Capture every thought.
2 Corinthians 10:5
If you're trying to overcome a particular habit, learn to recognise your"triggers." Become aware of what's going on around you and within you when you're tempted. Every action begins as a thought. Before you surrender in reality you first surrender in your mind. That's why Paul writes, "Capture every thought...make it give up and obey Christ."
If you struggle with alcohol, don't eat in a bar.
If you battle pornography, don't linger around newsstands or bring it into your home via the Internet.
If living habit-free is a serious commitment, plan your life around that commitment!
As long as you entertain the idea that you can break the habit in your own strength, nothing will change. If you could you'd have done it by now, right? Furthermore, as long as you're operating in will power alone,you won't experience God's power. It takes humility to acknowledge defeatthen turn to God. But unless you do you'll get nowhere. Jesus said, "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine; neither can you, unless you abide in Me...for without Me you can do nothing" ( John 15:4-5 ).
You must come to the place where you make a conscious decision each day, and sometimes each hour, to turn your life and will over to God and pray, "Lord, I don't have the ability to overcome this, but I choose not to give in. Strengthen me now by Your Holy Spirit." That's a prayer God will answer! Why? Because He always empowers our choices when they line up with His will!
Monday, March 27, 2006
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Be A Joy-carrier!
The fruit of the Spirit is...joy.
Galatians 5:22
Most of us are far too serious for our own good. We're uptight about everything: being five minutes late, getting stuck in traffic, waiting in line, somebody giving us a wrong look, overcooking a meal, gaining a pound, discovering a wrinkle, making an honest mistake; you name it - we lose all perspective!
The problem is, we have unrealistic (and unscriptural) expectations. God didn't say He'd take us out of our troubles; He said He'd bring us through them and make us stronger.
If you want to experience the joy Jesus promised, do two things:
(1) Admit that your uptightness is largely because of the way you've decided life should be.
(2) Understand that your expectations are causing most of your frustrations. If you keep expecting things to be a certain way and they aren't, you'll always be upset.
Here's an idea: try approaching each day without all those expectations. For example, don't require everybody to be friendly; then when some are you'll be delighted. Don'texpect your day to be trouble-free; instead when problems come, say:"Thank you Lord for a chance to grow in grace." Do it, and you'll seehow much better everything is. Rather than fighting against life you'll be flowing with it. And pretty soon, if you work at it, you'll enjoyyour life more - and other people will enjoy being around you much moretoo! That's why Paul wrote, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" ( 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ).
Galatians 5:22
Most of us are far too serious for our own good. We're uptight about everything: being five minutes late, getting stuck in traffic, waiting in line, somebody giving us a wrong look, overcooking a meal, gaining a pound, discovering a wrinkle, making an honest mistake; you name it - we lose all perspective!
The problem is, we have unrealistic (and unscriptural) expectations. God didn't say He'd take us out of our troubles; He said He'd bring us through them and make us stronger.
If you want to experience the joy Jesus promised, do two things:
(1) Admit that your uptightness is largely because of the way you've decided life should be.
(2) Understand that your expectations are causing most of your frustrations. If you keep expecting things to be a certain way and they aren't, you'll always be upset.
Here's an idea: try approaching each day without all those expectations. For example, don't require everybody to be friendly; then when some are you'll be delighted. Don'texpect your day to be trouble-free; instead when problems come, say:"Thank you Lord for a chance to grow in grace." Do it, and you'll seehow much better everything is. Rather than fighting against life you'll be flowing with it. And pretty soon, if you work at it, you'll enjoyyour life more - and other people will enjoy being around you much moretoo! That's why Paul wrote, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" ( 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ).
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Chosen
You did not choose me, but I chose you.
John 15:16
With full knowledge of your past failings and present defects of character, God chose you anyway. That's mind-blowing grace! It's also atruth that's hard to hold on to when you're having a bad day and under-performing spiritually.
What does it mean to be chosen?
(1) To be chosen is to be seen as unique! Each one of us cries out to be noticed, to be special, not just one more of the same. And with God,"everybody is somebody." In His eyes there are no misfits, rejects, or second-class citizens.
