Tuesday, October 25, 2016

What Do You Grasp For?

"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him, the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Philippians 2:4-11

What do you grasp for?






Is it power, money, position? 
Is it friendship, acceptance, love? 
Is it losing weight, a car, a house, a vacation?
Is it recognition, fame, attention?
Is it more time, more rest, more work?
Is it validation?

We all grasp for something in this life. The focus may change over time, but the grasping continues. We all grasp for validation at some point or other. How do you go about trying to get it? What do you do to get what you want? Do you manipulate, try to control, cry, throw a temper tantrum?



In my experience, when I am grasping for something over a period of time that seems just out of my reach, I find the Lord is intentionally not allowing me to obtain it. He is trying to show me something, get me to acknowledge something, acknowledge Him and begin asking the right questions, like why, Lord is this unattainable?

Has it become an idol? Has it climbed to first place in my heart above the Lord's presence and will?

Scripture clearly tells me -

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." "....seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you."  
Luke 12:32, 31

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." 
James 1:17

My Father wants to give me every good and perfect gift.





 As I meditate on that I realize that if I am not receiving what I want, it's probably because it is not, for me, a good and perfect gift at that time.

All the grasping I do cannot accomplish for me what I really need, if it is not in God's heart to give it to me.

I see so many people grasping (excessively eager to acquire; greedy for) for validation. When we are not aware of or satisfied with who we are or our own perception of ourselves; when we live in a place of insecurity and/or inferiority, we will always live grasping.

We desperately want to know that we matter; that our lives matter; that we belong and have a place. We want to be heard, we want to be seen, we want to be known and above all else, we want to be loved.






These are all genuine desires that flow from the deepest places in our hearts. They were put there by a God that wants to fulfill those desires.

He wants you to know that you matter to Him.
Your life does matter to Him.
You do belong and you do have a place in His kingdom.
He hears you.
He sees you when no one else does 
He knows you and above all else, He loves you!

What better thing to do instead of grasping - believing and receiving the truth of His Word. Believing and receiving who you are in Him.
Believing and receiving who He created you to be!

What an example Jesus is for us! Fully equal to God, He actually made himself equal to nothing, according to Philippians 2, "though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."

Jesus never grasped for position or for power. He never grasped to be known for who He truly was. He knew who He was and that was enough. He didn't need to prove it to anybody. Because, you see, if He had tried to, He would have totally negated the purpose that God sent Him to earth for. "And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 




He didn't need to grasp for anything. God sent Him to earth because He had a purpose and He knew that purpose and His desire was to live to walk out that purpose.

God has a purpose for you; He has a purpose for me. I don't, and you don't, need to grasp for anything except knowing Him and fulfilling His purpose. As we seek Him and His kingdom, all that we need to fulfill that purpose will be added unto us.

The gift in you makes a place for itself, because God has ordained it. We don't need to "toot our own horn", we don't need to grasp for it. 

                                                         We only need to trust God!



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