Building a Life of Divine Significance

I haven't thought to mention the birth of Christ itself…what we celebrate at Christmas time. Today, that came to me…focusing on the Savior's birth. That is a way that we can partner with God through the holidays. As I was focusing on the Savior's birth, the first thought that came to me was His birth set in motion a chain of events that led to His death. His life and His death are the most profound events that have happened on earth and have affected more people…all people. No other event in history has affected all people. It was His birth that started that. I was filled with reverence and a gratitude for his birth, which preceded His life and His death. Then the thought came to me, what is the significance of my birth? What events did my birth set in motion? His birth set in motion affecting all of mankind? Is it possible that my life could be that significant? Another moment of reverence, humility, gratitude for my birth as I consider all the people that I know that I have served, helped and inspired. I’m feeling a lot of gratitude right now for the Savior and His example. 

I wanted to talk a little bit about His example in life. There was a moment in time when He started his ministry. We know it; I think he was 12 years old when He was traveling with his parents. He was missed. They found Him back at the temple teaching the scholars. He said, “I'm about my Father's business.” Throughout his life, His whole life was to glorify God. But there was a moment in time when His ministry was opened up. His first miracle of the water to wine was the official beginning of His ministry to save mankind.  He waited upon the Lord. At 12 He was astounding the theologians of the day.  Yet He waited until He was around 30 to officially step into His role as the Son of God.

This statement of waiting upon the Lord. I've been getting new insights into that. Waiting, for Jesus, was being patient for the proper time to really step forth and help people see that He was the Son of God. For me, that moment of stepping forth came in my fifties. I had to wait on the Lord a little bit longer. I didn't know of my divine mission and purpose when I was 12 years old. But as I look back at that time when I was younger, there were things that I was doing even then to influence and to serve that I wasn't even aware of. I was just being me. We can apply our life to His as we ponder on the significance of His birth alongside the significance of our own birth. He's asked us to take upon ourselves His name. Christians, Christ-ians. We take upon ourselves the name of Christians. That is lumping ourselves into a group, which is great. I feel that there is a more specific way that we can take upon ourselves the name of Christ that affects our individual lives and the specific way that we even sacrifice our lives…give ourselves as a living sacrifice. Of course, not as He did. literally giving His life. He had the one mission that was His. But like Him, as He had one mission that was His, we have one mission that is ours. We have one purpose, one calling, one Divine Commission. There is a very personal way that we are taking upon ourselves the name of Christ. especially as we get into the days leading up to Christmas, and the significance of His birth. I invite us to really ponder first of all the significance of our own birth, comparing that to the significance of the birth of Christ. No one is ever going to measure up to Him in His power and authority, His glory, His ability to influence mankind. But there is a specific way that we get to follow Him in living our lives…offering ourselves as a living sacrifice, the same as He offered himself as a sacrifice. His offering would overcome death, to provide life for all mankind. 

As I ask the next question, be aware of any limiting beliefs that might be coming up. I want to share a very personal experience that happened when I decided to offer myself as a living sacrifice.  I think I was 50 years old, or maybe 51. It was when I had first started doing my Daily GPS. I received a confirmation of my calling to follow Christ, to be as Christ not in His way, but in my way, in the specific way that God and I together get to fulfill my life's purpose, my life's mission, my life's calling. I received a personal witness of the actuality of my significance to mankind. I remember it dropped me to my knees because I felt inadequate. That is why I suggest a limiting belief might come up for you, as we do this exercise today. If you are like me, and you feel inadequate to what is revealed to you, I invite you to write those thoughts down, and do the Permission Process. This is a very personal experience that you get to take to God with Christ as your advocate. He has said that He would be our advocate to the Father, that He will take our prayers personally to the Father. If you will take those feelings of limitation, those feelings of not being enough, to the Lord with Christ as your advocate. If you receive a confirmation of a higher calling that you weren't aware of before, and you don't feel enough, remember even when Jesus did His first miracle turning water to wine, He looked at his mother and said, “What have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.” (John 11:4)..” His mother thought differently. Paraphrased, she said, “Oh yes, it is your time.” Then she turned to the servants and said, “do whatever He says.” Then she left. She left him to step into his ministry. Even Christ had, maybe not doubts or trepidations or fears, but He wasn't quite sure it was time to step into His ministry at that moment.

