Everyone wants to get to the other side, where the good things are. There must be more to this life than this. This isn’t what I signed up to do. I can remember my first day in the military. I thought, “This is not why I signed up. This isn’t how they said it would be.†Discipline and training doesn’t just come to us naturally. It would be nice if we were born with all of those attributes, but in reality, we are born with all the attributes of sin. What a mess? How do we get On The Other Side?
There is only one way that I know of to get to the other side and that, my friend, is through the cross of Jesus Christ. If you are like me, we’ve done things our way. It reminds me of the song, “My Way†by Frank Sinatra. “Let the records show, I took the blows and did it my way!†Been there! Done that! I have the scars and wounds to prove it. I like the Lord’s way better. I want this to be my song. “Let the records show, He took the blows and I did it His way.†I want peace in my life. I want to live in love, grace and mercy. I’ve tasted His love and it is good. I’ve shared in some of His sorrows and I see life from a whole new perspective. I’ve been in some of His resurrection power and let me tell you, there is nothing that compares to this.
Why would I embrace the cross and let go of my own life? It wasn’t easy and it was really impossible without His grace. This life is really a journey and each day brings a new segment. When I was going through the bad times, there was so much fear around me. Each fear I faced, brought a new discovery of who He was. He kept bringing me through every situation. There were many times I thought things were impossible and yet here I am. There were things I deserved and yet grace and mercy prevailed, time and time again. It was during the hard times I discovered the depths of His love. By laying down my life, my desires and my way of thinking, I found His plan and purpose for my life. I am doing the things that fulfill my life and I live in peace. There is nothing better than this. Most of my fears are now dead and buried and my faith continues to grow. This is what I call living.
Each of us has a God-given destiny and purpose. It is up to each of us to choose His plan for us or ours. We can’t blame our choices on someone else. In the end, we are the only ones responsible for our life. I challenge you to get to know the Lord. Dare to face the biggest challenges of your life and walk in the greatest blessings also. Things are not what they seem. Reality can change in an instant. Miracles happen everyday. The Lord loves you and He wants the best for you. He can take any bad situation and turn it for good.
I encourage you to check out some of my other posts. There are a lot on encouragement, how to get to know the Lord, and how to deal with certain situations. Feel free to share your comments or to write to me on our contact page. People are writing to me from all over the world. Some don’t know where to turn to for help. That is the reason this site exists. Somehow, we need to encourage each other. You and I need to know we are okay and that the Lord loves us. I get encouraged by hearing from you and by helping and praying. Encourage someone today. Smile to others and watch them refocus on something good for an instant. You just changed their life. You just made a difference. Something good happened to them today, YOU. Pass it on. It is great.
Joseph James