You hear that voice? That voice that either ushers us on in encouragement or ushers us on in negativity. Sometimes there is even the voice that ushers us on in prideful thoughts and puffs us up. The voices... the ones that are sometimes echoed in people we know and sometimes heard as if they were are very own thoughts. Do you remember hearing the voice? "YOU CAN DO IT!" or "What is there to lose?" or "You can't do that! Are you crazy? People are going to think you' re insane and wierd?" or "This is a waste of time, why are you even trying?" There maybe even a voice telling you right now -either encouraging you to read on or discouraging you to read any further.
When your mind isn't in the "game" it effects you physically. I thought about the Olympians I have seen on television lately and you could almost read on their faces -of what kind of voices they were listening to by their actions. It was like some of the voices were saying "YES! ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!" or "Yep that was bad but it isn't over YET!" Then there were others voices saying, "Just be glad you made it to the Olympics because there is no way you can beat them" or "They are considered the best by everyone. You don't stand a chance" or "Remember yesterday and how bad you messed up?" "What a disppointment you are." The voices either chipped away at their mind or made their mind a stronghold for confidence which carried over physically.
Starting Gate
The morning is when I need to pay attention to what voice I am listening to. Start off on the wrong foot is never good but thank God there is always enough grace to begin again.
The devil, the thief, wants to rob you of your positive vibes before your day has even started. Dreams, conditions, what the day may look like and so. Sometimes Satan even builds you up with pride, ignorant, presumptious justification thoughts and then enjoys watching you fall and look like a fool. I personally pray in the morning for Jesus to help me. I almost always seek the Lord and His word until I get the nourishment I need for the "right" perspective.
I can not help it, my soul cries out and craves spiritual nourishment. My soul cries out, as it swims up out of the drowning burdens that mount against my soul every morning. I know if I did not seek God in the morning I would become indifferent, lose my conviction of my faith and hope in Jesus Christ and I would just walk through this day in a numb manner. God has transformed me I don't run off what everyone in the world runs off of, I have to remember to fuel up with God in the morning and top off throughout the day. I would lose that conviction, devotion and love for the Lord and it would be my fault for severing that connection because I did not choose to seek His face above all other thoughts, feelings, and voices.
"Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment." (1 Peter 2:2)
Jesus says , "Yes , I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." John 10:9-10
Staying Free Throughout the Day
"Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up." Proverbs 12:25
What scripture stuck out as you were reading this morning? What scriptures come to mind that help you throughout the day? A free and unburdened mindset is important because it allows us to work in the Spirit. A burden spirit just struggles to get through the day.
Pray about everything. Read Philippians 4:6
Think about certain verses that remind you that you are not alone. Jesus and the Father are with you. Here is a good one, "for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." John 10: 29-30.
God can give us a fresh perspective on his word (bible verses) if we seek him and not our thinking that says, "Yeah I have heard that before." Then you can reflect on that verse throughout the day.
Trusting in God
If we trust God and trust in what He says we can't help but glorify HIM and see in a brighter way.
There have been times when I have just asked God to see life in a brighter way and the shades of gray have melted and faded away with little positive reminders from him.
When we trust in what we "just" see- experiences can be rough and we even can fall into the trap of negativity and start to mimic the ways of the world.
A Christian will also find themselves in a box rather quickly if they find their faith just as a religion. Religion is just memorized words on a page which aren't very helpful when the struggles come in life. There is no real conviction, devotion or genuine faith in religion. We need not to just have the words of God in our mind but in our heart where they can help us grow in the maturity of Christian faith which is dependent on the relationship and trust in God. That way is freeing and is always growing which the opposite and counter cultural all these little cubicals of life that people and this life tries to stuff and conform us into.
Love is our religion. - Not trying to go all Bob Marley on you but it is true. We focus on God who is love.
"Anyone who loves is born of God and know God. But anyone who does not love does not know God- for God is love." 1 John 4:8
How deep are we willing to go know God? The deeper we understand God's love for us the more it will affect our life and how we present ourselves to others. We will be able to love in God's love not our little understanding of what love is.
The God Aspect of Life/ Expression through Faith
"What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Psalm 8:4
Jesus says "If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it." Luke 17:33
You grip onto life with a fist and the delicious juices and nectar of life will be squeezed out.
I am not talking about the material aspect of life or circumstantial aspect of life but living in the Godly spiritual aspect of life. That is my desire -to live in the Godly spiritual aspect of life. I can have a wonderful house, a car, a comfortable bed, good food and even a great paying job with benefits and feel those things are still unsatisfactory and because I find life unsatisfactory I begin to wander getting lost in the things of this world- because I am looking at the wrong aspect of life.
Think of life as an essence. It is temporary. It is a passing wind. The only way to experience true life it is fly with it like an eagle gliding over the air currents.
We see life- but we aren't connected directly to the affairs of life but chose and seek God himself who stands above everything in our life. We know nothing satisfies but God's love and approval.
