Toward An Integrated Life!

Our theme this year has to do with being a clean vessel for God to use. “We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” ¹ You and I, who know Christ, contain within ourselves the Holy Spirit of God! “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” ²

We are created by God to glorify Him—to live for Him, to give honor to His great and glorious name—this IS our purpose in life.  Our objective as we move into 2009 is to better learn how to offer our body, mind, and soul to the One who gave His all for us. “He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” ³

Our present culture appears to be lowering standards in education, economics, and morality.  In the midst of such devaluation of principles, God’s Word says of us: “…prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.” ⁴ At a time when ethical standards are diminishing all around us, our Lord calls us to a higher standard. The treasure we possess is the One who will enable us to be what we are called to be.  “Like the Holy One who called you, be holy in all your behavior.” ⁵ This is what I mean by an integrated life.

This year we will embark on a journey that will stretch us. We will experience growing pains in a body that resists spiritual growth, and all that has to do with the crucified life.  And make no mistake about it, the path to a full and meaningful life leads to and through the cross.

To truly live is to die to the dictates of our flesh. “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” ⁶

What Jesus meant was that we are to hate our bodies’ tendency toward worldliness and laziness. We are to despise thoughts that creep into our minds such as moral impurity, greed, and jealously. Death to self-seeking desires is a lifelong battle. This year we will fight this battle together and discover how to appropriate Spirit-filled self-control! It all comes down to a willingness to let God have His way with us.  I am trusting God to revamp, revise and overhaul some areas of my own life this coming year! Wherever you are in your walk with Christ, I invite you to join me.  We CAN finish well the race that is set before us!  Let us have done with lesser things! Let us say NO to mediocrity and YES to a more disciplined, Christ-honoring life of integrity!

Pastor John Wallace Miller

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¹II Corinthians 4:7

²I Corinthians 6:19-20

³II Corinthians 5:15

⁴Philippians 2:15

⁵I Peter 1:15

⁶John 12:24-25