Power Power of Laying Down Your Life

Power 

Power of Laying Down Your Life

Time is life

Jesus said about His life

“I have authority”

“I lay down my life of my own accord”

“No one takes it from me”

Take authority over your life

To fulfill your purpose

To find lost sheep and to feed them

Jesus laid down His life for the sheep

Power of Laying Down Your Life

At age 64 every day I realize

I have one less day on earth.

Every day becomes more important.

How should I live today?

Out of all the things you can

do today, what is important?

What have you done

today that had any value?

Right now you are spending time

in your life reading this devotional.

The time you spend reading, you will

never get back and you will not be

able to spend this time on anything else.

(WOW, what pressure on me to give

you something worthy of your time.)

I have often said if you could add one healthy

day to your life how much would you pay for it.

It is this thought that makes me think of

how I spend the healthy days I have now.

As you are thinking of the value of today

you may be thinking of watching a movie,

going out to eat, maybe a vacation.

When I worked at Jeep, I realized that each Jeep I

was welding together would someday be in a scrap yard.

I think about all the things I do that have no lasting

value or power to change the world around me.

Jesus said about His life…

“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.

I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.

This command I received from my Father." 

“I have authority”

“I lay down my life of my own accord”

“No one takes it from me”

God has giving you your life, He has given

you the authority to do with it as you will.

You can lay it down for others,

you can lay it down for God.

You can take it up and do as you want.

You can let others rule your life.

When we look at this scripture we think

of Jesus laying down His life on the

cross, and Jesus is making that point.

But what if that is all we knew,

if only we knew a man on a cross?

Jesus had a life He could have

spent it any way He wanted.

The Gospels tell us how He spent His life…

Doing good and sharing the

message of the Kingdom of God.

If Jesus had not laid down His life every day

what meaning would the cross have had?

Every day of our life goes by quickly.

You have needs and dreams for your life.

“If a man does not work, he should not eat.”

So how do we take authority over our lives?

The first thing is recognize your purpose.

Jesus saw His purpose was for the sheep.

We, too, are Shepherds.

So how is what you do today helping

to find lost sheep and feed the flock?

Laying down our life starts with the recognition

that you have authority over your life.

 

No one takes it away from you.

Therefore in any situation

you can fulfill your purpose.

Jesus was effective in the

streets and in the synagogue.

Your life has the power to make a difference…

  

Power to change lives.

“This command I received from my Father."

 

So how are you laying down your life?

Scripture Reading

John 10:14-18 NIV

14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life — only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."