Beyond ourselves

When you get right down to it, I'm selfish.  I think of myself first.

I don't think I'm unusual.  But I'm fortunate that Christ is not like that.  He was willing to give his life for me.  And he's calling me to look beyond myself.

The question I need to ask is not "What do I want" but "What does God want"?

This is a fundamental question for prayer as it is in every other aspect of life.

Dick Eastman, long-time head of Every Home for Christ, says in his book No Easy Road:

"Only when he denies himself and lives close to God does man learn his beautiful will.  When one really understands God's perfect will, the effectiveness of prayer is staggering."

As Andy Stanley pointed out in a recent sermon, Jesus began his model prayer - usually known as "The Lord's Prayer" - with God.  That prayer begins with worshiping God in his holiness and asking that the Father's will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

In his challenging sermon, Andy Stanley said we must be ready to accept God's will whatever it is, even though we may not like it right now.  We can be sure that what God wants for us is best.  You can hear more of his thoughts here: http://www.northpoint.org/messages/red-letter-prayers

The best way to know what God wants is to spend time worshiping him, seeking more of him.  As we worship him, we draw closer to him.  That is the route taken by the 16th century French monk Brother Lawrence.

Writing about Brother Lawrence, a friend said the monk spent his time continually "praising and blessing [God] with all his might, so that he passed his life in continual joy".  The title of that book, The Practice of the Presence of God, catches the essence of Brother Lawrence's life - he lived as if Christ was present, talking with him.

If my mind and heart are enjoying Christ, I can be sure he is leading me along the path he has prepared for me.