The ultimate secret to successfully living this life is by not living it. WHAT?! Yes, I did just give the secret to life. Bold, no? But I believe the secret to life and the mystery of the Gospel are where we find true Life and lasting fulfillment. It’s a mystery that has been hidden from man but is now revealed in the resurrection Life of Christ. Paul the apostle knew this secret by revelation. And there are others, this side of the cross, who know this deep meaning and secret, too. The secret to living this life is the mystery of the Gospel: We’re not to live this life; we are to allow Another to live it through us.
Living This Life
Not many want to hear this Good News. While it is our complete liberation from endless striving, it is also the painful elimination of our self-life. In this, Christ exalts His Life through us. So, I have to decrease and He must increase. And the reality is, my self-sufficient life and efforts must be eradicated, all the while His Life must rise, superseding mine. Imagine Christ in me, as me.
The problem with this is that most of us want our independence from God by doing it on our own. At minimum, we like to feel we contributed, or more, that we did it in our own strength. Yep, we get false glory this way. “Look at me, I am master of my universe!”
In reality, while I may spin my wheels to reach my self-imposed goal, there is only One who is successful in this life. Only One Life satisfies the Father; One Life to live them all, but most don’t access that Life. Instead the masses go on struggling and striving towards a fruitless end.
The Fruit of Living Life
Where does all this fruitlessness lead? Down the spiral of destruction! We might accomplish many things using our own strength or get many accolades from others; but the question remains, is it eternal or just endless effort? Only one Life produces eternal fruit, and that is the Life of Christ. And I experience that Life as I yield my body and become a living sacrifice. I watch His Life flow and bring pleasure to the Father. I might be absolutely precious and adorable, but the fact remains, ONLY ONE Life brings the Father pleasure.
If I want to hear my Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” I will let the Life of His Son come forth through me. Jesus delights God, and as I let Him live His Life through me, I, too, am enfolded in that delight. Flesh and self-sufficiency never can please the Father. But Christ’s Life ALWAYS does.
Then suddenly the voice of the Father shouted from the sky, saying, “This is the Son I love, and my greatest delight is in Him.”
Matthew 3:17 TPT
But while Peter was still speaking, a radiant cloud composed of light spread over them, enveloping them all. And God’s voice suddenly spoke from the cloud, saying, “This is My dearly loved Son, the constant focus of my delight. Listen to Him!”
Matthew 17:5 TPT
This is one very good thing right here! It’s already the 30th, but I’m still here… The link to Martha’s The Secret of Living Life, which was linked to your Despair and Our Salvation was all very fresh and refreshing for my thirsty soul and I felt the whole thing just sunk in a little deeper! …and I am delighted! Many hugs!!
This was a welcome word to my stilled heart. How immense the Love of God is! He not only goes to beautiful places, He goes to my terrible places. Sovereign oversight & orchestration, coming in so many ways, to hold us to His course. Crisis can be gift; “when trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.” HE makes this a Reality. Is this too raw to say? I can’t do ‘me’ anymore. And beside the crisis of ‘me’, there is a life crisis. Yesterday I was looking at my failures, thinking(!), I can’t face this day,… Read more »