LIWD :: day 43 :: A Lesson in the Interior Life

By rejoicing in Him, however, I do not mean rejoicing in ourselves, although I fear most people think this is really what is meant.  It is their feeling or their revelations or their experiences that constitute the groundwork of their joy, and if none of these are satisfactory, they see no possibility of joy at all.

But the lesson the Lord is trying to teach us all the time is the lesson of self-effacement.  He commands us to look away from self and all self's experiences, to crucify self and count it dead, to cease to be interested in self, and to know nothing and be interested in nothing but God.

The reason for this is that God has destined us for a higher life than the self-life.  That just as He has destined the caterpillar life to die, in order that the butterfly life may take its place, so He has appointed our self-life to die in order that the divine life may become ours instead.  The caterpillar effaces itself in its grub form, that it may evolve or develop into its butterfly form.  It dies that it may live.  And just so must we.

- Hannah Smith

God has destined us for a higher life than self-life.

It's hard to give praise in the face of despair.  It's hard to be thankful when we are enduring through trials and tribulations.  It's hard to be positive when we are going through hardships.  It's important to remember all the gifts God has blessed us with...regardless of how much we don't deserve it. 

Be thankful.  For the roof over your head.  For the shoes on your feet.  For the food in your belly.  For the sun in the sky.  For water in the ocean.  For the stars that twinkle.  For the rain that nourishes the ground.  For the love of friends.  For the leaders in your church.  For the smiles of strangers.  For all the little things.

We tend to get caught up in our little worlds and forget about the awesomeness that is our God.  He created this whole majestic world in which we live...down to the smallest pebble, the tiniest flower.  He then chose to create each and every one of us, in all our complexity.  How can you not praise such a God? 

I know I need to make more of an effort to step out of my own complacency and thank God for all He is.   How about you?