(2) To be recognised as having something to contribute! Chosen people are significant. Their biographies get written and read because their stories matter. They establish God's Kingdom on the earth. Understand this: God thinks you have something to contributethat no one else can.
(3) To be wanted by God! For people with empty hearts and wounded pasts, the only true basis for self-worth - is God's unchanging opinion of you revealed in His Word.To be chosen by men often means to be chosen at someone else's expense. But God doesn't choose in that way. No, His plan for you does not diminish the lives of others; it enhances them.
In God's plan, those who are chosen are always chosen for one reason - to serve. When we begin to see one another as being chosen by God, we'll begin to love and respect one another in a way we never have before. And that will profoundly change every relationship we've got.
John 15:16
With full knowledge of your past failings and present defects of character, God chose you anyway. That's mind-blowing grace! It's also atruth that's hard to hold on to when you're having a bad day and under-performing spiritually.
What does it mean to be chosen?
(1) To be chosen is to be seen as unique! Each one of us cries out to be noticed, to be special, not just one more of the same. And with God,"everybody is somebody." In His eyes there are no misfits, rejects, or second-class citizens.
(2) To be recognised as having something to contribute! Chosen people are significant. Their biographies get written and read because their stories matter. They establish God's Kingdom on the earth. Understand this: God thinks you have something to contributethat no one else can.
(3) To be wanted by God! For people with empty hearts and wounded pasts, the only true basis for self-worth - is God's unchanging opinion of you revealed in His Word.To be chosen by men often means to be chosen at someone else's expense. But God doesn't choose in that way. No, His plan for you does not diminish the lives of others; it enhances them.
In God's plan, those who are chosen are always chosen for one reason - to serve. When we begin to see one another as being chosen by God, we'll begin to love and respect one another in a way we never have before. And that will profoundly change every relationship we've got.
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Lent is a time when we relive the Passion of Christ.
Let it not be just a time when our feelings are roused,
but let it be a change that comes through cooperation
with God's grace in real sacrifices of self.
Let it not be just a time when our feelings are roused,
but let it be a change that comes through cooperation
with God's grace in real sacrifices of self.
Prayer of Thomas Merton
I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you....
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Your Worth Comes From God
I will build you up again.
Jeremiah 31:4
Adam had a relationship with God before he had one with Eve. That'simportant. Why? Because nobody but God can tell you who you really are,or what you're worth! Until you understand that, you'll keep looking for someone to love you so much that you'll finally start feeling good about yourself. The trouble is, when you find that person you'll cling to them like a vine. You'll agree with all their opinions and have none of your own. You'll try to meet their every need. And you'll feel threatened if they can do (or enjoy) anything without you. You'll say, "All I need isyou, how come you don't feel the same way about me." No relationship can sustain such a load.
Adam learned to relate to Eve - only after he learned to relate to God. It's in God's presence, free from the opinions of others, that you begin to look at yourself in the right mirror. It's here that you prepare the gift to be given. But something has changed. Now you know how much you're worth and you'll only give yourself to someone who places the same value on you.
God has always wanted the best for you; He's just waiting for you to come into agreement with Him.You who have been abused, abandoned, betrayed, or feel like you never measure up, listen to these words. They're from a God whose opinion of you never changes:
"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again" ( Jeremiah31:3-4 ).
Jeremiah 31:4
Adam had a relationship with God before he had one with Eve. That'simportant. Why? Because nobody but God can tell you who you really are,or what you're worth! Until you understand that, you'll keep looking for someone to love you so much that you'll finally start feeling good about yourself. The trouble is, when you find that person you'll cling to them like a vine. You'll agree with all their opinions and have none of your own. You'll try to meet their every need. And you'll feel threatened if they can do (or enjoy) anything without you. You'll say, "All I need isyou, how come you don't feel the same way about me." No relationship can sustain such a load.
