Day 14 - Dayoung Lim
Is there a specific Bible passage or verse that comes to mind in the context of “Less of Me and More of Him”?
2 Timothy 2:20-21 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
When I think of "Less of Me and More of Him," I think about being a mere vessel. If I am a vessel, I can not move unless someone holds me and moves me to another place. If I am a vessel, I can only be cleaned if someone washes me. I try to remind myself that only God can clean and use me. My thoughts and works become less important when God moves and does His work.
Also, I think the emptier the vessel, the more God's mercy will be poured into it. If my selfishness and sins remain in the vessel, they will be mixed with God's mercy, which will be contaminated. So I pray that I let go of my ego and that I will be empty so that God can pour his mercy and grace on me 100% (but I know that I won't let it go unless I realize there is nothing I can do).
Briefly explain which areas of your life you find most difficult to surrender to Christ.
Something that I have struggled with in recent years is the way I look at myself. I often see myself as a well-trained actor who is excellent at faking myself so that I present myself as “professional” and “adult-like” to others around me. At the same time, my inner being has not yet become a mature adult. The “fake it until you make it” mentality has been something that I practiced for a long time in many aspects of my life. It gave me outer success in making it but internal failure of seeing myself as fake.
Seeing myself as the way God sees me is a daily challenge. He sees me as His precious child and even gave himself to save me. But I often view myself as a sinner who can not be fixed. Though God sees me as his beautiful and loving bride, I often view myself as an unlovable person nobody wants. I pray that I surrender all my thoughts and pride to Christ and let go of my stubbornness and ego. I want the same lens as God, to see myself and everyone around me like God. I want my soul to be genuine so that I will not see myself as fake, undeserving, and unlovable.
Share the areas of your life that have shifted from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness.
Despite my struggles, I know and firmly believe that the Almighty God will accomplish His plans at His time because everything exists because of Him. He is the owner of the universe. I know that if God wants something to happen, it will happen. This gives me peace and makes me think, “God will do it, so I must wait and see His amazing work.” Even if something does not happen, it is also God's will, which I do not have any control over. This faith gave me the strength to endure my hardships and struggles because I experienced the faithfulness of God. God has been changing my heart at the right time in the right way. God always provided what I needed at the exact and perfect time and place. If it weren’t for God, I would not be where I am today. God worked even more directly and powerfully when I fully surrendered myself before Him. Also, the fact that we will worship Him forever when He returns helps me shift my focus to eternity and reminds me that every struggle on earth is within God's control.
What are some practical ways you can display Christ to those around you?
I have been praying, “God, give me the strength to be kind and genuine to everyone around me.” I realized that the more tired you are physically, mentally, and spiritually, the easier it is to get disappointed and angry at people around you. Also, acts of kindness require physical and mental strength. I teach high school students with many emotional ups and downs and difficult circumstances. I want to show kindness and unconditional love so that they may see Christ in me (even though they might not realize it). And I pray that they will, one day, see the God I believe in. I want to be kind to my colleagues so that they can see that what I do for them is out of Christ’s loving heart, not just trying to be excellent and professional. I also want to be kind to my family and friends and love them beyond my personal affection so that I worship God through my truthful actions. I pray that my actions and attitudes portray Jesus Christ so that people see that there is something different about me and want to find my source of strength— Jesus Christ. I need to make a conscious effort every moment to remind myself that I am a child of God and act accordingly with a genuine heart.