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"When those who choose to follow Jesus Christ allow any role to define their identity they end up forfeiting the power God has for them to impact that particular role in their life."
Forfeit is such a negative word. When there are not enough players on a team you forfeit the game. Do something really bad and you forfeit your right to freedom. Many definitions of the word forfeit include these words;” to lose or be deprived of property, rights, or privilege”. I don’t know about you but I really don’t like the word forfeit.
But, forfeit is what most of us have been conditioned to do when it comes to God’s power in our lives. As we live out the world’s ways of using roles to define who we are, we are deprived of the right we have to God’s power through our true identity. Remember, our identity is suppose to be empowered by God to make our roles all they can be so that we can achieve our destiny in Christ. When we try to use any role we play to help augment our identity we give up the empowerment of God that is there to help us achieve our eternal destiny.
Why do we do this? I believe it all comes down to trust. Do we really trust this, unseen God to empower our roles so that our destiny can be assured? Worse than that, do we trust that the destiny God has for us is enough in our lives? I believe that the lack of trust that permeates our everyday activities is what makes it so easy to forfeit the power of God in our lives. It’s just easier for us to trust our own abilities rather than gamble on whether God will live up to our personal expectations for our life.
Today’s Bible reading draws a harsh conclusion for those of us who settle on simply trusting our own ways. Check it out for yourself.
“This is what the LORD says: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.’” Jeremiah 17:5-9 (NIV)
“Cursed!” Now that’s a strong word. Do we have to be so chastised by God when we trust our own ways? When I think about what I’m giving up when I trust my own ways over God’s, it’s no wonder God uses such harsh words. I don’t believe that God is going to make bad things happen to you if you use your roles to define your identity but, when we forfeit God’s power that comes through our identity, we are giving up a lot of advantage in our life.
It is my opinion that the curses that come our way have more to do with the disappointment and victim thinking that is a natural result of forfeiting God’s power in our lives. I have lived that cursed life many times in my life when I have chosen to let my roles define my identity. Roles just don’t have the power to make our eternal destiny happen. Identity is where God’s power is found.
What are you going to chose to forfeit today? Will you give up God’s power in your life or will you give up the temporary feel good that comes with thinking you have control over your destiny? I know how easy it is to trust self, but it doesn’t pay off in the long run. Remember who you are today! You are a victor in Christ, empowered to make your roles work for you to move closer to your eternal destiny. Living that kind of life makes whatever happens to you much easier to accept and relish in since this is the place God has chosen for you today.
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