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I was thinking about the song Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin yesterday. So I pulled up the words on Google and read back over them, they really didn’t make much sense to me except when he said, “and she’s buying a stairway to heaven.” It makes me think of the times in my life that I thought I could buy my way on up that stairway.
For years into my Christian life I followed the Savior pretty steady by my standards. I made my way up the stairway just fine without much looking back. I put one foot in front of the other and marched up each step by living according to the rules, having my children in church every Sunday, living as the submissive wife (well outwardly), and serving in the capacity anyone asked me to at the church. Personal time with the Lord was hard to come by but I was “doing” everything I was supposed to be doing. I just kept dragging myself up that stairway so I could hear the words “Well done good and faithful servant.” Matthew 25:23
Eventually there came that time when I could no longer climb those stairs and I stumbled and fell to the bottom. As I lay there crumpled up in a heap, I felt completely defeated. Now I would not hear those words I had so longed to hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” Where were all those “rules”, “obligations”, and “works” now that I needed them most? The truth is they were dead….they had always been dead, I just didn’t know it.
For some reason salvation for me included working to make God proud of me, working to keep up appearances for other Christians, and striving to serve and prove my love for God. But after lying in a pit of deep despair and sin for a while, I finally gave up and came to the end of myself.
Flash forward to a new day, today! What have I learned about that Stairway to Heaven? There’s not a stairway to heaven, there’s no drudgery, working, striving, pleasing to get to the top to hear those words I so wanted to hear. Amazingly enough the Father is pleased with me as I am because when I became His child He created me new, complete, whole, beautiful, and precious in His sight. God’s Holy Spirit lives in me giving me a “want to” to want to be like Jesus. I don’t have to work at it to make it happen. However, I do have to rest in Him and let it happen. Surrendering to be a Spirit-controlled woman is the best thing that I’ve ever done. It has freed me to be the woman of God I was created to be. I can take off the masks that I’ve been hiding behind for so many years and when I listen to the Spirit I naturally or should I say supernaturally do what He’s calling me to do. My love for Him is the motivation for serving Him now, and oh how I love Him because He first loved me. 1 John 4:9
[/caption]I was thinking about the song Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin yesterday. So I pulled up the words on Google and read back over them, they really didn’t make much sense to me except when he said, “and she’s buying a stairway to heaven.” It makes me think of the times in my life that I thought I could buy my way on up that stairway.
For years into my Christian life I followed the Savior pretty steady by my standards. I made my way up the stairway just fine without much looking back. I put one foot in front of the other and marched up each step by living according to the rules, having my children in church every Sunday, living as the submissive wife (well outwardly), and serving in the capacity anyone asked me to at the church. Personal time with the Lord was hard to come by but I was “doing” everything I was supposed to be doing. I just kept dragging myself up that stairway so I could hear the words “Well done good and faithful servant.” Matthew 25:23
Eventually there came that time when I could no longer climb those stairs and I stumbled and fell to the bottom. As I lay there crumpled up in a heap, I felt completely defeated. Now I would not hear those words I had so longed to hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” Where were all those “rules”, “obligations”, and “works” now that I needed them most? The truth is they were dead….they had always been dead, I just didn’t know it.
For some reason salvation for me included working to make God proud of me, working to keep up appearances for other Christians, and striving to serve and prove my love for God. But after lying in a pit of deep despair and sin for a while, I finally gave up and came to the end of myself.
Flash forward to a new day, today! What have I learned about that Stairway to Heaven? There’s not a stairway to heaven, there’s no drudgery, working, striving, pleasing to get to the top to hear those words I so wanted to hear. Amazingly enough the Father is pleased with me as I am because when I became His child He created me new, complete, whole, beautiful, and precious in His sight. God’s Holy Spirit lives in me giving me a “want to” to want to be like Jesus. I don’t have to work at it to make it happen. However, I do have to rest in Him and let it happen. Surrendering to be a Spirit-controlled woman is the best thing that I’ve ever done. It has freed me to be the woman of God I was created to be. I can take off the masks that I’ve been hiding behind for so many years and when I listen to the Spirit I naturally or should I say supernaturally do what He’s calling me to do. My love for Him is the motivation for serving Him now, and oh how I love Him because He first loved me. 1 John 4:9
2 comments:
I know it would sound crazy to say that I feel like I've been a Christian my entire life because I know that's not true. But, I was in church almost from the day I was born!! And, started into a Christian school when I was five years old, but I was saved(accepted Christ as my Savior) as a little girl. So, when I hear people talk about the "works" aspects of their lives, it's a bit "foreign" to me. But, all I can say is that God has taken me down some very dark and scary roads and I've been through some pretty sad and dark times. I DO NOT know what I would have ever done without HIM right by my side during those times. in my life.
I am just so thankful that God loves me, HE'S IN CONTROL and I am totally and completely FREE! I hardly know what I would have done had I not had God right by my side guiding me every step of the way! I am so thankful that my "HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS THAN JESUS BLOOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLY LEAN ON JESUS NAME! AMEN! :)
So glad you are depending on Him Pam. When you say "God has taken me down some very dark and scary roads". Are you sure it was God that took you down such roads. His word tells us He is light and gives us all good things. I believe the world is full of sin, sinful people and evil and that's what takes us down dark and scary roads. God only loves you and would never be a part of anything that would harm or frighten you Pam. I love you and pray you embrace the love of the Father God because He adores you and has since before time began.
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