Many people made New Year’s resolutions to be better in many areas of their lives. I made a resolution (Definition: a firm decision to do something or not to do something) when I received the Holy Ghost in 1955 to serve God with my whole heart, soul, mind and strength. I do not have to renew this resolution yearly. With God living within me, I daily choose to keep this resolution. It is a way of life for me. I live with the expectancy of the Lord’s return for His Bride that is without spot or wrinkle.
I keep a clean home. But when I know I’m having special guests, I make an extra effort to be sure that my home will welcome them and present a warm greeting to come in, be comfortable and enjoy the fellowship. Spiritually that is the daily attitude we need in that expectation of Jesus’ return in the clouds for His Bride. We do not know the day nor the hour of His return. But we see the signs around us worldwide.
We are to stir up the gift that is within us – 2 Timothy 1:6-8 (NKJV) – 6 “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” I received this gift on my day of Pentecost experience – Acts 2:38-39. I repented and was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of my sins and I received the ‘gift’ of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is God in us the Hope of glory! It is the ‘earnest’ of our eternal inheritance. We are the temple or house of God. We must walk within our house with a perfect heart – blameless before God – Psalm 101:2-4.
This gift/treasure dwells in our earthen vessels. When I treasure something, I handle it with great care and concern. I keep it from being damaged or broken. I put it in a safe protected place. We are God’s special treasure – His chosen people – His royal priesthood. Should we not keep our vessel pure for His glory?
We are to glorify God in our bodies. Our thoughts, words and actions must be pleasing to Him at all times. We cannot be ‘Sunday’ Christians and act like the devil in our homes. Our homes must be filled with peace and harmony that can only come from The Presence of the LORD having full control of our body. James tells us if we can control our tongue, we can control are whole body. Is it possible? Yes! When we allow God to have full control of our heart, soul and mind, we have stirred up the gift of God that is within us.
I recently wrote an article on The Ripple Effect. Our actions definitely impact the lives of people around us beginning in the home. Your spouse and children know the real you. They know if you are genuine in spirit or if you are a hypocrite. They know whether they see God in your actions or whether you live according to the desires of the flesh.
Since we do not know the moment of the Lord’s return for His Bride, we must live with the constant thought, “I want to please the Lord.” I refuse to ‘lull myself to sleep’ with the pleasures of this world. If we are not looking for Jesus to return, we will not be ready for Him!
When Jesus takes His Bride into the heavens, there will be a Judgment Seat of Christ. In my study of the subject, God will give our rewards to us not only because of what we did, but because of the motives in our hearts. Do we live our lives to glorify God, or do we live our lives to receive our own glory?
Let’s come back to Paul’s admonishment to Timothy – stir up the gift of God that is in you. The gift is His Spirit. We can have the mind of Christ through the wisdom of God’s Word. We must be in His Word daily and talking to Him in our hearts through prayer. Allowing God to be in control is not hard. When we surrender all to Him, He comes in like a flood and gives us His strength to live godly with godly motives.
The only eternal gift we can give to others is our impact on their lives for godliness. As the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with the precious oil/perfume, I want it to be said of me, “She hath done what she could.” I desire daily to pour out myself in the presence of the Lord doing all I do for His glory – continually stirring the Holy Ghost within me allowing Him to have complete control.
Paul addressed the battle of the flesh versus the Spirit in Romans 7:24 – “O wretched man that I am? Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Here is the answer!) V25 – I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” If we walk in the flesh, we will fulfill the desires of the flesh. But if we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh – we will fulfill the desires of the Spirit that is the gift of God within us!
What will be the spiritual inheritance that you will leave your family and friends? I have close family and friends who have preceded me in death and are in the presence of the Lord. They all have blessed me with a spiritual inheritance of love by example of their lives. I can emulate them knowing it pleases the Lord.
Daily I choose to stir the up the gift of God in me to live my life for His glory! Micah 6:8 tells us to do what is right, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. Walking in humility is giving God all the glory and honor!!
© Carol Clemans – January 2015 – www.carolclemans.org – bio, 230+ articles, teaching CD’s & DVD’s, book: GOD’S DESIGN FOR MARRIAGE
NATIONWIDE counseling is available by phone/Skype (636) 448-0121. I love teaching God’s anointed Word for spiritual, emotional or relational growth for churches/conferences – carol@carolclemans.org.