LEARN TO LIVE IN CHRIST

There is a difference between living in Christ and living for Christ. Jesus says, "Dwell in Me and I will dwell in you. Live in me and I will live in you." (John 15:4-7) He is more interested in the time you spend with Him than with the works you accomplish in His name.

Spiritual principles for living IN Christ:

The requirements for spiritual leadership are different from the requirements for leadership in the secular world. For the Christian there must be a purity of heart and actions that reflect Jesus Christ. The standards of our secular culture are not high enough for the believer.

Whatever ministry God gives you belongs to Him. You do not own it. It is His ministry, and He will use it to draw men and women to Jesus Christ. But ministry is not the reason for your life in Christ. You have life in Christ because He desires you to belong to Him. Your vocation is to belong to Jesus.

Don't let what you do be the value on which you base your personal relationship with Jesus. The secular world measures you by performance because the things you do are the most visible. Don't let what you do take first place in your life. Jesus is most concerned with the quality of your relationship with Him. What you do for Him is merely an expression of your life in Him.

When you walk in Christ, the approval of others takes its proper place in your life. You will glance at others and gaze at Jesus.

Learn to depend on the Holy Spirit's power to free you from a spirit of comparison with others. Gal. 6:4-6 says to "test your own actions." Jesus' response to Peter, when asked how John would die, was "What is that to you?" (John 21:23) The key is to find God's will for your life, and do it. Keep your focus on your response to God, not how you think others respond to Him.

There is a deep inner peace that comes when you believe you are fulfilling the purpose for which you were created. Hope that when you get to heaven - and God shares the picture He had of what you could become in Him - it is not too far from what you actually became.

Learn that there are times when the Lord will close the door on one ministry to open another; or close the door and leave you on the shelf for a while. If your "ministry" is totally surrendered to Him, He will help you, in those moments, to stay steady and wait. Waiting time is not easy, but not only is it important to know His will, it is also important to know His timing.

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