From the devotional based on the teaching of Ray Stedman...The Power of His Presence.
Reign in life--not in heaven--in life, now, at this present time. That means to control events, to govern the effects of life around us, through fulfilling the program of the Father and moving in the direction God determines. Redeemed man is never to be a helpless victim of circumstances.
If you read the events of our Lord's last week in Jerusalem, you will see exactly what I mean.
There He is, moving toward the goal that the Father has ordained, that He should die upon a cross. He sets His face like a flint to go up to Jerusalem and is constantly aiming at that moment He knows to be the Father's program for Him. But notice how He goes toward it in full control of every circumstance. He sends out the disciples to do the work that leads to His arrest. He dismisses Judas to go out into the night. When the soldiers come to take Him, He rebukes them, and they fall to the ground in fear. He could easily have turned and fled, but He waits quietly for them to take Him. The only untroubled person in all that troubled account is the person of the Lord Jesus as He walks in solitary majesty through all those tumultuous events. He was reigning in life. And that is what the Christian is called to do. The circumstances of our lives are sent by the Father--they are the program God has picked out for us--but our attitude in them is to master every event, not being taken by surprise.
How often we live defeated and crippled by life's challenges. Might we all reign in life through Jesus Christ.
1 comment:
I'm utterly enthralled by this description of reigning in life. I don't mean to exaggerate, either.
Reigning in life, to many, seems to mean 'getting the right job' or 'getting healed' or 'having the best marriage' or 'building the best church' or 'preaching the best sermons' or 'prosperity (wealth and possessions)' or a number of different things. Not that some of those things are necessarily excluded from any given person's walk of abundant life... but I really like how these words from Stedman about abundant life, or reigning in life, leans more towards being content whatever the circumstances, and not being surprised by what happens, and seeing ourselves as victims, but understanding the events to be part of God's plan, and embracing them joyfully.
I don't know anyone who's 'arrived,' but indeed, may we all reign in life through Christ Jesus!
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