College life messed me up!

Luke says:

Hey Luke,

I feel for you buddy. God really cares for you and wants to show up, real and powerful in your life!

Sometimes it takes us coming to the end of ourselves to show us something is hugely wrong in our lives.

Imagine having an awesome convertible BMW Z3 at the top of a scenic mountain. You nestle into the driving seat, let down the emergency-hand break and set it rolling down the steep incline. As the car starts to gather momentum, you feel the cool summer breeze blowing in your face. Everything feels good… Because you are in the driving seat… You think you are in control…

You think you know how to handle the BMW… You are not an expert… But you’re doing a pretty good job! Suddenly out of nowhere a car speeds up the hill straight towards you and crashes full-force into into your BMW….

You didn’t see it… It came out of nowhere. You thought you were in control. It happened so fast! Only an expert Grand Prix driver could have avoided it.

We were never meant to be in the driving seat of our life… We need to totally trust God and give Him full control!

Too often we say to God: God you are in my life… I grew up in a Christian home…. I know you somewhat… Perhaps I really loved and served you with all my heart once…. Maybe we have let God into the passenger seat of our car… The back seat… Or even the trunk of our life….

We like to be in control and have our independence. Whether its in a dating relationship, our work life, our future marriage, or any area of our life, we need to give up our own rights so that we can truly know God’s best.

Sure, – we can stick up for our own rights to do the stuff that we want! – have sex, do drugs, view porn, even doubt what God says… Whatever!

But the problem is it always ends in a crash… because none of us really can navigate life by our self. We need to become like little kids, sit in the back seat, and let our daddy drive while we enjoy the journey!

The truth is Jesus didn’t die for a cool church experience. He didn’t die for us to live a good religious life. He didn’t die so that we would follow rules, – being ‘Godly’ through behavior modification. He didn’t even die for us to have His power touch our life a ‘just little bit’.

The message of Jesus is not just about allowing Jesus into our life. The message of Jesus is about coming to the end of ourself… our own strength… our own emotions… our own reasoning… our own control… and yes, even our own rights.

Only when we come to an end of ourself and totally live in His life do we experience true Christianity!

You mentioned that you accepted what people told you growing up. To accept Jesus is not enough. Jesus can only live in someone that gives complete control over to God. – And its a choice! Some people make it out of willingless, and others out of necessity.

I may be dating a beautiful Princess who is my absolute dream girl… sure I enjoy spending time with her, going for nature walks, watching movies, just being close to her. This is casual dating – no commitment!

There comes a point where I can (if I want to) make a decision to give up my single life for her, to value her above my friends and family, and to jump head first and marry her ’till death do us part’.

That’s commitment and its a serious decision that I need to actively decide.

In time, I’ll marry her and share a great life with her…

When I ‘throw everything to the wind’, and ‘sell my life out for my new wife’… that’s is when I truly start to know her and show my love for her. No others for my eyes but my Princess!

I’ve now started the journey to become truly intimate with her – sharing the details of her life physically, spiritually and emotionally. Wow, – how thrilling that is!

Just think: Most Christian’s date God. He is there to spice up their lives, to be there as when we want Him. They love Him being with them, after all, – He makes them feel good and the benefits of being around Him are great.

But to 1) truly know Jesus and 2) to date Him are … wow!… so different. One is a single life with added benefits… The other is a power packed life truly joined up with the Supernatural God Himself – inseparable!

Casual dating relationships naturally fall apart when two people are in it for the convenience, unwilling to give up their single lives for each other.

In the same way, unless you are prepared to violently persue God as your soul mate – commiting and selling-out for Him, – the relationship will naturally fall apart – and it shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Jesus didn’t ask for part of our life – but all…

As a fellow guy you know: to sit on a wooden fence – half on one side, half on the other – can hurt! Ouch! …and it may not do much good for the procreation abilities either

It is up to us to give our all to God, but its gonna take a lot of sacrifice!

WOW – how many ‘dead’ people do you know that struggle with sleeping around, porn, cursing, drugs, rebellion, thinking anti-God thoughts or drinking….?

Yeah, I thought so… none! The only reason we still struggle in life with ‘our’ sinful desires is because we are hanging on to the rotting corpse that was around before we gave our life to Jesus. That life is gone – but we can choose to stick in the past (before Christ) if we wish.

It’s either:

The old rotten life that sticks up for ‘me’, ‘my rights’, ‘my wants’, ‘my ideas’ and ‘my life’ – someone we call a human being…

Or it is the totally new Creation… in Christ – a totally new person… a totally new species that lives in the power of God!

