Have you ever had someone say something or do something then had it happen again later? It's kind of like deja vu but not. Let me give you an example. One time I was playing a game with friends. The organizer of the game said my player felt a presence behind me. That's not so scary in a game because the game isn't real.
After the game, I went home and rested. I suddenly got this weird feeling that someone or something was behind me. When I looked, no one was there. I knew my husband was in the other room so I knew it wasn't him. And, even though I looked back and didn't see anyone, I still felt like something was there with me. It was kind of creepy.
To boot, I remember I was going through a bit of a hard time and my thoughts were beginning to spiral. That made me think that it could have been a demon behind me. Can we really sense demons? Are demons real? According to the Bible they are; and I believe God's word.
Demons are Satan's minions. I imagine they don't look like little yellow guys. Demons probably look a bit scary in their real form but they probably have other powers where they can take on the look of other creatures. Their job is to manipulate us and turn us from God.
This presence I felt wasn't welcome and I knew it. So I took authority under the name of Jesus and told the demon to leave. I felt peace after that and the thought spiral disappeared. Sure, the problem I was going through was still there but it didn't seem as big of a deal as it did when I first began to think about it.
If we trust God's word and believe in him, we should believe that what he says is true. His word tells us there are demons out there. His word tells us Satan is prowling like a lion waiting to devour us. We need to begin acting like there is a spiritual war going on around us. We need to lean on God, grow in him, and trust in him. That way, when Satan sends his demons against us, we know exactly how to handle them. We know we need to go to God.
So, do you believe there is a spiritual war going on around you? How can you grow in God so that when Satan attacks you are ready?
I'm sure you've thought about this question, if not now then when you were a child, if you could be any animal what animal would you be? God created many unique creatures during creation. They all have special features and abilities. One such creature is the chameleon. Chameleons have sticky feet, camouflage, can look two places at once, and have really long tongues. Imagine if you had those abilities. Sure, some of them may be strange but think about being able to blend in or being able to climb walls. That could come in handy sometimes, or just be a cool trick to show your friends.
But, we are not chameleons. Though, I'm afraid some of us are trying to be chameleons whether we realize it or not. Chameleons blend in with their surroundings. They do this as a defense mechanism and to survive (so they can get food). What about you? Have you tried to blend in with the world? We are told in the Bible that the world is sinful. If we follow the ways of the world, we are not following God. God is holy and we are to try to emulate what he calls us to emulate. We are not to blend in with the world, we are to stand out. We are to stand up for Jesus and show others his love.
Chameleons also can look at two places at once. This is another great defense mechanism but it is not good for us. I've written blogs about being on the fence. If we are not 100% following Jesus then we are on the fence. If we are looking at the sinful things of this world while claiming to follow Christ, we are on the fence. If you are on the fence, you have made your choice to follow Satan and the world. We must fix our eyes on Jesus. We must do our best to grow in him and follow him.
Finally, chameleons cling to whatever they are trying to climb. If we cling to things in this world, we are not following the Great Commission. Jesus gave us a commandment to go into the world and make disciples. Everything on this earth is temporary, except the souls of people. If we cling to things that are temporary and do not follow the Great Commission, then we are ignoring a direct command from God. If we didn't have a job to do after we accepted Christ as our personal savior, we could just be taken up to heaven. God created us to be in relationship with others and share the good news of the gospel to others. We get to be a part of his story in that way. That's why we cling to Jesus and show others how to do so as well.
So are you being a chameleon in any way? How can you grow in each of these areas?
If you know me or have read my blog for a while, you know a place I like to go is Camp YoliJwa. It's a Christian camp that I've gone to for most of my life. While there, you do different activities. One of the things you do there is sing songs. There's a song that we sing in the mornings from time to time usually toward the end of the week because that's when everyone is tired.
The song goes like this: "I'm alive awake alert enthusiastic. I'm alive awake alert enthusiastic. I'm alive awake alert. I'm alert awake alive. I'm alive awake alert enthusiastic." There are motions with the song and the whole point of it is to wake you up if you are not awake. It is a silly song and usually brings laughter to the group.
Sometimes I think this song can relate to our Christian walk. We start to get tired and begin to just go through the motions. We don't feel like doing all the things, working hard, and trying to grow in God because it feels like work and we are tired. That's when Satan gains a foothold in our lives. When we begin to become tired or lackadaisical in our walk the devil comes in to try to break us away from God.
