I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press ontoward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:10-14

It’s so freeing to know that I can lay hold of something that Christ has already done; He has set me up for success. I did not save myself through my own efforts; all I did was allow Jesus to take hold of me by believing in Him and putting my hope in Him.

The day Jesus died on the cross, he did not just die for my sins to be forgiven…

He

– Absorbed the wrath of God
– Showed obedience
– Showed us how to love sinners
– Abolished the law
– Became the ransom for many
– Died for the forgivingness of sins
– To bring us to faith
– Make us holy
– Bring physical healing
– Reconcile us to God
– Free from sin
– Enable us to live for God
– Live by faith
– Give marriage deeper meaning
– Passion for good works
– Make us followers of Christ
– Free us from the fear of death
– Destroy hostility between races
– Give us real joy

That’s awesome! That’s huge! The day Jesus died on the cross He laid hold of all those things for me!!

He also laid hold of me!

The day I put my faith in Jesus, I became His and I don’t just say “Oh thanks for dying for me, now I feel good about myself” NO! The day God pulled me from the miry clay, He set my feet on a rock! On a new path, a new road.

I now have destiny, purpose and a mission to walk in all the things that Jesus has done.

To “lay hold” means to apprehend or seize after a pursuit.
It’s chasing and grabbing and keeping in a firm grip so that you can’t getaway

So, what Paul is saying is that Jesus chased him down, seized him, and put him on a new path.

Once Jesus puts us on this path, we have a mission, a purpose. That purpose is ultimately to bring Him Glory. You can’t bring him Glory if you don’t know him. So, we spend this life getting to know Jesus and then, to make Him known to all.

Becoming like Jesus is a life long process. It takes years for kids to grow to maturity. I can’t expect more from my 7-year-old son, Ethan, than what a 7-year-old can do, just like I can’t put a T-bone steak in front of my baby and expect him to eat it.

In our journey of Christ-likeness, He gives us some ways to stay on track. This is to keep us from being ineffective or unfruitful.

Thinking back to my first 10km race; I had been training for months and I felt ready to tackle it, expecting to finish under an hour. But on the day, I felt completely overwhelmed at the distance. I remember seeing the first sign that said 3km and shortly after a water station. I remember stopping, drinking my water and then saying to myself. “Now all you need to do is get to the next water point.” I started running again knowing I only had to make it to the next water point and before I knew it, the 6km marker was there….and I kept doing that till I finished the race with a big smile on my face.

Here are some water points to get you through the race to maturity. These points will help you be more effective on your journey.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;  and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

2 Peter 1:5-9

Faith

This is the foundation, God’s gift to us. He has laid hold of us, we believe in Him. He had done all the work.

Goodness

This is becoming more like Jesus. Acting like Him. Being Christlike

Knowledge

Knowledge through the word of God. God’s word will make us knowledgeable on how to know Jesus better

Self-Control

The only way to have self-control is to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us.. to be led by Him

Perseverance

This is the ability to endure hardships and distress. It helps keep us following Jesus even in trials

Godliness

Being aware of Jesus in EVERY aspect of your life brings Godliness.

Mutual Affection

Christ accepts everyone, so can we.

Love

Self-sacrificing love, Just like Jesus.

3 Things that can Hinder your Maturity.

These 3 are what I’ve found in my life to be a hindrance.

Trials, Pain, Suffering

John Piper says: “God’s glory shines more brightly when he satisfies us in times of loss than when he provides for us in times of plenty”

The way you respond to pain, trials and suffering can literally stop you in your tracks and keep you from growing.
Trials, whatever they are, reveal the real you! It shows what you truly believe. It strips you off all the idealistic ways and leaves you in a vulnerable place. Yet, we are to rejoice in our trials.

Trials and Temptations
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

For 5 years of my life, I was consumed by the pain of infertility, to the point where I couldn’t worship God. It stood in the way of my relationships with God and with people and I refused to give it up. I believed a lie that if I held on to it, that somehow I could “make” God do what I wanted him to do. How immature.

