TAKING THE “I” OUT OF DISCOURAGE

Oh Lord my God, sometimes I just don’t understand,
Can my life, my purpose still fit in Your plans?
I try to walk within Your will,
But it seems my service amounts to nil.
I tried to stay upon Your path,
I’ve prayed, I’ve prepped, I’ve done the math.
I can’t get traction, my wheels just spin,
My losing streak won’t seem to end.
I try, I try, I try some more,
But as much as I try, I see no cure.
I seek to please you Lord, heart and soul,
But the fire I’d build remains stone cold.
Just the time I’d resigned all hope,
God answered my prayer beyond my scope.
My little child, oh worried friend,
Cease from all fear, on Me depend.
For I have heard your prayer you see,
It’s more about you and less about Me.
The words you pray that you send on high,
Over and over, “me, my, and I.”
Though you think to serve does Me please,
Your heart is better upon its knees.
I have no need for whatever you’ve got,
But at greatest cost, your soul’s been bought.
Your first concern’s not what you do,
It’s not what you know, it’s all about Who.
Seek Me now and pray for others
In love for all your sisters and brothers.
For I call the shots within your life,
I have My purpose within your strife.
Sometimes one must pray for oneself,
But let that not be your prayers sole wealth.
When one is absorbed in the reflecting pool,
He can’t see others, but he sees a fool.
Keep your prayers and eyes of faith,
On sisters and brothers and the Giver of grace.
Love for other souls will heal your own,
And take you out of your ego zone.
Bid no fear what you accomplish today,
For I bid you to but walk and pray.
And when your eye is fixed on Christ,
Satan can’t take the joy in your life.
Forsake yourself and you will see,
That I’m in you and you’re in Me.

Tertius

I have been crucified with Christ
and I no longer live,
but Christ lives in me.
The life I now live in the body,
I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

A note about “Taking the “I” out of Discourage”: I am a brick layer; at the end of the day I get the God given grace to be able to see the physical, tangible evidence of my labor for that day. Very nice to see the fruit of my hands which will probably last longer than my time on earth. However, laboring for God’s Kingdom does not reveal its accomplishments so readily. Our connection with God is through faith and His Word. Faith trusts what is unseen, and His Word declares, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (I Corinthians 15:58.) But even when we work for the Lord, when our human minds don’t see progress, we become discouraged. Why? Even in God’s work we seek to satisfy self. I was told several years ago that my job is to plant seed and leave the rest to God. John the Baptist said, “He (Jesus) must become greater, I must become less.” (John 3:30) In other words, when I become less, He will become greater.

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