Lets see what this New Creature, this new species is all about…

I am accepted – when I am in Christ:

• When I chose to receive Jesus, I became God’s child. (John 1:12)
• I am a friend of God and I learn to follow Him (John 15:15)
• I have been made right with God through accepting what Jesus did for us and I am at peace. (Romans 5:1)
• The price paid for me was enormous. I now belong to God and live to bring glory to Him. (1 Cor 6:19-20)
• God specially chose me! to be His child – wow! (Eph 1:3-8)
• I have been lifted up, given a fresh start and forgiven of my sins (Col 1:13-14)
• I am complete – full of supernatural life in as I stay in Him. (Col 2:9-10)
• Jesus has been tempted with all the things we have, and I can go to Him for mercy (Heb 4:14-16)

I am secure – when I am in Christ:

• I live in Christ and no accusations about me that say ‘I am unfit to be used by God’ are true. I can’t be separated from Gods love. (Rom 8:12, Rom 8:31-39)
• As I choose to grow in God’s purpose, I  know that everything will work together for the good, because I love Him. (Rom 8:28)
• God has set me apart and empowered me by His Spirit. (2 Cor 1:21-22)
• My old life is dead and I am alive – hidden with Christ. (Col 3:1-4)
• I am confident that God who began the good work in me will continue, developing, perfecting and bringing it to full completion. (Phil 1:6)
• I am a citizen of heaven and that is my culture. (Phil 3:20)
• I was not given a spirit of fear. I was given a Spirit of love, power and a disciplined, sound mind. (2 Tim 1:7)
• I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me. (1 John 5:18)
• If I am without a father, God is my father. Psalm 68:5

I am significant – when I am in Christ:

• When I am connected to Jesus I can spread God’s abundant life. Apart from Him I can’t do anything. (John 15:5)
• Jesus chose me and set me with the task to bring life to those around me that lasts. (John 15:16)
• The God who created the universe lives in me! (1 Cor 3:16)
• We are Gods ambassadors to people around us to give them the opportunity to know God. (2 Cor 5:17-21)
• I am seated up with Jesus, far above any problem that can be named. (Eph 2:6, Eph 1:20-21)
• We have been created by God born anew in Christ. We now accomplish the honorable and good things that God had originally planned for us. (Eph 2:10)
• Because we have faith in God, we can approach our daddy father in freedom with confidence, without fear. Eph 3:12
• I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. (Phil 4:13)

I have said a lot buddy… but it is actually quite simple… it boils down to where you put your trust: In the promises above… or what the world says.

If you have an amazing dream-girl Princess that you want to marry, here are a few good tips at ruining the relationship:

• Become critical and introduce rules to the relationship.
• Hang around places where other girls go, and let your eyes wander and admire.
• Hang around other guys that are scanning the landscape for the hot chicks.
• Listen to your single friends advice who tell you: “You need to have your own independant life”, or “Your Princess is too needy”, or “There’s a lot more choice out there”

In the same way, if you want to wreck your relationship with God:

• Think the Christian life is all about rules and try to follow them. It’s impossible to!
• Separate yourself from people who live and walk in God’s supernatural power.
• Hang around other buddies who talk dirty, think Godless and act Godless.
• Listen to your single friends advice who say, “You need to have your own independant life”, or “Nobodies perfect”, or “There’s a lot of other religious and lifestyle choices out there”

But… The key to a building a great relationship with that perfect dream-girl you want to marry is:

• Choose to give up your single life for her and God.
• Persue her like crazy and lay down your own wants for her.
• Spend time around your beautiful Princess.

In the same way, – to truly know God and experience His power is no different!

• Make a decision to end your own independance, and self willed ideas.
• Violently and crazily persue Jesus with all your heart.
• Spend time in God’s prescence. Ask His Holy Sprit to empower you, strengthen you and comfort you. Spend time in worship with God. Spend time around God’s people (who have a zany love for Christ). Focus on His promises for you instead of earthly Godless reasoning.

It is that simple buddy! It doesn’t get much simpler!

Also, sidenote about your parents and siblings:

If you left home in rebellion, you need to start honoring and valuing your parents. Move back home if need be! Unless you deal with the issues you left back home, you will never be able to progress to the amazing plans God has for you. It will follow you like elastic bands, always pulling you back to the past.

Should you tell your parents about your downfall? I think so. But pray about what God wants you to do. You don’t need to tell them details, but it will help you to be accountable to their authority in your life. They can stand with you in pray and support.

The prodical son went back home and made things right in Luke 15:21:

Remember that Satan only has power in darkness. He can keep you captive in darkness, – but a release comes to you when you walk in the light.

That said – this can be private and your siblings don’t need to know about it.

Remember buddy… no need to be down about the past… The past is the past… and when you give your all to Jesus… its as good as dead – if you persue your new identity in Christ!

So live in the TRUE FREEDOM that Jesus died for. Don’t just date Jesus! Commit to Him and you won’t be sorry!

p.s. you may want to get the book (devotional version) by Joyce Meyer: Battlefield of the Mind.