Day 30 - Callie Keels

Is there a specific Bible passage or verse that comes to mind in the context of “Less of Me and More of Him”?

John 11: 1-7 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

I could go on to share the whole passage, but we all know how this story ends: Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead and back to life. Now, this is a story that is close to my heart. I go back to it often when I am angry at God’s timing and frustrated by unanswered prayers. I love it because whether or not Lazarus died hours after Jesus received the message of his illness or within those two days that Jesus waited, I am baffled that He did not immediately rush to His friend’s side and heal him as I would have done. He instead waited, knowing full well that the situation would “not end in death” but in “God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” As I move through life, I often find myself in those “two days” where Jesus waited. I find myself crying out to God to come quickly and do things in my timing, forgetting that God has a plan, and His plan is greater than mine since it ends with “God’s glory.” I want to live with a faith that trusts God and a heart that desires God to be glorified through all situations instead of a life focused on my plans and desires.

Briefly explain which areas of your life you find most difficult to surrender to Christ.

I find it most difficult to surrender my emotions to Christ. I am a person who feels deeply. And as much as it can be frustrating, I believe it is ultimately a gift from God. The problem is that my emotions are subjective and tied to me, a sinner, and while they can reveal God’s heart, they are unreliable and can also keep me far from Him. My emotions sometimes cloud my judgment, causing me to fall into negative patterns of thinking and behavior, not rooted in truth but in fear, annoyance, despair, jealousy, etc. Instead, I want to be a person who surrenders these emotions to God and is rooted in His Word. I want to be a person who acts according to truth and love instead of someone ruled by emotions.

Share the areas of your life that have shifted from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness.

I think one major area is how I spend my time. I am naturally an independent person and grew up in a big family, where I was forced to fight for time to be my own and grew accustomed to placing my comfort above anything else. This is an ongoing journey of surrender, viewing time as God’s and not my own. But I am grateful for His work in my heart to change me into a person who embraces unexpected moments in my daily life and surrenders her time to God, whether it’s by giving up my introverted comforts for a friend or family member who needs me or giving up my Sundays to serve and spend time with other members of the body of Christ.

What are some practical ways you can display Christ to those around you?

I can display Christ’s love to others by listening to them before talking about myself. As humans, we desire to be heard, validated, and understood. And while it is in my nature to seek these things from others first, I want to be a person who puts others before myself. I want to love them by checking in and listening, giving them the space and attention they might need to feel loved and understood. When I do this, I find that it also moves my heart to a place of empathy and prayer for them.