One morning during worship, I felt God say, “If you never have a child, will I be enough for you? Am I really your great reward?”

It took me about 3 months to surrender and I remember the day where I said – “You are enough for me! You are the only one I need.” WOW! The freedom that came on that day! Did I still cry about not having a baby? Was it still a painful time? YES! But it was no longer keeping me from worshipping God and I was now using it to draw closer to God.

Comparison

When you spend your life comparing yourself to others, you won’t have time to grow.

Unity and Diversity in the Body
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

1 Corinthians 12:12-26

We are all different. We have different gifts and talents. Don’t compare. Comparing yourself will stunt your growth, waste your time and make you unhappy. Be bold and be who God has made you to be.

Whatever gifts God has given you, use them to lay hold of people for his Kingdom.

Live a God-glorifying life.

Fear

Our comfort and security in life can quickly become the most important thing to us, so much so that we refuse to trust God.

I always think of the Israelites and the Promised Land. Their safety and security were more important. What a waste. In my own life, I’ve allowed fear to keep me from possessing all that God has for me. It’s one of my daily struggles and God is always reminding me of His promises.

The Fear of not having enough, The fear of rejection, The fear of bad news, fear of death, fear of the future…..

You overcome fear by declaring the word of God. Fear is the enemy and the word of God the sword. Use it. It’s the only way.

They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.

Psalm 112:7-8

Don’t allow fear to paralyze you from being obedient to God.

God expects maturity from us, we Glorify Him when we become more and more like His Son Jesus.

In this race, in this journey to Christ-likeness, you are not left alone. God says I will never leave you nor forsake you. He also gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to empower us to do all these things. At the same time, he puts us in community, in His Body so that we can mutually encourage each other in this process. Jesus paved the way for us. He has done it all, now walk in it.

Charissa Lane

Fueled by Grace, coffee and giggles! I am a coffee addict, chocolate-loving, playdough making machine who is passionate about living a life of faith and keeping things simple! I am married to my best friend, a mommy to my 4 miracle kids and we are in full-time Ministry, leading a church in Johannesburg.

www.lanesofgrace.co.za

The post A Journey to Christ-likeness appeared first on Cup of Faith.

Whenever I face challenges in life, my default is ALWAYS to say, “I can’t do this. I can’t handle this. This is too much for me. NO! Not me! Get someone else…” In fact, the day that God told me to resign from my job and go into full-time ministry, I said, “No way! It’s going to so be hard, I can’t do it.” Going through years of infertility, I woke up every morning for 5-years saying, “I can’t do this anymore.” I faced various trials and pains, and even through adopting our first and second baby, my default for the last 16-years has always been “God, I can’t do this.” But, I have learnt that I only feel this way, until I allow the Holy Spirit to talk to me and convince me otherwise.

I have been on a journey to become the courageous woman that God intended for me to be. Not courageous by worldly standards, or the standards set by our peers, but by His standards set for me and I want to encourage you to be the woman God intended you to be by sharing some practical steps for becoming a courageous woman, guided by God.

1. His WORD and VOICE

You need to experience the Faithfulness of God and there is no other way than by being in His presence and letting Him talk to you and show you His work so that you can grow in faith. Make a point of spending time with God each day, so that you can train yourself to hear His voice.

For me personally, I get up every day before everyone else, make a cup of coffee and spend time reading, journaling and praying. One morning, I felt really down with no real reason to be, so I prayed a short prayer and was reminded of a scripture in Psalm 42:11. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” So, I said to myself, “Hope in God, Charissa and praise Him!” Instantly, I felt better so made a decision to praise him whenever I feel down, because God’s word is what sustains us and keeps us going. When we hear HIM speak over us, we can be courageous.

2. His Spirit

Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

The Helper, Comforter, Intercessor, counsellor, Strengthener is EVERYTHING we need. The Holy Spirit dwells within each of us and what an amazingly beautiful gift that we get to have an intimate relationship with the Spirit who is on “standby’ whenever we need him. Jesus relied on the Holy Spirit, and so should we! The Spirit also paints a beautiful picture of what we, as woman, need to be more like. God has given us everything we need, to be comforters, counsellors, and helpers, and while it may not always be easy, we need to find our confidence in the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

3. Celebrate and Honour Others

Let’s have a culture of honour!