Adam learned to relate to Eve - only after he learned to relate to God. It's in God's presence, free from the opinions of others, that you begin to look at yourself in the right mirror. It's here that you prepare the gift to be given. But something has changed. Now you know how much you're worth and you'll only give yourself to someone who places the same value on you.
God has always wanted the best for you; He's just waiting for you to come into agreement with Him.You who have been abused, abandoned, betrayed, or feel like you never measure up, listen to these words. They're from a God whose opinion of you never changes:
"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again" ( Jeremiah31:3-4 ).
Living Together - And Enjoying It!
Take delight in honouring each other.
Romans 12:10
We tend to forget about others - until we need them! And we do. Take away one link and the chain breaks. Take away one player from the team and the game is lost. Even a tiny screw, if it falls out of your carburettor, can bring the whole car to a screeching halt. What's the point? Simply this - we need each other! If you're self-seeking, self-centred and self-sufficient, today's devotion is especially for you. John Donne wrote: "No man is an island" so let's stop acting like one.
To make life work the way God intended it to, we must learn how to lean on others yet know how to lend them our support; be generous enough to give yet always be humble enough to receive; be honest enough to confessour faults yet always be willing to forgive others. Are you getting the idea?
Love and acceptance are not optional. Neither is tolerance or understanding or patience - you know - all those things you need from others when your humanity crowds out your divinity.
God's Word says,"Take delight in honouring each other...Be patient in trouble, and prayerful always. When God's children are in need, you be the one to help them out" ( Romans 12:10-13 ).
"Why should I do that?" you ask. Because each one of us is worth it even when we don't act like it, or feel like it, or deserve it. Furthermore,since none of us is a whole, independent, super-capable, all-powerful-hot-shot, let's quit acting like we are.
Life's hard enough without playing that silly game!
Romans 12:10
We tend to forget about others - until we need them! And we do. Take away one link and the chain breaks. Take away one player from the team and the game is lost. Even a tiny screw, if it falls out of your carburettor, can bring the whole car to a screeching halt. What's the point? Simply this - we need each other! If you're self-seeking, self-centred and self-sufficient, today's devotion is especially for you. John Donne wrote: "No man is an island" so let's stop acting like one.
To make life work the way God intended it to, we must learn how to lean on others yet know how to lend them our support; be generous enough to give yet always be humble enough to receive; be honest enough to confessour faults yet always be willing to forgive others. Are you getting the idea?
Love and acceptance are not optional. Neither is tolerance or understanding or patience - you know - all those things you need from others when your humanity crowds out your divinity.
God's Word says,"Take delight in honouring each other...Be patient in trouble, and prayerful always. When God's children are in need, you be the one to help them out" ( Romans 12:10-13 ).
"Why should I do that?" you ask. Because each one of us is worth it even when we don't act like it, or feel like it, or deserve it. Furthermore,since none of us is a whole, independent, super-capable, all-powerful-hot-shot, let's quit acting like we are.
Life's hard enough without playing that silly game!
Living In God's Peace
The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Psalm 121:8
A mother wakes up during a thunderstorm and hurries to her son's room after a particularly bright flash of lightning knowing he'll be terrified.
To her surprise he's standing at the window.
"I was looking outside" he said,
"and you'll never guess what happened. God took my picture."
This little boy was convinced (and so should we) that God was at work; therefore his world is a perfectly safe place to be.
Ask yourself: "What would my life look like if I lived with a heart-deep conviction that because of God's unchanging character and care, this world is a totally secure place for me to be?"
Your anxiety level would go down.
You'd have the assurance that your life is in the hands of God so you wouldn't be tormented by your own inadequacy.
And you'd be an unhurried person. You might be busy, but you'd have an inner calmness and outer poise. And you wouldn't say many of the foolish things you now say because you speak without thinking. And you'd trust God enough to risk obeying Him. That means you wouldn't have to hoard. Worry makes us depend on ourselves. It robs us of joy and energy. A person in whom the peace of Christ reigns would be an oasis of sanity in a world of pandemonium.
But is such a lifestyle possible?
