Trading Spaces is not just a reality show about home design — it’s a Biblical truth that becomes a reality for every person who yields to Christ. Today, I am delighted to welcome my wise friend, Melissa, to encourage us as we pray: Lord, I want to yield to You today.

When my identical twins were in elementary school, they occasionally tried to trick their teachers by trading spaces. Eventually, either a friend who could discern their different facial features would tell on them or their own sly smiles and giggles would give them away. While most of us don’t have an identical twin to swap identities with at work or school, every Christian has experienced the benefit of Someone taking our place.

Jesus traded spaces with us when He died on the cross to pay the price for our sins. He offered Himself in our place in order to restore our relationship with God. His blood paid the penalty of our sin. While I appreciate Christ’s sacrifice for my eternity, I sometimes forget that His grace enables me in this life as well.

It seems the early believers in the churches spread throughout the region of Galatia had a similar problem. They believed the gospel message was by faith alone, but drifted back to law keeping in their practical day-to-day living. Even the apostle Peter reverted back to rule-following because he feared criticism. (Galatians 2:13)

Christianity began among the Jewish people. When Peter preached at the Pentecost festival in Acts 2, his audience consisted of Israelites who had settled in a variety of nations. For the first decade of Christian ministry, the gospel community was almost entirely Jewish. These believers still practiced their Jewish customs and laws like celebrating holy days and circumcising their boys. When Gentiles began to respond to the message of Christ, it brought a question to the surface:

Did a person have to become a Jew in order to become a Christian?

That question was answered in Acts 15 at what has become known as the Jerusalem council. At one of the first church business meetings, the leadership discussed their policy on circumcision for Gentile believers. They came to the conclusion that salvation came to all through faith so Jewish law was not a requirement for Gentile converts. Peter had been one of the apostles to advocate for these freedoms before the council.

However, when it came down to following rules like Jews not eating with Gentiles, he felt pressured to return to old habits. The apostle Paul rebuked him for starting in grace but reverting back to the law. While we may not struggle with Jewish laws, we understand the concept of starting our walk with Christ in faith, but then reducing our Christian lives to a set of rules.

These were Paul’s words to Peter, “Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” (Galatians 2:16) He repeated the truth to be clear about faith. Faith in Christ is what makes us right with God.

We know that faith will save us when we die, but can it help us know how to live? Paul tells the Galatian believers that it can. In fact, he says we live an exchanged life. We die to ourselves – our fleshly passions, sinful desire, and earthly pursuits – so that Christ can live in us. Galatians 2:20 says it this way, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

I don’t know about you, but this verse brings me hope and relief. I don’t have to keep striving, trying, and working to live the Christian life. I can’t do it in my own strength. Only Christ can live the Christian life, and He says He will do it in and through me… and you! So, our focus is not to try harder but to trust the One who loves us.

Like Peter, we may know this truth but struggle to walk in it. Our failures and struggles don’t have to result in shame in our lives. Instead, they can serve as a reminder that we need God. We can’t live the Christian life without Christ. We can confess our tendency toward human effort and remember that our old self was crucified with Christ. He died so that we can live free.

When you find yourself slipping into rule following and human effort, remind yourself that the Christian life isn’t about trying. It’s about trusting. You have the power of the One who loves you and gave His life for you. When you get yourself out of the way and allow Him to lead in your life, you’ll find power in trading spaces!

Prayer: Lord help me to die to myself so that I can live for You today. Thank You for giving up Your life for mine and loving me. I want to trust You more. Show me what it means to stop striving in my own strength and allow Your life to empower me. I want to yield to You today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Christian life isn’t about trying. It’s about trusting.

Melissa Spoelstra is a Bible teacher and author who is madly in love with Jesus and passionate about helping others to seek Christ and know Him more intimately. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Bible Theology and is a contributor to Girlfriends in God online devotional as well as Proverbs 31 ministries First Five app. She is the author of seven Bible studies including The Names of God and Jeremiah. You can find her at melissaspoelstra.com and on Facebook.

The Pray Big Sisterhood

Every morning, I wake up and lift my heart to God in prayer.

I praise Him for His glory and goodness.

I surrender my agenda and expectations to His greater kingdom purposes.

I yield my desires to do His will.

And, then I ask for Him to move a mountain.

I cry out to Him for that mountain to crumble.

I believe that God is bigger than any obstacle or stronghold.

Yet, my mountain remains — immovable and unyielding.

Do you have a mountain?   I bet you do.

Like me, you may be discouraged by the darkness that looms large in your view.

You aren’t alone. If we sat down today in my kitchen and shared our stories, I bet we would see similarities.

Together, we would ask God to move two mountains.

With worshipful hearts, let’s keep crying out to the Lord for those mountains to crumble.

Let’s pray big!

To help you get started, I’m sharing a copy of My Pray Big Prayer Calendar with you. Join the Wildfire Faith Community and  grab a copy in our Faith Fuel Library. Print out your copy and start each morning inviting God to strengthen your step and breathe fresh wind into your weary spirit.  

 If you are visiting from Melissa’s today,

welcome to my little space on the web!

Here you will find fuel for a wildfire faith to help you

• • LOVE DEEP: Fervently extend God’s kindness and grace to pesky people.
  • PRAY BIG: Go down fighting on your knees with fire in your bones.
  • HOPE FULL: Stay tethered to a confident anticipation that keeps your heart ablaze.
  • STAND STRONG: Rest courageously on God’s promises with red-hot resolve.

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Challenge: 

BEGIN EACH DAY THIS WEEK BY PRAYING “LORD, I want to yield to you today.”

ARE YOU STUCK IN A SPIRITUAL RUT?

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