Your Work Matters To GodSýnishorn

PRECIOUS DEATHS

The Bible often speaks of death as a requirement of living a life in Christ. This death is not a physical death, but a spiritual death. It is a death of the old so the new can be raised. It is the life of Christ that is raised in us. However, this death can be painful if we do not choose to willingly allow this “circumcision of heart” to have its way. If we are not circumcised of heart, we do not enter into God’s promises. Moses was called to deliver a people from slavery. But when he was about to return to Egypt to begin what God called Him to do, God almost killed him. He had failed to take care of the details of obedience. In this case, it was that all the males in his family were to be circumcised. This oversight on Moses’ part almost cost him his life. Imagine that—God prepared a man 40 years, and yet, he was almost disqualified because of an oversight.

None of us will ever enter the Promised Land of full blessing with God unless we have this same circumcision of heart. The psalmist above accurately describes the process of circumcising the heart.

We cannot be free to be God’s servant until this death takes place in each of us. When this death takes

place, we become free—free from the chains of sin that held us back from becoming completely His. Oh, what freedom there is when this death takes place. No longer are we held to the sin of materialism, fear, self-effort, or anxiety; for we are dead to these things. The Bible speaks of the seed that must die in order for it to spring up and give new life.

Questions

Why do you think God requires a “circumcision of heart”? Describe what you think this process looks like for the believer. How does one know if they have had a circumcision of heart?

What might a person’s life look like who “hates his life in this world”? How might the Father honor the one who serves Him?

Workplace Application

For years I lived a Christian life that did all the right things. However, there were areas that I consciously and unconsciously had not given over to the lordship of Christ. The Lord brought a crisis in my life to allow me to see I had not given over these areas to Him. Sometimes God allows circumstances to develop so that we may see the areas of our lives that have not yet been yielded to Him. It could be a situation in your office that reveals anger. We could get overlooked for a promotion that yields striving. He may allow many different situations to reveal what is in our heart. Yielding your life to the purposes of God is a daily experience.