Listen: "The LORD will keep you from all harm- He will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore" ( Psalm 121:7-8 ).
What else do you need?
Psalm 121:8
A mother wakes up during a thunderstorm and hurries to her son's room after a particularly bright flash of lightning knowing he'll be terrified.
To her surprise he's standing at the window.
"I was looking outside" he said,
"and you'll never guess what happened. God took my picture."
This little boy was convinced (and so should we) that God was at work; therefore his world is a perfectly safe place to be.
Ask yourself: "What would my life look like if I lived with a heart-deep conviction that because of God's unchanging character and care, this world is a totally secure place for me to be?"
Your anxiety level would go down.
You'd have the assurance that your life is in the hands of God so you wouldn't be tormented by your own inadequacy.
And you'd be an unhurried person. You might be busy, but you'd have an inner calmness and outer poise. And you wouldn't say many of the foolish things you now say because you speak without thinking. And you'd trust God enough to risk obeying Him. That means you wouldn't have to hoard. Worry makes us depend on ourselves. It robs us of joy and energy. A person in whom the peace of Christ reigns would be an oasis of sanity in a world of pandemonium.
But is such a lifestyle possible?
Listen: "The LORD will keep you from all harm- He will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore" ( Psalm 121:7-8 ).
What else do you need?
What Will You Leave Behind?
When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you
2 Samuel 7:12
Solomon says, "The memory of the righteous will be a blessing" (Proverbs 10:7). So, how will you be remembered? Whatever your story, you're writing it now. Don't get the wrong idea; we're not thinking about dying so much as we are about living.
Here are five things that will remain when you go.
(1) Your investments for Christ in people: therefore you must increase your spiritual deposits.
(2) Your prayers will live forever before God's throne:therefore you must pray more, and pray for the generations that may follow you.
(3) Your life's story may live on to inspire others: therefore you must live to the fullest God's script of faithfulness, excellence and godliness.
(4) Your giving can enable your local church to reach your community, cause a mission's school to thrive, a devotional to be printed, a Christian station to be supported, or a lost loved one to be reached: therefore you must give, and give sacrificially so that the harvest you reap will far outlive the seeds you have sown.
(5) Your children will carry your physical and spiritual DNA: therefore you must know that they walk with God, and that the faith of your fathers will live on through your children and your grandchildren to touch future generations. Concerning Abel, the Bible says, "By faith he still speaks, even though he is dead" ( Hebrews 11:4 ). You can touch the future for good and for God - but only if you plan to!
2 Samuel 7:12
Solomon says, "The memory of the righteous will be a blessing" (Proverbs 10:7). So, how will you be remembered? Whatever your story, you're writing it now. Don't get the wrong idea; we're not thinking about dying so much as we are about living.
Here are five things that will remain when you go.
(1) Your investments for Christ in people: therefore you must increase your spiritual deposits.
(2) Your prayers will live forever before God's throne:therefore you must pray more, and pray for the generations that may follow you.
(3) Your life's story may live on to inspire others: therefore you must live to the fullest God's script of faithfulness, excellence and godliness.
(4) Your giving can enable your local church to reach your community, cause a mission's school to thrive, a devotional to be printed, a Christian station to be supported, or a lost loved one to be reached: therefore you must give, and give sacrificially so that the harvest you reap will far outlive the seeds you have sown.
(5) Your children will carry your physical and spiritual DNA: therefore you must know that they walk with God, and that the faith of your fathers will live on through your children and your grandchildren to touch future generations. Concerning Abel, the Bible says, "By faith he still speaks, even though he is dead" ( Hebrews 11:4 ). You can touch the future for good and for God - but only if you plan to!
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Don't Be Afraid Of Change
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
Psalm 23:6
You'll miss what God is planning for you next if you cling to the past and yearn for yesterday. If you've lost a loved one you know how this feels. Death wrenches from us those we'd cling to forever. But we can't, for death is a part of life; we make peace with it only when we realise it's the door which enables us to move from a lesser to a greater realm. That's why Paul wrote, "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far" ( Philippians 1:23 ).
