Complete Release

When one is presented with an opportunity to sin--knowing the good you ought to do but not doing it (James 4:17) or whatever is not from faith (Romans 14:23)or generally going against God's Word in any way at all--he or she is given the opportunity to become more or less like Jesus Christ. If one flees from sin, he or she chooses God's way; however, if one gives into sin, he or she chooses the personal, sinful will. Each direction takes a person one step closer or one step further away from Jesus's likeness.

As sinful beings, we are continually, perpetually, and habitually offending God with our behavior or lack thereof. Opportunity after opportunity is thrown at us with open claws and gnashing teeth. Our completion in Jesus Christ is threatened by sin and darkness sneers at us, begging for us to give in. It is with extreme difficulty and the grace of God that we will be able to tear away and step into that marvelous Light that is Jesus Christ our Lord.

So what do we do when we're presented with that opportunity to give in? They sure are plentiful, if you ask me. Is it okay to be "okay" with our brokenness, shortcomings, and fruitless vessels if we claim the grace of God upon our lives? Is it right to walk in our own strength, in our own will, in our own way if we just say that God is working in us and we hope for a better tomorrow?

I don't think it is.

"THIS is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24 (emphasis added) Is it not true that the psalmist wrote THIS is the day the Lord has made? Did he not say that THIS was the day we should rejoice and be glad in? It is very clear to me.

So does that mean we have to put on a happy face and fake joy in an attempt to obey God? Definitely not! The Bible says that Jesus was a man of sorrows who was acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53). So how did Jesus do it? He surely had quite the load to bear, a huge responsibility, and loads of opposition. When I read about His life, I read stories of triumph, victory, and power. There are hints of restlessness, sorrow, and frustration, but they are definitely not dominating. Instead, I see the characteristics of His Father, God. I see Him walking in joy, present in each moment, fully alive and ready to serve until He drops. That was Jesus. With all of the pain, the weight on His shoulders, and the responsibility to all of mankind, our Jesus walked in love, compassion, joy, and freedom. While He carried the weight of the world on His shoulders, it didn't always show. Did He always feel that way but just repress it for the sake of others? I don't know. It's not as if He ignored is frustrations, burdens, or sorrows. He clearly addressed them.

Remember the garden of Gethsemane? Jesus was utterly distraught. He sweat blood. He cried and begged God to break the original plan if there was any possible way at all. Sorrow does not rightly describe what He was feeling. It is a feeling that is far deeper than we will ever know or experience. But I think the determining factor is that Jesus did not dwell on His sorrows. He seemed to retreat on His own for a while, talk to God about what was going on in His heart and head, and He left the conversation with God. He didn't seem to take it back with Him or let it drag behind Him. It was as if when His words left His mouth, they stuck to God and stayed with Him. His words fell at the foot of God's throne, never to be with Jesus again.

Can't we do the same thing?

We will always be presented with sorrow, pain, stress, guilt, and so so so much more. We will be given opportunity after opportunity to walk joyless, fruitless lives. But in that, we counteract the very character of God. Ephesians says to "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children" and our God is a God of Joy!!!! To be joyless is to be like Satan. So even while we are continually given relentless opportunities to walk without joy because of the negativity and burdens of this world, we can choose joy when we speak to God of our frustrations and LEAVE them at the foot of His cross. It is not wrong to experience such negative feelings, but it's when we dwell upon them that we become less and less like Christ, for it was Jesus who gave up His will and all of His feelings. So instead of having an inward focus of what you are feeling and the things you must do, turn your focus upward, release your feelings to God, and leave them with Him. Then WALK in the FREEDOM of His joy!! Oftentimes, it is from our very selves that we must be released!! It is for freedom that you've been set free! As C.S. Lewis wrote, "Joy is the serious business of heaven."