This is a really great opportunity for us to go to God right now and have Him show us the next step of how we can present ourselves as a living sacrifice, as Jesus did, but in our own personal way, partnering with Him and with Christ is our advocate to the Father. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, sit up straight, tip your head slightly down so that the crown of your head is straight up towards heaven. Place your hands up and out, being in the attitude of receiving. 

We're going to be asking a question. I invite you to be open to receive whatever you hear, that you do receive it, that you allow it all. Whatever thoughts are coming to you, whatever feelings, emotions are coming up for you as you receive, that you acknowledge and honor them. If the feelings and thoughts seem negative, they are not to stop you, but to help you to understand what is next, to help you to understand what obstacle you need to overcome before you will be able to step fully into your mission, calling, and purpose.

Prepare yourself to listen for the answer to the question I will ask. Believe that whatever you receive, that it is you, it is yours. This is how you are a living sacrifice for God as you are following Christ example. This is how you are living your life by taking Christ’s name upon yours, living your life as He lived His.  Acknowledge that all of those things that are coming up are honest, true, that they are gifts for you. Believe that you'll know the next thing that you need to overcome to be able to step fully into being that living sacrifice. One more deep breath. And, maybe it's not even a question, maybe it's a statement. I'm going to share this statement. Listen for the words, the thoughts, the emotions, whatever it is that's coming to you. Maybe even a vision. Allow yourselves to let a vision be opened up for you of what this means to you. 

The statement that I invite you to state right now for yourself is “I present myself as a living sacrifice.” Be open to know what that means, your personal oneness with God, your personal way that you are following Jesus' example. This is your life of significance that was set in motion at your birth. The life that you get to lead, the influence that you have, the meaningfulness of your life because of your birth. 

“I present myself a living sacrifice.” Whatever thoughts come to you,  write those down. Keep saying that statement over and over.  “I present myself a living sacrifice.”  If a limiting thought comes, you're acknowledging it. You're going to deal with that, you know it’s a gift to know what the obstacle is, and you have your Permission Process to help you get past it. Then go back to, “I present myself a willing sacrifice, a living sacrifice.”  That word ‘willing’ came in on its own, that works too.  We must be willing.

What typically happens is we would say, “I choose to follow Jesus. I'm committed to following Jesus. I present myself a willing sacrifice, a living sacrifice.” Then we go about our day and there's this wall that stops us from really receiving what God has in mind for us. He prepared all things for you before you even came to this earth. a result that your birth set in motion. He prepared the events that would help you to be a living sacrifice for God as Jesus was. If you take the time to continue asking, you get to experience the fullness of His plan for you. What is God’s plan for your individual offering, that was made possible by your birth?

Then every day in your Daily GPS,  I invite you to ask, “What is the one most important thing for me to be a living sacrifice?” Follow those inspired thoughts that come each day. Those are your Inspired Shortcuts. This is the link to the Starter Kit for the Daily GPS if you are confused about Inspired Shortcuts https://mentoring.wylenebenson.com/daily-gps-masterclass

This is the beginning. When you present yourself as willing…there it is again…that must be an important part of this equation…to be willing.  Anyway, when you present yourself as a living sacrifice, God gives you a vision that is the beginning. Your Daily  GPS will take you every step of the way. If you will, ask, “What is the most important thing today for me to be a living sacrifice?” He will guide you step by step, and you will be like Christ. I hope you are sensing this is different from being a Christian. This is your relationship with Christ, taking upon yourself His name.