As I read Scripture I see there are lots of things God intended for us to receive through Jesus life, sacrifice and resurrection.
John 17
21 I pray for them all to be joined together as one
even as you and I, Father, are joined together as one.
I pray for them to become one with us
so that the world will recognize that you sent me.
22 For the very glory you have given to me I have given them
so that they will be joined together as one
and experience the same unity that we enjoy.
Isaiah 53 :5
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 61:1-4
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions:[b
joy that overflows,
peace that subdues,
patience that endures,
kindness in action,
a life full of virtue,
faith that prevails,
gentleness of heart, and
strength of spirit.
There is so much more but just looking at these verses and the benefits of the relationship with Jesus, I wonder why so many of us, who call ourselves Christian, seem to live without so many of them. As I’ve pondered this in my life and those around me I keep asking why not? What are some of the things that are blocking or restricting the flow of blessing that Father God wants for us? I know there are many reasons but is there a root issue?
I think that one of the biggest hindrances of experiencing the life we want, and God wants for us, is that we let our life experiences dictate our beliefs.
- We are sick, and have asked for healing which hasn’t come, so we change our beliefs to be
- it is because of my sin and I deserve it
- it is just the way things are in this broken world
- or even God wants us to be sick.
- We struggle financially and build a theology around it
- money is evil
- prosperity means our for our spirit, not money
- being broke keeps me humble and dependent on God
- having financial wealth will corrupt us
These are just a couple of examples that come to mind.
I propose there is a better way to approach the differences between what the Scriptures promise and our life experiences. It all starts with the main reason Jesus came, died and rose again: to enable us to have an intimate relationship with Father God. It is in and through this love relationship that He is able to upgrade our beliefs and our lives.
When we see something in our lives that isn’t lining up with what He has promised, instead of settling for the problem, we are to ask Him what is going on, what lies we’ve bought into and how He wants to bring His loving Truth into our lives. We need to stop assuming “it’s just the way it is” and start coming to Him to let Him bring the transforming blessing that He so desires. He wants so much more for us than we can even dream of. He wants us to dream again and believe for a bigger and better life.
As for me, I want to stop short circuiting what Jesus wants to release to and through me. For me, it is a repentance for settling for less than He paid the price for and limiting what He wants for me. He really does want life and life abundant for us. He said that all we need to do is ask and to ask believing that He will do amazingly good things.