Ever noticed how dryer sheets cling to everything? I mean, I find dryers sheets in my clothes all the time! What can really be embarrassing is when you are out in public and pull one out of a pants leg or sleeve of a shirt! The static that just draws them to your clothes, causes them to cling so tightly to your clothes, that sparks fly when you try to remove them!
Ever had a fleshly area of your life that God just keeps surfacing? Like every time you turn around, it seems to show up and you sense God is speaking to encourage you to skim it off of your life? It just seems to be an area of your life that clings so tightly and is so difficult to get rid of.
Psalm 119:25
My soul clings to the dust; revive me according to Your Word.
So much poured into my heart. The Bible tells us that we were made of dust. Dust is that part of us that is fleshly, carnal, and worldly, that works in contrast to the Spirit.
Galatians 5:17
The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things you wish.
That's why James talks about the war that is going on inside between what your flesh screams out to do and what the Spirit says for you to do. That's why Romans says that what you want to do, you don't do and what you don't want to do, you do. And our soul (our thoughts, emotions, and desires) absolutely clings to that fleshly part! That can be so frustrating! And the more you try to win the battle and get this "clingy thing" off of you, the worse the sparks fly! It really can make you weary.
So what's the answer? The Psalm above tells us to be revived by the Word of God. How does that work? Sounds so easy. Sounds like a nice little spiritual answer. But really....how and why does this work? Well, what do we know about the Word?
The Word is alive, active and cuts to the motives of our hearts. It reveals the depths of who we are and depths of who God originally made us to be.
The Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. It gives us the path/journey we must be on in order to reach becoming the way God originally created us to be.
The Word is Jesus in the flesh. The One who lived just like us but remained all that God created Him to be.
The Word was given to teach us and encourage us so that we would have hope.
To be reminded of who I was originally designed to be (Christlike), to see where I lack, to read that God set forth an example of where I need to be in the person of Jesus, to read that becoming a disciple of Jesus and following His heart and His ways is the pathway to reach that goal, and to read that God gave His Spirit to help me, gives me purpose, hope, and the strength I need to revive my heart. As I set my heart on Christ, and seek Him with all of my heart, the things that have so clung to my flesh begin to "let go" because they are no longer my focus.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim.
In the light of is glory and grace.
May you saturate yourself with the life-giving truths found in God's Word, and watch those struggles and desires that cling to you fall away.
