The High Calling of God - Part 1

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“I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus as my Lord” Philippians 3:8

As believer's, we can easily pray for God's will to be done in our lives but do we pray equally for the Holy Spirit to "manage us" {instead of us telling Him}, and even more so, do we pray for our heart to "cooperate" with the Holy Spirit....who came and set up residency within us...making our heart His home.

I am certain of the many times God blesses our labors and we see much fruit, we grow in His Word, we attend church, we feed our minds with knowledge but at some point in our walk with the Lord our hearts struggle, especially when things enter our life that are uncertain, hurt us or cause much pain. Those twists and turns that come and rub against our flesh like sandpaper are never welcomed. We come to a place on the road we travel on with Christ, and our feet are at an intersection, and we realize that with each circumstance that can hurt our hearts there is a choice that we have to make. We come to the place where we begin to recognize in the trials we bear that our spirit once again become heavy and the heaviness that comes through life’s “unfair circumstances” grow us weary, but, the scriptures tells us “we have received this ministry, and we faint not”. Amen.

The Lord spoke to my heart many years ago as I prayed and not yet fully understanding the significance of being a bondservant of Christ and the words “we faint not" illuminated in my head! The Lord then spoke clearly during this time on Surrender & Sanctification...doctrinal truths not always heard these days. I had read "that in all of life as Christians we must remember that it is not what happens to us that is most concerning to the Lord, it is how we react” and I knew the secret of an abundant walk with Christ was a life fully surrender to Him and this was the next step for me. I prayed, committing to surrender my life, my will to Him. These words changed my walk tremendously and “surrender and sanctification” became words so freeing to my heart, although 'bitter sweet'. I recognized that our fainting heart's are heart's that so often having a terrible time with none other than 'self' and life seems like nothing but unending struggles. I remember how Paul, a bondservant of Christ and writing from a prison cell, could actually pen these words... "Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice”! Truly a beautiful example to us all of a surrendered life to Christ.

When we are saved and set out to serve the Lord, doing all He has called us to do we often think that as long as we are doing things “right” our life will fall so perfectly into place according to our plans....then we are faced with a sickness, financial hardship, a prodigal, maybe a loss of job, hurt from a friend or family member, so on....we reason in our minds that these things weren't to happen, we try to understand....and as I write this I am praying for those of you who are experiencing great pain even now. How this condition of our heart becomes most tired of “self”, the perception we have wanting our own will and way and we grow most tired and weary in this place as our flesh strives for an answer that feels good and right.

My husband was sick now, and I knew that I could not bear his sickness. Troubles try us, great troubles that no one else can see or feel. In each trouble I remember the words I heard “how will I react?”, which direction would I walk in at this intersection on the road..I knew this was the question that had the answer to my peace and God's will.

I knew the only direction was to purpose in my heart to fully follow the Lord and the Lord then began to speak to my heart once again as His Words resonated in my soul.......... "My Daughter, will you receive all I have, all I am doing?” “Will you allow Me to use you?” “Will you exchange your will for Mine?” “Will you give Me Randy and place Him in My hands?” “Will you love Me more than anything or anyone else?” “Will you sit quietly and allow Me to manage you through My Holy Spirit?” "will you cooperate with Me?".......... “Yes, Lord, Your will be done”

We remember the battle of the will as the Israelite's journeyed through the wilderness, and in Deuteronomy we read ‘that which should of taken 11 days took forty years’”, how exhausting it is when we walk according to our own self will. There was no rest among the people as they sought their will their way. Their stiff necks and complaining caused their journey 'to a place of rest' to take so much longer than what the Lord had intended. Does this sound familiar in your life? Many lessons were learned and I have learned many too....and one lesson I have learned in my walk with Christ is that it is far better to journey with the Lord and receive His will no matter how hard that is than to be outside His will and never enter into His rest. God’s love and will is so perfect and His ways are past our finding out. We will enter Canaan and the place of promise and rest despite the trying times as we trust Him and His will, by Faith.

And now, through this greatest trial of loss I have ever experienced and after learning many lessons over many years of God's faithfulness....may I praise God for the fiery trials of my faith and for His unending grace as I know He prepared me and with tested confidence I can say He has never failed us; He cannot.

As believers we must continue to be unwavering and uncompromising, testifying continually of the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. May we not journey without God.....not led by our feelings and emotions but being led by a loving Father so He can show us our next steps......walking with a purpose in our heart... none other than "to exchange our will for His" and allow our hearts to be humbled in our brokenness, while praising His Holy Name.

Surrender & Sanctification = To have no will of my own. My will is the will of my Father. To allow a sense of utter nothingness to continue to grow inside of me for Him. It is the way of 'entered rest'....the way of a bondservant of Christ, the way for the glory of God!

Michelle A. Guerra