In my walk with God I have discovered “The Gap”. The gap between who God says I am, and what He says about me, and how I actually live and think.
We struggle with the connection between the two. In our efforts to live for God and be all He says we can be we often give up. The “Gap” just seems too big.
In the Bible Jesus says “I am the light” (John 8:12). Then in Matthew 5: 14 he says “You are the light”
Most of us don’t have much difficulty with Jesus being “The light”, but it’s a little harder to grasp the concept that “I am the light”. We know our weaknesses and the darkness in our own lives, where we fall short.
Peter boldly confessed, “You are the Christ the living God, and Jesus affirms him by telling Peter “you are my rock and upon this revelation of who I am and you understanding that, I will build my church. What a great moment for Peter. But then Peter messed up.
He told Jesus “You can’t go to the cross!” Jesus abruptly corrected Peter telling him he was being used by Satan and told him publicly “get behind me Satan”. (read Matthew 16:13-19).
Ouch! What happened? It was “The Gap”. Between what Jesus had said about Peter, and His plan for him, and how Peter thought at the time. Peter didn’t get it. He hadn’t realized fully why Jesus had come. He missed it. There was a big gap between Jesus’ thoughts and plans and Peter’s.
When Jesus died on the Cross He closed the gap between the holiness of God and sinful man.
Jesus didn’t just plan to cover up the gap, to cover sin. He chose to close the gap, erase sin, and raise us up to heavenly places, giving us every spiritual blessing. (Eph 1:3)
So why are we not living like that?
If the bible says I have self-control, why do I not exercise everyday, or get of bed to pray, or lose my temper, have trouble paying my bills, struggle in relationships, or whatever your gap is?
When you acknowledge you have a gap, you have to recognise also that God is not a liar. The Gap is to do with us, and the fact that we are not accessing and connecting with who God says we now are in him.
“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Numbers 23:19)
There is a CONNECTION ISSUE
It you use an illustration from technology it would be the “In the cloud” illustration.
All the information we access on our technology is not on our devices. It’s in the cloud – “the server”, elsewhere.
All we need is in the cloud. In our life Jesus is “our cloud”. All we need is IN HIM.
We just have to stay hooked up, connected to the cloud.
If there is a gap in our ability to access all we need in “the cloud” it is because we are missing the connection.
When I bought a Mac I couldn’t operate my new Mac using old PC knowledge. (I did try, but it usually ended with me getting frustrated)
When we try to do things outside of God and His ways we are trying to use our old device; (Like my old PC). The old man/women doesn’t have it. Your old ways can’t access the things of God.
Unfortunately we often try to live our Christian life banging and crashing our way through it using our old ways (our old technology). We see what is possible and available to us in God’s word. We see how others are living a life of overcoming victorious faith.
But far too often we fail to recognize we have to live differently if we are going to be all God says we are. We have to receive from “the cloud” (from Jesus.)
If we keep reverting back to our old ways, when it gets uncomfortable or hard, while still trying to live as a follower of Jesus, the gap in our life from what He says and what we experience will only remain and grow even bigger. (See Ephesians 4:22-24; 2 Corinthians 5:17)
“If you want a different result you have to do something different”.
Today cut off the ties to your old way of doing things. How are they working out for you anyway? Instead take hold of your new life. Take hold of what Jesus says about you. Take hold of how He says to live. You have open access to “the cloud” of heavenly power and possibilities. Jesus will close “the gaps” in your life.
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him”. (1 Peter 1:3)
Prayer: Lord show me where I have areas of my life with “the gap”. Between what you say about me, and how I’m living. I want to connect with you, where I know I have access to everything I need for life and victory. In Jesus name Amen.
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