Dear friends, I warn you as "temporary residents and foreigners" to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls..."1 Peter 2:11
"Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd the Guardian of your souls." 1 Peter 2:25
So let us continually keep and turn to our Shepherd. Let us quiet ourselves down and listen and seek God before we become like a loose leaf on a tree branch and blow away with the next passing breeze.
We as humans hold onto life too tightly where we forget we have no promises for tomorrow. We hold onto life and we miss the real meaning of life. You have heard this before but what would happen if you lived life on the principle that you didn't have tomorrow? How would your relationship be with God? How would you treat people and handle everyday situations. Would you smile more? Would we offer more grace instead of resentment? Would we love others more? Would we fear less? Read 1 John 4:7-21
In other words, we have to let go of our firm hand grip on life and let God show us how to see and live life.
To really live is the knowing God holds your life in his hand. The reality of that thought is like standing in the fresh mountain air on a summer's day. It's the warm sun in your face in the cool refreshing mountain air.
"For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD. They are plans for good not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you," says the LORD." Jeremiah 29:11
Who would of thought the secret to life was letting go of life and trusting God with your life?
"Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" Matthew 6:27
"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." Matthew 6:33
Who is the Kingdom of God?
"Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions." Mark 12:34
Hope? Assurance?
You ask any Christian who is their hope? Who is their assurance? And they will say Jesus Christ.
But we all need to work on this including me. We may say Jesus is our hope and assurance but do we really show that through our actions?
I know life is a struggle and there are times where we find ourselves in the trenches and in deep prayer - where we find if our faith is weak or strong, genuine or not. Where we see if we are partners with Jesus or not. Where our faith is being strengthened and purified. Life is full of twist and turns but remember they don't have to be that way in your heart. Make sure that pathway in your heart for God isn't cluttered or blocked.
I remember Jesus always in prayer. A strong man of faith sincerely seeks God, prays to God and believes in God.
And People.
Can people be an obstacle in your life? They can sometimes for me especially if I have allowed them into places in my heart where God should only be.
"Do not envy others- it only leads to harm." Psalm 37:8
God is our rock. He is the one we must stand upon. When we don't trust Him we go to our human ways of dealing, understanding and unfortunately mirroring the actions of the world- we get hurt which leads to others things like being angry, depressed, fearful, frustrated, etc. We give into the things in which we see but don't trust God.
How do I say this? Not saying our feelings don't matter because they do but we somehow make the situation, circumstance, or people hurting us more important then God. And that is when our feelings build to a point where they are more important then anything else - including letting God work in you during that situation. We often give people and the situation the power to manipulate and hurt and wound us. And when put people or a situation on a pedestal higher then God in our heart and mind that is when we can we can look forward to... anguish and hurt and pain.
Sure sticks and stones and words are hurtful but they don't go so deep to wound the soul when you place God high above everyone else in life. That trust in God takes work and sometimes a lot more work if we like to be the ones in control.
"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Romans 12:2
Human praise is highly over rated and worthless next to the praise of God. You look for the praise of people- there is your reward- and it usually blows away with their next whim they may have.
People are fickle. They like you one minute... turn on you or completely forget or disregard anything you have done the next. They may simplify your efforts into nothing but dust. A pat on the back is rewarded with a list of more things to accomplish to satisfy their appetite.
Oh I am sure we are all guilty of this at some point in our lives. No finger pointing here.
What stinks is when Christians do that to others. God only knows what happens during these times. Where is their focus? What are they listening to and seeing? Only God knows.
We must find our contentment in the Lord. We find our assurance in Him not people and surely not in the actions of people- we might as well be a wave on the sea being tossed to and from when we do that. Ever been caught between two wave breaks?
We must operate in the present according to the Holy Spirit. Be grateful in the good and bad and move on while diving in or meditating on the Word of God. Yes, the word became flesh and He knows what we go through.
God is our everlasting hope. He is the one who does not just support, encourage and lift us up but the one we all must answer to in the end.
In this stable mind set we are not only satisfied but glorify God.
Remember we must love our God with all our spirit, heart, soul and all our strength. A person who gives their power, strength and efforts solely to people will find disappointment. But when one puts everything into the Lord or lets God work in and through them, they one cannot help but have more then sufficient love to pour out on others as required and prescribed for that given situation. (The Spirit will tell you what to say, do and when it is time to move on.) And again when people aren't given a better position in your heart higher then God- then you can work in accordance to the Spirit of God not the flesh or the conformity to the wishes and desires and norms of the lost and wandering people of this world.
Matthew 6:33 "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
Romans 2:7 "He will give life to those who keep doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers."
Childlike Faith"The LORD protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me." Psalm 116:6
When I was a child nothing was impossible. We need to go back there. We need to realize nothing is impossible with God and it is impossible to please God without faith. (Luke 18:27, Hebrews 11:6) Most often we just have to get out of the way so He can do what needs to be done.
For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:4-5
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