Christianity Oasis Forum

[logi bear]

A devotional from my church : )

Blessed Subtractions

Philippians 3:13 says: “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended: but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” You can’t reach forth for those things which are ahead if you haven’t let go of those things that are behind. Set your thoughts on the things that are above, not on the things of this earth. Set your heart on the things that are of Jesus Christ. Invest in treasures where moth and rust cannot destroy.

Maybe God is trying to strip you of something in your life—something that links you to your past, before Christ--those things in your past that were ungodly. It’s called a blessed subtraction. The Lord will remove those things out of your life that will hinder your walk with Him. Many times, it is a place of weeping for us, at first. It can hurt—that we have to be disconnected from a certain thing or a certain person. There may be many memories—even good times. The Lord wants to take our affections off of earth. To be truly governed by God, we have to get our affections off of the things of this world and onto those things that are of Heaven.

The Bible tells us that, “Where your heart is, there will your treasure be also.” Matthew 6:21. Whatever you are setting your affections on, that is where you will be building your treasure. The Lord has great things for each of us in this life. He wants to use us. But He can’t have us still tampering with “so-and-so” or being involved with “such-and-such.” We each know what those things are in our lives. What is He trying to disconnect in your life? Is He cutting the wire to break a connection that is not good for you? It needs to be ended now. The Lord wants our affections to be set on Heaven. Let’s be eternally minded—not earthly minded.

Maybe you are being challenged today. Perhaps the Holy Spirit is pointing things out in your life that you know have to go. And when those things have to go, it has to be extreme. It can’t just be put to bed. It can’t just go for a nap or take a rest. If you no longer want to be who you were before Christ—those old characteristics that defined us before Christ, and you want to be governed by God, what has to go?

Until you let that thing of your past go, you can’t reach forward for what’s ahead. Paul continued in Philippians 3:14 to say, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Press toward that goal today. Let’s examine our hearts and say, “Lord, what needs to go in my life?” Are there any “last links” so-to-speak, connecting you to your old, unregenerate life before Christ? Is there anything holding you back? Is there anything weighing you down from running the race . . . to win?

Lord, work in each of us and refresh us so that we can run this race to win. No one signs up for a race without the intent to win. The things of Egypt may seem like a good memory at times, but have you forgotten what it was really like when you were there? There has to be defining moments in each of our lives. Make today the day that you decide to respond to whatever it is the Lord is challenging you on and respond to the conviction of His Spirit. Act. Do something now. Jesus Christ will give you as much of Him as you want.