Give Him Your Heart

“I have been crucified with Christ;
And it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;
And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Galatians 2:20

The life that I live in this fleshly body is no longer mine. I must yield to God everything that seems to satisfy the soul – my dreams, my pleasures, my intentions, my way of receiving love (performance, other’s opinions, and beauty), my relationships, even my husband and my children. In turn, God gives back first, Jesus Christ my Savior. Then He changes, expands, or crucifies all the others for my benefit and for His Kingdom. It’s an amazing transformation! It happens not through fleshly effort or desire, but rather through faith in the work of Jesus on the cross and through the sanctification that takes place as we read and study God’s word. I must crucify self, that God might raise me up to newness of life. The ability to spend time with God and experience real joy overshadows anything that I might have sacrificed.

I love the Little Drummer Boy. Upon recognizing that he does not own anything worthy of King Baby Jesus, he gives what he does have – his ability to play the drum – and more importantly, he gives Jesus his heart in faith believing.

God, I don’t have much, but what I have is Yours. Take my life and let it be holy, sanctified to Thee. Thank you for accepting my heart and replacing my heart of stone with a heart of flesh that is pliable and soft, compassionate and grace-giving. Help me to love others as You love – giving.