By Kevin Payne
Palmerdale UMC
So often we forget we have a genuine relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Many times we only think of salvation in terms of heaven and an escape from hell, and forget that what Jesus died to bring us was a restoration to a right relationship with God. When we live in relationship with God, things of eternity will take care of themselves.
But genuine relationships take commitments from all involved in them. Consider a marriage: a good, loving marriage is one where a husband and a wife mutually care for one another, do not take advantage of one another, and support one another. It would not be a good marriage if one or the other neglected, abused, or took for granted the other. Genuine relationships require work, commitment, and mutual support.
The same is true for our relationship with God. We cannot go about our lives expecting God to do all the work in maintaining this relationship. Following Christ requires commitment, dedication, and sacrifice. It is a powerful position to truly yield our lives to the will of God. This means ALL of our lives to the TOTAL will of God!
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Movement, was known for his prayer life and journaling. There is a prayer that he prayed and recorded in his journal that is still used today. It reminds us of our covenant relationship with God.
I would like to share this prayer with you and invite you to consider what it says, how your covenant relationship with God compares, and to pray it for yourself. Blessings as we all seek to live out the life of faith.
I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.