Live with Abandon

In my post yesterday on a year long Thanksgiving, I made mention of the song by the Newsboys – Live with Abandon, which struck me at the time to be a great tune on how to live a life that is a blessing to others.  Throughout the day today, the song kept repeating in my head and I reflected on what the meaning of the words live with abandon really mean to me.  I thought about what is it that is keeping me from fully living with abandon?

Living for self praise

Chasing after this world makes me tired
Praisin’ my own name leaves me dry

What am I chasing after in this world?  Chasing after fame, riches, notoriety is tiring.  I never quite have enough of any of it.   So much of my time and effort is spent in trying to achieve these worldly goals.   I think the second part of that verse “Praisin’ my own name leaves me dry”.  Many of the things I am part of are not bad in of themselves, but if I’m part of them to receive praise, then I’m in them for the wrong reasons.  A few years back I stopped writing this blog because I was too concerned about views and traffic and I felt that it was actually holding me back from doing what God wanted me to do with this blog.  I came back to it after I got myself in a right place where I was listening to God’s prompting in regards to this site.  None of my successes are my own and I have to be willing to walk away from one to something greater.  I can’t live with abandon when I’m worried about praising myself.

What are we holding onto?

I’ll drop everything to follow you
It’s only Your hands I hold onto

Am I willing to drop everything to follow Christ.  That’s a tough one.  The disciples lived with abandon, they gave up their careers, families and eventually their lives in following Christ.  Not an easy road to follow.  Is God calling me to that level of sacrifice?  I don’t believe at this time I’ve heard that word from God.  God has placed me here at this point to provide for my family, to help our tiny community and to share how God’s working in my life.  Where he has put me is where I’m meant to be at this time in my life.  Instead of seeking greater (by a human measuring stick) achievements, I need to live with abandon right where I’m at.  But what am I holding onto?  To truly live with abandon wherever I’m at, I need to let go of everything.  The hands of Jesus are all that I’m holding onto.  He will guide me to where I need to be when he needs me to be there.

Romans 12:2 says ‘Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.”  Let us be transformed by God and we will have the answers to how to live with abandon.  There is nothing in this world that can stop a person who is living fully abandoned to Jesus.  When we live fully abandoned, we find true freedom.

Don’t look back

I’m not looking back
I’m done with that
Wanna give You all I have

Now to move forward and live my life with abandon!