I remember reading a story about lionesses that made me think of God’s Courageous Women. It painted a visual picture of the nature of women and how we should be more like lionesses who are hunting; lionesses hunt together for the entire pride, each have their own roles but they work together with one goal in mind, they coordinate their movements to surround their prey, ensuring that all exits are covered, and together, they succeed.

As women, we need to see and understand the value that each one of us brings and celebrate each other. Celebrate the big and small victories, the joys and answered prayers of the women who surround you, be there for them like your own pride of lionesses. Don’t think for one minute that by celebrating someone else, you will take away from yourself. Honour those around you by being the first to encourage, reassure, compliment and celebrate the other.

4. Letting go and Looking Forward

Philippians 3:13 English Standard Version (ESV) says, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.”

Whatever healing you need in your life, make sure you acknowledge and deal with it while remembering that no matter the tragedy of your past, your identity is in Christ.

Psalm 119:105 English Standard Version (ESV) says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Stop looking behind you and worrying about the past, instead… Look ahead! Most time, we only ever get enough light to see the next step in front of us, but God wants you to trust him every step of the way. So, trust and take that next step.

5. Accountability

Find someone to keep you accountable; Someone who you can share your struggles with and is willing to pray for you, walk with you, encourage you and point you to Jesus at all times.

6. Obedience

In life, we have many decisions to make like where to live, what to eat, what to wear and what to do, but there are also some decisions that God has already made for you and it takes obedience to submit to God’s will.

At first, I felt that going into full-time ministry was too far out of my comfort zone and that I couldn’t do it, but through giving up my job and being obedient by listening to God’s instruction, He taught me the difference between obedience and sacrifice. Obedience is so much better than sacrifice because when God calls, it’s not about what I’m sacrificing to honour that call, but purely to be obedient to Him, knowing that no matter what stands in my way, God already has it figured out.

7. Give

Remember that no matter what you do in life, it’s going to cost either your money, time, or energy, so use it to be who God has called you to be.

In Genesis 3:20, we learn that Adam calls to Eve because she was the mother of all living and the name Eve sounds like the Hebrew word for “Life-Giver,” so God designed women to bring life.

Bringing life is not just about being a mom! Yes, we were also designed to give birth, and feed our babies, but it’s more than that. It’s caring for people, bringing life to them by speaking life into their situations and being part of a community, so no matter your situation, or whether you’re single, a wife or mom, you have a responsibility because God designed you to bring life to everything around you. So, drop a meal off for the mom that desperately needs a break, bake some goodies for someone who needs a pick-me-up, phone and encourage that friend who posted about their bad day on Facebook, send scripture to someone who needs it and PRAY for people.

You are designed to be FRUITFUL. Maybe you’ve had to face grief, rejection, poverty, unemployment, pain, barreness. These are things that make us who we are and help us approach others with understanding and compassion. They say, you can’t give what you don’t have, so, stay connected to the vine and you will continue to bear fruit.

It takes courage to live for more than just yourself. Don’t let fear stop you from giving. Keep an open hand. And Give what you can.

To live a life as a Christian woman completely surrendered to God is radical and will require some real courage. I am still on this journey and as I spend time with God and as I grow in my relationship with Him, He fills me with all the courage I need to live out his plan and purpose for my life. He gives me grace and He walks this journey with me, and I hope that this post brings courage and encouragement to your hearts and lives.

Charissa Lane

Fueled by Grace, coffee and giggles! I am a coffee addict, chocolate-loving, playdough making machine who is passionate about living a life of faith and keeping things simple! I am married to my best friend, a mommy to my 4 miracle kids and we are in full-time Ministry, leading a church in Johannesburg.

www.lanesofgrace.co.za

The post 7-Steps to Becoming a Courageous Women through Christ appeared first on Cup of Faith.