Presence instead of principles

Daily writing promptWhat principles define how you live?View all responses

When I try to live by principles, I never live up to them. My principles are always higher than my ability to consistently and persistently follow and obey them.

I’m like the ancient Jesus. I believe in the Ten Commandments and sincerely want to live by them, but I’m never able to fully comply with them in my daily lifestyle, in my desires, in my beliefs, in my words and in my thoughts. If I start to believe that I’m a good man and am finally following the Commandments, I find my heart filled with pride, secret rebellion, and self-righteousness.

The ancient Jesus had the same problem. Those who felt like they were the best at following God’s Commands were actually the people who worked behind the scenes to have Jesus Christ crucified. His presence was a threat to their feelings of being greatly successful in their religious endeavors. Jesus spoke the truth in love to the Pharisees (the proud religious Jews of His day). They hated His honesty because it revealed their heart. The feeling that they were successfully following God’s principles was something they wouldn’t allow to be questioned. Their principles were much more important to them than God’s presence.

The only way that I or anyone else can live up to God’s principles is by looking beyond the principles and our human effort to follow them, and instead surrendering our life to the real presence of the risen Jesus. I’m so grateful to the living Jesus for making His home in my heart and daily giving me the mercy, strength, and power to enable me to live by His presence, not just by my efforts to obey God’s principles.

The Lord wants us to notice and be amazed by what He is doing inside of us. I believe He is continually calling all human beings (like He did Adam and Eve) to the awareness of and surrender to His presence. Because God’s communication with us is mixed with our own thoughts and feelings (and with the deceptive thoughts and feelings of the devil), it’s easy to write them off as being nothing more than uncomfortable self-talk. A closer, humble look with God’s discernment will make you aware of the risen Jesus working in and through you.

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