My spongy-self...

God's been working some firm lessons, moving them to heart knowledge. I've been struggling quite a bit over the last few months, feeling lost and unsure why. What's interesting is that I can pinpoint the last time I felt secure, and it was when I was secure in how God sees me. While that hasn't changed, my drive to focus on Him, on His vision has.

Have you heard of the Principle of Displacement? In a nut shell, here it is: I am a sponge, and I must be filled with something. I can allow myself to be filled with the sludge, the muck, the leftovers. Eventually that sponge (me) "stinks," and when that happens, it needs to either be santized, washed clean, renewed - or thrown out. Often, I've been allowing the voice in my head to win out, telling me I'm only worthy of the latter, which flies directly in the face of the enormous sacrifice Jesus made for us all. He deemed me worthy of being renewed, cleansed, and if He deemed me as such, who am I to question that?

OR, I can fill myself with clean, pure water, and when needed more abrasive cleansers to rid the pores of my spongy-self of germs and muck. Yielding to what His word tells me, yielding to His truth so that I am filled with His glory and equipped to do His good works.

While it's obvious the second option is better, it's not always the one I choose. I've let my time with Him slide by the wayside, for silly reasons. That time, the quiet, focused, personal relationship time with my loving Savior is essential for me to remain as He sees me. Otherwise, my spongy-self fills up with the nasties which abound, and I'm quick to throw myself away.

I want to be continually transformed into His likeness, as I've studied so often in Phil. 3:10. AMP ver.
[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.


2 Corinthians 3:18
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Jesus, thank you for loving me. Father thank you for your patient guidance, and yielding forgiveness and love. Strengthen in me the knowledge of your true character, and help me stay firmly on your path. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Oh, and man does it feel good to blog again!