RELIANCE

From: Karen Parrish

“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light…Colossians 1:9-12.”

I have read this verse many times, and have often thought, there is no way I can walk in a “manner worthy”, because I am a sinner saved by grace. However, as I reread and digest it, it comes to me that if Christ lives within me, and the Scripture says He does, this is an area that I have to depend totally on Christ for this walk.

How do I do that? I have shared with you before that I use to be a “control freak”. I wanted to control everything, not to be mean and controlling, but to protect myself! I have come to learn that human control usually ends up poorly, and I could give you many examples of that.

Since, I now allow Christ to live through me, I depend on Him for ALL my decisions. That means I talk to Him, as I talk to you now. I ask Him questions for answers; I share my concerns and insecurities with Him. I am brutally honest with him, he knows my feelings anyway. I read His scriptures, I praise Him and I thank Him for creating me.

The more I rely on Him, the more I realize His great love is for me in ways I never thought possible. I heard for years, how much God loves us, but as I depend and rely on Him more and more, I experience His love more and more. The beauty of this is that I have a “peace that passes understanding”, and a freedom that is hard to describe.

There is not a good work I can do, except Christ does it through me. The knowledge I receive from Christ, as I depend on Him more and more, is often knowledge I had never even considered, and so I know that this is wisdom from Christ.

Dear brothers and sisters, my prayer for each of you, is that you will rely on and trust Him more and more in ALL areas of your life.

Don’t wait until you are older, as I have done. Let Him be your total source and the peace and joy you will receive will be reflected through you and all you do. In addition, you will experience His love that can’t be measured!

Just knowing He is there for us during the good times and the bad, allows me to be comforted sooner. It also helps me to know those trials are coming to Him as well as me, and we are never, ever alone!

I can honestly say those trials that we all go through, are not as painful, knowing He is enduring them with me. Knowing His love dwells within me, enables me to love others as only He can love through me. All I have to do is know who I am in Christ and who Christ is in me! Praise God for whom ALL blessings flow!