Is Your Destruction Complete?

Galatians 6:14

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁴But far be it from me to glory [in anything or anyone] except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) through Whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world!

What a strange question, you may think. Why would this blog entry begin with such an odd title? As a follower of Christ, aren't we supposed to be about building our lives up, changing our existence into one that reflects the very nature of Christ? Why would we want to bring about a destruction in our lives? The answer is quite simple actually: There can be no use of a human for God's purposes, until there has been a destruction of the old nature of that person. The more complete that "Old Man" is destroyed, the greater the purpose and use of Christ can be demonstrated in that life.
 Living the Christian life is not about self-help, building self-esteem, or establishing prosperity and health in the Christian. No, living the Christian life is about OBEDIENCE! Obedience to God, and establishing His will and purpose in our lives, to move at the very whisper of the Holy Spirit into our heart, to learn and know His voice and recognize His direction.
 Our concern for our physical well-being has nothing to do with obedience to God. Of course, at the other end is a pride of self-righteousness of works, so our life must be rooted in Moderation and Modesty. Learning humility and meekness is the Christian's goal, to be able to be used for the Glory of God in His work, not our work but His. I spoke with a young man once, that opened my eyes to this point. The young man had given his life to Christ, and had moved into somewhat of a changed life, then his sister died and his old friends invited him back to the old life of drugs and fellowship for worldly comfort. He told me what had happened and said, "I never felt right going to church and doing all that church stuff, it's like I was really sick, but now I'm happy again with the life I have always lived, all my friends are here." It was obvious, this man had not died to himself, he had just become gravely ill to his old life, only to be revived by his friends. If we truly die to Christ, we are changed, fundamentally. We are no longer our own, but His.

Fill Thou my Life, O Lord my God- words by Horatius Bonar (1866)
Fill thou my life, O Lord my God,
in every part with praise,
that my whole being may proclaim
thy being and thy ways.

Not for the lip of praise alone,
nor e'en the praising heart
I ask, but for a life made up
of praise in every part!

Praise in the common things of life,
its goings our and in;
praise in each duty and deed,
however small and mean.

Fill every part of me with praise;
let all my being speak
of thee and of thy love, O Lord,
poor though I be, and weak.

So shalt thou, Lord, from me, e'en me,
receive the glory due;
and so shall I begin on earth
the song forever new.

So shall each fear, each fret, each care
be turned into a song,
and every winding of the way
the echo shall prolong;

So shall no part of day or night
from sacredness be free;
but all my life, in every step
be fellowship with thee.