I need to realize that I have nothing to offer God
As much as we may try, we have nothing to offer to God, without him we are nothing. We are in a detestable situation without God since the tendency within each of us is toward doing evil, what ever is unlovely and unkind is what is normal for the carnal man.
I remember King Manasseh's story (2Chr 33:1-13). He lived his life his own way, set up his own god's, he was involved in witchcraft, he only had the tendency to do evil. God warned him many times before he decided to break the king's spirit. Manasseh did the only wise thing that he could do, he was humbled and responded by getting rid of his pride and coming to God with a "broken and contrite heart" (Ps 51:17).
It is easy to view ourselves as "not so bad" but that isn't the view of ourselves that God wants us to have. Without him we do not have any potential to do good, we don't have any hope of resisting the devil and his tactics, we don't have the ability to love but because of the love of God we can become so much more if we are willing to become so much less.
James 4:7-10 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor.
The only thing that I have to offer God is brokenness, the realization that I am completely dependent on God, as his disciple I have to get myself out of the control room of my life and allow him to be in charge or else I will not be of any use to God.
I am all yours Lord, without you I am not able to do anything good. Thank you for using your servant, I pray that I will be humble always and that I will give you the glory for anything good that I am able to do.
Psalms 34:18, Proverbs 29:23, Micah 6:8
I remember King Manasseh's story (2Chr 33:1-13). He lived his life his own way, set up his own god's, he was involved in witchcraft, he only had the tendency to do evil. God warned him many times before he decided to break the king's spirit. Manasseh did the only wise thing that he could do, he was humbled and responded by getting rid of his pride and coming to God with a "broken and contrite heart" (Ps 51:17).
It is easy to view ourselves as "not so bad" but that isn't the view of ourselves that God wants us to have. Without him we do not have any potential to do good, we don't have any hope of resisting the devil and his tactics, we don't have the ability to love but because of the love of God we can become so much more if we are willing to become so much less.
James 4:7-10 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor.
The only thing that I have to offer God is brokenness, the realization that I am completely dependent on God, as his disciple I have to get myself out of the control room of my life and allow him to be in charge or else I will not be of any use to God.
I am all yours Lord, without you I am not able to do anything good. Thank you for using your servant, I pray that I will be humble always and that I will give you the glory for anything good that I am able to do.
Psalms 34:18, Proverbs 29:23, Micah 6:8
