I Have to ALLOW it…

I have learned a lot since my wife’s passing a few years ago.  In retrospect, the Lord used Biblical precept and examples to show me the “WHYS” to the way certain things happened, why different individuals responded the way they did and most importantly, His reasons for the specific Biblical pathway that He had us to follow during the years of Piper’s battle with Alzheimer’s.

Lately though, His leadings have been more along the lines of my responsibility to continue in the pursuit of the life and callings that He still desires for me to accomplish.  I recently came to the hard fought understanding that this next stage of my life is highly dependent on me and how much I will ALLOW the Lord to have His way in my future!

The fight has mainly been a battle fought on the inside of me!  For the first time in my adult Christian life, I have found myself questioning the validity of God’s Word where it is repeatedly stated that

“with God nothing shall be impossible.”*

The questions and natural reasonings bouncing around in my mind have all just seemed to be too unsurmountable for me… like how can anybody or anything be as wonderful, exciting, meaningful and as precious to me, as Piper and the life that we had together?  We tended to operate like one in all that we pursued and experienced as a couple, as parents, ministers and in most other areas as well!

But as I find myself arguing with the Lord in prayer, it becomes increasingly confusing when He agrees 100 percent with me and backs up His comments in the scriptures… but then pauses and says… but there is more and it can be even better than all you can expect or imagine!  Really?  How is that even possible?

Well… it must have something to do with John 10:9-10 where Jesus said,

“I am the Gateway. To enter through me is to experience life, freedom, and satisfaction.  A thief (the devil) has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness UNTIL YOU OVERFLOW!” (TPT) 

The King James Version translates the last sentence of Jesus’ statement saying,

“I am come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly.” (personalized)

The modern Passion Translation uses multiple words to describe and or define what the King James explains as life “more abundantly.”  And as it turns out, the original Greek phrase does infer a deeper understanding of what Jesus was actually saying.  The term is defined as “superabundant, (in the sense of going beyond), something further, surpassing, uncommon, extraordinary and to one’s advantage.”

The Remedy Bible says that Jesus came “to give life—complete, full, and abundant—beginning here and now.”  The Message says that He gives us a life that can be a “more and better life than we ever dreamed of.”  And in the Bible in Basic English, it is said that we “may have life and have it in greater measure.” 

So, it would seem that He desires me… and all of us that for that matter… to move on from the set-backs, the difficult times and the losses of people, things and dreams that have been close to us…  and ALLOW Him to have His way… for it is the way that brings us into an even greater, more enjoyable and fulfilling place than we could have ever conceived to be possible in our lives… at ANY AGE… even at 70 like me!

The Scriptures 2009 Bible, in discussing the life that Jesus came to give us, agrees with the above point and states Jesus as saying “

“I have come that they (you and I) might possess life, and that they (you and I) might possess it beyond measure.” 

You see, I am painstakingly coming to realize that this abundant, even better life, is fully available to us… BUT that it is totally up to us to RECEIVE it!  Jesus has made this even better future available to us, BUT it is up to you and me to humble ourselves and open our hearts to His ways, follow His directions and then POSSESS His promises.

I had to come to the place where I told the Lord that while I don’t understand it, I want what He has promised me and am willing to OPEN myself up for Him to come in and teach me what I don’t understand about this.  I’ve asked Him to humble me as I break away from my impossibility thinking… and at the same time… encourage and embolden me to POSSESS and be able to live in the fullness of life that He desires for me… RIGHT HERE and NOW!

What are your thoughts about this?  Are there areas in your future that you’ve always felt were impossible for you to attain?  Does your past look far better to you than the future you imagine?

Well then, this post and Jesus’ words in John 10:9-10 were written just for you!  Study it, believe it, make it a personal promise to you and then humble yourself… while you ALLOW Him to be the GATEWAY to a future filled with the promises of fullness… that only your trust and submission to Him and His ways can provide!

 

*See: Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27, Luke 1:37, Luke 18:27 et al.