Don't try to live your life a second time through your children. Keep your mind fresh by having expectations that go beyond the goals you have for them. Don't try to cling to a relationship that has changed because you "need to be needed." When Samuel was born his mother said, "I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life" ( 1 Samuel 1:11). It's easier to give them back when you realise they were not yours to keep. Be grateful for the gift of children or the satisfaction of a job welldone; then ask, "What's next?"
If you recognise areas where you've been guilty of resisting change, allow God to heal you from fear. Something good is going to come out of it. God doesn't change - but His methods of caring for you will constantly change. He may not bring you the same way twice, but -goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life - what more could you ask for?
Psalm 23:6
You'll miss what God is planning for you next if you cling to the past and yearn for yesterday. If you've lost a loved one you know how this feels. Death wrenches from us those we'd cling to forever. But we can't, for death is a part of life; we make peace with it only when we realise it's the door which enables us to move from a lesser to a greater realm. That's why Paul wrote, "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far" ( Philippians 1:23 ).
Don't try to live your life a second time through your children. Keep your mind fresh by having expectations that go beyond the goals you have for them. Don't try to cling to a relationship that has changed because you "need to be needed." When Samuel was born his mother said, "I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life" ( 1 Samuel 1:11). It's easier to give them back when you realise they were not yours to keep. Be grateful for the gift of children or the satisfaction of a job welldone; then ask, "What's next?"
If you recognise areas where you've been guilty of resisting change, allow God to heal you from fear. Something good is going to come out of it. God doesn't change - but His methods of caring for you will constantly change. He may not bring you the same way twice, but -goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life - what more could you ask for?
Forgive It And Move On
Forgive...as quickly and thoroughly as God...forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32
The word "forgive" literally means "to get it out." Forgiveness has very little to do with the other person; it's a decision you make, like expelling carbon dioxide from your body because you know that holding onto it will only hurt you. So release it. Go head - exhale. Let all that bitterness out and breathe in God's love. The test of love is to forgive the guilty. That's what God did for you - and it's what He commands you to do for others! Not suggests, commands! Can you pass the test, or are you refusing to forgive things that aren't any worse than some of the stuff you've done? Forgive them, or you'll never be free to enjoy the relationship God wants you to have with them - and Him.
Whatever you don't forgive, you relive. That causes you to keep striking out at others and robs you of the joy of loving, and being loved in return. What a loss! Unforgiveness is an umbilical cord that keeps you tied to the past. When you forgive, you cut that cord. When you refuse to, you remain tethered to memories that can affect you endlessly.That's how issues pass from generation to generation. So take charge today by saying, "This ends here and now, and it ends with me!" Learn to receive forgiveness from God - and from those you've hurt - then offer itto those who've hurt you!
When you can do that your heart will be tender,your spirit light, your mind free, your vision clear, and your speech filled with kindness.
Ephesians 4:32
The word "forgive" literally means "to get it out." Forgiveness has very little to do with the other person; it's a decision you make, like expelling carbon dioxide from your body because you know that holding onto it will only hurt you. So release it. Go head - exhale. Let all that bitterness out and breathe in God's love. The test of love is to forgive the guilty. That's what God did for you - and it's what He commands you to do for others! Not suggests, commands! Can you pass the test, or are you refusing to forgive things that aren't any worse than some of the stuff you've done? Forgive them, or you'll never be free to enjoy the relationship God wants you to have with them - and Him.
Whatever you don't forgive, you relive. That causes you to keep striking out at others and robs you of the joy of loving, and being loved in return. What a loss! Unforgiveness is an umbilical cord that keeps you tied to the past. When you forgive, you cut that cord. When you refuse to, you remain tethered to memories that can affect you endlessly.That's how issues pass from generation to generation. So take charge today by saying, "This ends here and now, and it ends with me!" Learn to receive forgiveness from God - and from those you've hurt - then offer itto those who've hurt you!
When you can do that your heart will be tender,your spirit light, your mind free, your vision clear, and your speech filled with kindness.
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