Garden of your heart

Not my will, but yours!

Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemene prayed this before he was taken and put on the cross.  He had the power to change the outcome, but chose to lay his life down for our sins, to provide a way to God. 

Today I find that I am struggling with my selfishness.  I have dreams.....I want children, I want to live in the country, I want to live on a small farm, I want to have an easy life, I want to have my family near (hey April, at least God answered this one ) , I want....I want....I want....Luke 9:23 says "And he (Jesus) said to all, 'if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."   To take up the cross is to renounce selfish ambition.  Ouch!  This isn't always easy, is it?  I found myself on my knees this morning praying and asking God to take my selfish and sinful nature  (it's already been nailed to the cross) and replace it with a deeper and more passioniate love for others.  How it must grieve the Lord when we "demand" or "desire so intensely" so many things of the world, when He has all that we need.  I am asking Him to replace my desire to be "secluded" or "away from so many people" and help me to have that drive and passion to share Christ with those where I live, or to encourage and uplift those believers in my life and church to strive after obedience over our own desires.  Right now, it feels painful...painful to give up those things into His hands, painful in that I am choosing God's will over my own (even though His will is so much better in the long run), painful that I may not get "my way."   Oh what  a sinful being I am...but praise God for Jesus who became the ultimate of servants and gave His life for mine!  With the hope of spending eternity with Him some day, that gives me the strength to carry on, to let go, to give up self for something so much better!  This is a day to day thing we need to do....we will never conquer selfishness once and for all....unless we are on our knees every day giving ourselves to God.

I don't want the 'garden of my heart' to be selfish, self-centered, or prideful, instead I want the 'garden of my heart' to be humble, Christ centered and people loving. 

How is the 'garden of your heart' today?????????

Untitled Comment

07:43, Thursday, October 18, 2007 .. Posted by schatzila

Amen....Connie

mutual submission

07:11, Friday, October 19, 2007 .. Posted by Anonymous

i have been struggling with a topic, mutual submission.i believe that my spouse should submit to the things i want as i submit to him. maybe it is one of the lies that women believe. it is encouraging to know my friend monette believes the same as i do.

Untitled Comment

01:14, Friday, October 19, 2007 .. Posted by Deblyn

Monette....you are funny! :) We have been through this now.....the Bible says that wives are to submit (come under the authority of) to their husbands, not the husband to the wife. When I started to read your post I started to crack up, because I knew you were making fun of our week! For anyone who is reading this and wondering...huh???? Monette and I just did a teaching at women's Bible Study on being a helpmate and submitting to our husbands and we had some questioning afterwards.

Untitled Comment

01:58, Friday, October 19, 2007 .. Posted by Anonymous

actually it wasn't monetee it was her crazy sister-in-law. we ganged up on you. tee hee
sorry! she made me do it. actually it is a husbands sacrificial love that he has for wife, just as christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. in turn it will compell or cause the woman to want to submit to her husband. does that make sense? if a hubby has true christlike sacrificial love for his wife she will submit. a very powerful thing. thanks for bebing a good sport deb.
becky

<i>Untitled Comment</i>

03:20, Friday, October 19, 2007 .. Posted by Deblyn

Becky,

That is too funny! Monette called me and I couldn't believe that it was you on the blog. She has told me so much about you. I wish you lived near us...we three could cause quite a bit of mischief. ;) Thanks for stopping by! And by the way....your comment was very well said!...but we still need to submit even if our husbands aren't loving. It just makes it harder! :) Have a great weekend!
Do you have a blog???????

Edited by Deblyn on Friday, October 19, 2007 at 05:36

Untitled Comment

09:56, Monday, October 22, 2007 .. Posted by Anonymous

NO I DON'T HAVE A BLOG BUT YOU CAN GET MY EMAIL FROM MONETTE. YES WE MUST SUBMIT TO OUR HUSBANDS WHEN THEY ARE NOT LOVING, BUT WE HAVE A GOD WHO IS AND HE WILL NOT LEAVEUS OF FORSAKE US. SEE YA
BECKY

Untitled Comment

02:42, Tuesday, October 23, 2007 .. Posted by Deblyn

Amen Becky! :) I will get your e-mail from Monette! She told me you and I have a lot in common! She always says such great things about you! :) Have a great day!