Day 10: You Are Not Your Own | 1.13.26

There is no such thing as a private life, or a place to hide in this world, for a man or woman who is intimately aware of and shares in the hardships of Jesus Christ. He divides the private life of His saints and makes it a highway for the world on one hand and for Himself on the other. No human being can stand that unless he is identified with Jesus. We are not set apart or sanctified for our own sake. We are called to host the gospel intimately, and even as events unfold that seem unrelated to us. Jesus is solely devoted to getting us into fellowship with Himself. We must choose to let Him have His way. If we refuse, we will be of no value to Him in His redemptive work in the world, but instead will be a hindrance and a stumbling block.

The first thing God does is to ground us in a sound reality and truth. He does this until our cares for ourselves individually have been brought into submission to His way for the purpose of His redemption. Why shouldn’t we experience heartbreak? Through unfair and real-life experiences, we step into fellowship with our Heavenly Father as His son. Most will collapse at the first grip of pain. Most will sit down at the threshold of God’s purpose and enter a slow death through self-pity, while the so-called Christian sympathy of others will usher us to our death. Interestingly enough, Jesus will not. He comes with the grip of His pierced hand, as if to say, “Enter into fellowship with Me; arise and shine.” If God can carry out His purposes in this world through a broken heart, then why not thank Him for breaking ours?