In Union...

So I just read through my Oswald Chambers this morning and it was incredible. I wanted to share it with everyone because maybe it will bless you in some way!

"Individuality- 'If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself.'"

Individuality is the husk of the personal life. Individuality is all elbows, it separates and isolates. It is the characteristic of the child and rightly so; but if we mistake individuality for the personal life, we will remain isolated. The shell of individuality is God's created natural covering for the protection of the personal life; but individuality must go in order that the personal life may come out and be brought into fellowship with God. Individuality counterfeits personality as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself; individuality debases human nature for itself. The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-assertiveness. It is the continual assertion of individuality that hinders our spiritual life more than anything else. If you say-"I cannot believe,"it is because individuality is in the road; individuality never can believe. Personality cannot help believing. Watch yourself when the Spirit of God is at work. He pushes you to the margins of your individuality, and you have either to say-"I shan't" or surrender, to break the husk of individuality and let the personal life emerge. The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing. The thing in you that will not be reconciled to your brother is your individuality. God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself He cannot. "Let him deny himself"- deny his independent right to himself, then the real life has a chance to grow."

I know these aren't really my own thoughts but I think Chambers states it all too well. There is one part here that I want to focus on. I absolutely love the statement that He wants union with us but until we are willing to give up our right to ourselves, He can't. If that doesn't make you fall on your face, I don't know what will. The King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Creator of the Heavens and Earth, our FATHER is ASKING! He WANTS to bring us in to union with Him. There couldn't be a more glorious thing! I think of it as a marriage...When I get married I am to become one flesh with my husband, in union. Of course that though excites me! But marriage is to be an earthly example of the marriage with Christ with His bride-the church. So how DARE I not lay down my flesh, my right to myself. Even the thought of that makes me sick and I hope it does the same for you. I'm laying it down right now...I long for that intimacy with the Father like no other. I want to dance alone with my Daddy! I want nothing more than to be in union with Him.

Wow, Morgan, we really ARE blessed to be single!!! We have this time completely alone with the Lord and He wants to spend it JUST with us! I feel so special....