Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Here we see Paul giving us instructions, through his example, of how we should live as Christians. It’s an amazing illustration of his view of what it means to say that you’re a follower of Christ and I believe we can gain a lot of insight about how we are to be in the midst of our everyday lives. So, join me as we dissect this passage and search for the nuggets of truth.
The first thing that I see is that Paul tells us that he no longer lives, but that Christ lives in him. To me, this means that when we choose to follow Christ, we need to give up certain things. Basically, we are instructed that our own selfish desires should be given up and we should take on a life based on what God wants us to do.
It is easy to get caught up in our own wants and lose sight of God’s bigger plan for our lives. Often times we live in the now, wanting immediate gratification, and we make decisions without considering whether our actions are getting us closer to God’s will or satisfying some selfish part of us. What is God asking you to crucify in your life allowing His light to shine through you?
The second thing I see in the Scripture is that Paul says he now lives by faith in the Son of God. If the first part is the ‘what,’ then this is the ‘how.’ If we are to truly give up our own wants and allow God to use our lives in an authentic way, then we must TRUST that His will is what is best for us.
We do this when we “live by faith.” According to Hebrews 11:1 faith is “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” In other words, if we are living by faith then we can have peace knowing that God is at work in our lives in every situation (even though we may not see the activity). Are you trusting God with your decisions, your desires, and your life? Are you really living by faith?
We’ve now been through the ‘what’ and the ‘how.’ Now, Paul moves on to the ‘why.’ Why should we give up our own wants and dreams to pursue God’s will? Why should we trust Him and live our lives by faith? Paul tells us that we can and should do those things because He loved us and gave himself for us.
The more that struggles enter my life and the more that I seemed to be faced with tough situations, I find myself in need of this Scripture more and more. As I try to navigate life and try to do things on my own, I find myself further from God and further from this example that Paul sets. That’s why my devotion time is so important – because I read the truth of who God is and I learn about His character and come back into line with who He wants me to be.
As we close out today’s devotion, pray that God will show you the way to crucify yourself and give up selfish desires. Ask Him to increase your faith so that it truly does become a way of life and pray that you will trust him at a deeper level. Finally, ask that He reminds you daily of His love and His sacrifice for you. Feel free to leave a comment telling everyone how today’s devotion has touched your life.
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