Mary DeMuth > Let God Be BIG (and your problems small)

Impossible joy starts here: recognizing the power and majesty of God.

It might seem counter-intuitive to think that way. Wouldn’t it make more sense to boost our self-esteem and think about how cool we are? Wouldn’t that make us more joyful?

The two ideas aren’t mutually exclusive. Think big thoughts about God and find amazement that He loves and cares for you. Big God = Big love for you.

God is our creator. He created everything you see, taste, touch, smell and hear. He spun the universe into existence. He gave you breath. Knowing that reconfigures our days, doesn’t it? When life feels too hard or stress mounts, we can rest in knowing God is bigger than us, that He is powerful and capable of running the universe without us.

Consider that every time you go to sleep, God still runs the world. When you’re weary, He is strong. When political turmoil threatens our land, God stays upon His throne just like He did through other tumultuous times.

Rest there. Nestle into the beauty and otherness of God. Lift your eyes from the worries of today to the steadfastness and unchangeableness of Him. And remember that Jesus, who saved you, represents everything lovely about God.

Consider this Scripture:

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything.
For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Colossians 1:15-20 NLT

Wow.

Read it again. Let the power of those words bring comfort.

And then realize that this Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, lives inside you. You need impossible joy, right? Well, you can have it, thanks to the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross.

In my nonfiction book Everything, I write, “Seeing His brilliance and power, understanding His ability to create, realizing His might, contrast wildly with the truth that this God, this amazing God, inhabits us.” (12).

Prayer: Jesus, I do choose to make much of You. To sit in astonishment, remembering all You have done and all You will do. Forgive me for spending my day thinking only of myself. Keep me looking up, but don’t let me forget that You also live within. Reignite my heart to love You more. Bring newness there as I think about your power and might. Grant me the discipline of astonishment and joy. Amen.

…

This is an ongoing series based on the book Everything: What You Give and What You Gain to Become Like Jesus. It’s the book I wrote that details how exactly we can grow in our relationship with Jesus in a life-altering, hope-fueling way. It’s everything I know about discipleship and growth.

This particular blog post is ripped directly from my free ebook, 12 Steps to Impossible Joy. I’d like you to have it. Just click the here to receive the free PDF.

This post originally appeared on Mary’s blog. 

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About Mary DeMuth

Author and speaker Mary DeMuth loves to help people live uncaged lives. She’s written over a dozen books including The Wall Around Your Heart (Thomas Nelson) and has spoken around the world. She makes her home in Texas with her husband Patrick and three grown kids.

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