Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Why do we insist on changing from the outside in?


From The Inside Out

by Hillsong United

album: United We Stand (2006)

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
I'm caught in Your grace
Everlasting
Your light will shine
when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself
In bringing You praise
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

In my heart and my soul
Lord I give You control
Consume me from the inside out
Lord let justice and praise
Become my embrace
To love you from the inside out

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart
Is to bring You praise
From the inside out
Lord my soul cries out



I have listened to this song no fewer than 40 times today. It hit me.
Why do we have this need to reflect an outward change?

Why do we act like everything is okay? Why do we act like we have this
great relationship with Jesus? I can't get over the words
to this song.
If we are consumed from the inside out then we won't need to act like
this or that. There will be no acting because
we are completely
transformed. Every thought. Every deed.

How my prayers have changed that I am completely consumed by
God
from the inside out. We cannot be everything God has created us to be
worrying about our outward appearance.
I was reminded today and
very humiliated because of non-Christian
attitudes and actions that I had
displayed in my prior workplaces. Now, living a life for the most part finely
tuned into Jesus, I found myself
very embarrassed and ashamed that
people knew back then I was a Christian, but also knew my heart. I say
they knew my
heart because what is really in your heart is what surfaces
and at that time was obviously not a life living for Jesus. I know that
I am
forgiven and I have to get past Satan's deceit that I am always going to
be that person. This all leads me back to the fact
of how difficult it is to
maintain this outward/in change. Did I say difficult? How about
IMPOSSIBLE!!

I encourage all who read
this to take this song and these lyrics with the
utmost humbleness and seriousness. Allow God to change you from the
inside out.