He does all that is necessary. He becomes our strength, ability and the solution to every need in life. He is our sufficiency.

Dear friend, give up all of your insecurities and turn to Christ.

Jeff