Do you ever ask yourself what it is you are holding on to.

[Riverwalker]

What is it about the things of this life that we don't want to give up that puts in opposition to God.

It can be anything we cling to, from sexual sin, to having that second helping of biscuits and gravy when we know we have to take care of ourselves to be here to take care of our family.

We know the things of God are sweet and that things of this world  are passing and soon rot. And yet I think each of us has our little stash of selfish rottenness that we won't give up. (If you don't then good job!)

is it simply a matter of reserving a little security in what we know as opposed to that which as 1 Cor 13:12  says For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. 

Those of us who have been Christian a long time may have shed a lot of this baggage, but some we may hold on to.

But we need to let it all go, and give it to God and trust that He has our best interests at heart. 

 

James 4:6But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

Trust God, that he has your very best interest at heart and give as much as you can, if not all to Him

Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

[missmuffet]

6 minutes ago, Riverwalker said:

What is it about the things of this life that we don't want to give up that puts in opposition to God.

It can be anything we cling to, from sexual sin, to having that second helping of biscuits and gravy when we know we have to take care of ourselves to be here to take care of our family.

We know the things of God are sweet and that things of this world  are passing and soon rot. And yet I think each of us has our little stash of selfish rottenness that we won't give up. (If you don't then good job!)

is it simply a matter of reserving a little security in what we know as opposed to that which as 1 Cor 13:12  says For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. 

Those of us who have been Christian a long time may have shed a lot of this baggage, but some we may hold on to.

But we need to let it all go, and give it to God and trust that He has our best interests at heart. 

 

James 4:6But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

Trust God, that he has your very best interest at heart and give as much as you can, if not all to Him

Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

I ask God to search my heart. Anything He does not want me to hold onto that He will let it be known to me. 

[Guest clancy]

I think for me, I was addicted to hurt and pain, self harm, etc....it was a big part of my life, when I became born again, God very gently and slowly showed me ,it was damaging my health ,destroying me, I held onto it tightly, as it was all I’d ever known.

 

Slowly he helped me let it go, God knows “ perfectly “ how to deal with me...There is none like him, I owe him so much!!?

[Marathoner]

I petition the Lord for His judgment at all times and He is pleased to grant the petition. I'm a man who sees darkly and knows only in part, so I trust in Jesus Christ and His promise to teach, correct, reprove, and discipline me as He sees fit. The Lord is the One who gave His Life to me... He opened these eyes so I might see... He lifted me up when I was defeated, gave me strength when I was weak, and claimed me when no one else would. 

I trust in Him to reveal what's needful. I've come to rejoice in the faithfulness of His love and provision. The Lord is not only my God but He is also my friend. There's no better friend than Jesus Christ!      

[debrakay]

Every day I struggle with my inadequacies and selfishness. 

Every day the Lord reminds me the guilt comes from the doubts placed by the devil. 

Every day I remind myself of the cost Jesus paid for my freedom from sin. 

Every day I repent for being an imperfect human being. 

Everyday He tells me He loves me regardless of my inadequacies and selfishness.

[Justin Adams]

2 minutes ago, debrakay said:

Everyday He tells me He loves me regardless of my inadequacies and selfishness.

And every day He treats us as Kings, Queens and Priests. Because we are in His eyes.

[Marathoner]

I'll share what I received from the Lord years ago in the wilderness. 

Be a friend to the friendless and a father to the fatherless;
Stand before the assembly and lend your voice to the voiceless
And the Almighty, who presides over His assembly and the stars of heaven,
Shall bless you in the sight of His holy ones. 

Be kind and show mercy to the guilty, even those who wrong you,
Visiting them in the prison of their habitation and chains of bondage;
Advocate for the condemned as surely as the Living One, who was dead but is alive forevermore, stood in your place before the Ancient of days,
And your habitation shall be with the Lord forevermore.

Repent of hasty words and rash judgment, o man, 
Beseech the Lord in your affliction so that, being blind, you may see;
And being deaf, listen to the words of the Holy One spoken in the hour of visitation:
For the Spirit of the living God calls out to the sons of men of this earth, to reason with them all and convict them all of their wicked deeds committed under the sun. 

There was a day when I stood upon the mountain in obedience to the voice of my Lord,
And He saw fit to lift me up on high, so high that the earth was a memory and the sky, a rumor.
My eyes beheld that which few men of this earth witness, let alone speak of, for the glory of His majesty does not suffer this flesh nor the groaning of the profane:
I saw the stars arrayed in their glory.

I opened my lips to speak but could not for I did not comprehend the vision, nor can I speak of it;
The voice of the Lord was like the thunder of lightning issuing in every direction so that I was surrounded by it:
My ears heard the stars of the morning singing praises to He who presides over the assembly. 
I fell to my face to worship my Lord who delivered me with a mighty hand, but His voice of thunder commanded me to stand as a son of His promise.   

Speak justly and truly, cease from vain imaginings and the grumbling of the profane;
Lay down your life for the sake of your friends just as the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world laid down His life for us all, 
The same Jesus Christ who sits upon the throne of the Ancient of days above all creation. 
Lay down your life for Him and God Himself shall account you as His friend,
Just as He did with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob of old. 

Behold, He makes all things new.

[Starise]

This is a very good self reflection question  that causes one to ponder. 

While I don't hold onto anything too closely I try to make the best of it while I'm here. I went through a house fire years ago and that really changed my outlook. We hang onto where we are because it's where we are. In the physical world all we have is what we have to work with until we are no longer here. I know this is a transition to where I really belong, yet I think we get comfortable with where we are because it's in our nature to establish residency and try to make it something like home. Sort of like camping in a camper. It isn't home but we want to make the stay as nice as possible since we are here for awhile.

I guarantee you most people will attempt to hold onto life even when they know it's a loosing battle. We ride that old body just as long as we can until it lays down that last time never to get up again. What other choice do we have? I'm not going to take my own life in order to get to the other side faster.

I believe it would be disingenuous of me to say I have no reservations about the transition because I do. I realize it's a part of the journey we all eventually go through as humans.

As the Bible says, there's a time for everything. While it's time to live I will. When it's time to die I think I'll know that too. At that point I'll just roll over and let the rest up to God because Lord knows I have no control of anything after that. I accepted Christ and I'll be letting the outcome up to Him. 

I can't be there in mind when I live here, especially since I've never seen the place, so I'll just plod along doing the best I can with the situation until that time comes. Is anyone else any different?

[Sower]

10 hours ago, Riverwalker said:

What is it about the things of this life that we don't want to give up that puts in opposition to God.

 

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting"
Psalm 139:23-24
 

[Michael37]

Do you ever ask yourself what it is you are holding on to.

1Th 5:21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.