Recently we have had to put new tires on our vehicle. When taken into the shop, it drove completely fine, but the technician quickly brought to our attention, that the wear on the tire walls, was going to cause more problems if we didn’t address it soon. You see even though the car seemed like it drove fine, the tires told a different story. Abnormal wear on the outsides of 2 of the tires, and the exact opposite on the other side with abnormality wearing on the inside of the other 2 tires.
Our lives could be seen the same way! What people ‘see’ on the outside, but on the inside, the exact opposite. This morning in my quiet time, God gave me the word Sanctify - I never really understood what it meant, but this morning, He defined it for me, and clarity surfaced. We can, so we think, try to be living our best life, but how easily we get roped into conflict. Rather than ‘feeding our faith’, we allow life to ‘fuel our flesh,’ easily pulled into the everyday humdrum of being influenced by our surroundings. Anger, Jealousy, bitterness, gossip and here-say, things that the enemy will use to destroy us from the inside out. But to be Sanctified means, we are allowing the Holy Spirit in us to truly transform us. Letting God work in us to become His image-bearers that we were meant to be. Jerry Bridges put it this way, “Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit in us where by our inner being is progressively changed, freeing us more and more from sinful traits and developing within us over time the virtues of Christlike Character.”
I don’t know about you, but I have lived an unaligned life. I lived that way a long time, and now, I have seen the ‘other-side.’ The peace that passes all understanding. A life surrendered. A transformed and renewed mind that now just seeks the Presence of God as often as I can and as long as I can!. It doesn’t mean that life is easy, if just means that THE JOY of the Lord is my Strength (Nehemiah 8:10) That no matter what this life now throws at me, I trust in Him with all that I am, Proverbs 3:5-6, reminds us to, Trust in the Lord with All your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all Your way’s acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. THAT IS A LIFE ALIGNED with the will , purpose and plan of God. When you can say with your whole heart, “I Surrender All, All to thee My precious Savior, I Surrender All.” So a sanctified life, is one that will come into perfect alignment with the Will and Way of Christ. It is a process to become more and more like Him. I believe with All that I am Philippians 1:6, that He who began a good work in me will bring it to completion. So, today, no matter where you are at in your life, however your alignment may be, I would invite you to lean into Him for a re-alignment. His Peace Far outweighs anything that this life may throw on your plate, and a life moving toward sanctification and peace is the best gift that you could ever receive from Him. Trust Him.
I Trust you with All that I am, Lord
In Jesus Name
Amen