This is why we must be "alive awake and alert" in our walk with God. We need to stay strong and grow in him lest Satan step in to break us and our relationship with God. Not only do we need to be alert, we should also be enthusiastic about our walk with God. No other religion has communication with God. Sure, other religions can pray, but they don't hear back from their god. Our God wants a relationship with us. He wants us to talk with him and he listens. He gives us direction too, if we listen. Isn't that something we should be enthusiastic about? The creator of everything wants a relationship with us.
So are you "alive awake alert enthusiastic" in your walk with God? How can you grow in God today?
I have a question for you and it's one of my favorite kinds of questions: it's a would you rather question. You ready? Would you rather have a rash that wasn't itchy, didn't hurt, and wasn't permanent in a noticeable place (like on your face), or a rash that hurt, itched, and was permanent in an unnoticeable place (like your upper leg or back)?
It's not really an easy question, is it? I think we would all say we would rather not have the rash at all. But as annoying as it may be for a few days you would probably take the noticeable not permanent mark, right?
Well, what if we equated this to sin? If you are a Christian and sin in the open, you should have Christians who hold you accountable. They should see your sin and, in love, correct you. The sin wouldn't last long, hopefully. But what about when we sin in private?
Hidden sin is dangerous. The longer it goes on the more ingrained in your life it becomes. Then it's hard to let go or let others in to help you get rid of it. How do you get rid of the itch of hidden sin?
You have to bring it into the light. You need to tell others what is going on and ask for help. You need to ask God for help and forgiveness. Then take steps to remove the sin. In the itch illusion you need to put the medicine on to cure it. In this case, the medicine is prayer, reading the Bible, bringing others in to help you stay accountable, and getting rid of the things that would encourage you to continue in that sin. That's how we get rid of hidden sin.
So, do you have any sin you need to bring into the light? How can you grow in God?
Have you ever felt led or been asked to do something that
was out of your comfort zone? I'm sure you have. Did you do it? The answer you
gave depends on if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
Okay, let's tweak the question. You are asked to do
something you know is wrong. Do you do it? Before you answer, let's say you are
not just asked by one random person. Let's say you are asked to do it by a
group of people you know well. People who you want to impress, or that you
like. Would you do it?
The darkness of this world is strong. There are times
when it would be so easy to sin and follow the ways of the world. But is that
what we should do?
Picture that you are in a dark room. You are unable to
see anything. Then you see a small flicker of light. The light goes out then
comes back. It is almost like a match is being lit. Another small light appears
beside it. Then another, and another. More appear until you can see light all
around the room.
Each light in that room was small. But if you add each light
together it gets the whole room lit. We live in a world filled with sin. But
when we let our lights shine, when we choose to follow God and grow in him,
people see us reflecting God's glory. They wonder what is different about us.
Then, maybe their light will begin to shine for God.
So, are you choosing light or darkness? How are you
growing in God so your light can shine brighter for him? What can you do to
show God's light today?
At some point or another we have all felt it: fear. Some
of us have felt that emotion more than others. I personally, struggle with
anxiety. It is a bit hard to explain how exactly it feels but I can tell you in
my experience my heart feels like it's beating fast, it feels hard to catch my
breath, and my brain sometimes feels like it is tingling.
I've learned some ways to help combat my anxiety but
that's not what I want to talk about today. One week I had a mini anxiety
attack. Then, that same week, I went to Camp YoliJwa for a meeting. We had a
time of worship there. While I was singing, I started to get a tingle in my
brain again. This time the tingle made me feel joy.
I found it incredibly odd that I would get a tingle in my
brain when I was afraid and when I felt joy. Why would my brain do that? Then I
thought about the devil and how he tries to move us away from God. The devil
likes to copy God. He literally wants to be God so that makes sense. One tool
the devil uses is fear. What's the opposite of fear? Some would say courage or bravery,
but I think the Bible has another answer as well.
1 John 4:18 says: "There is no fear in love, but
perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever
fears has not been perfected in love." Throughout the Bible we see the
devil spreading fear and God showing love. Even in reading God's word we see
his love in us physically.
There have been a few studies done on the connection
between the Bible and our brains. Dr. Michael Ferguson is a man who studied
this. He found that: "The researchers also noticed that while reading the
Bible, high amounts of dopamine were released through the brain. When your
brain releases dopamine you are likely to be more focused, motivated, and happy
overall."
We literally get happy and have joy when we truly read
the Bible. Not skim it, read it. Dig deep into it to grow and find out more
about our Lord. It is also like when we worship God.
So, what tingle are you feeling: fear or joy? How can you
grow closer to God? How can you help others grow closer to God?
While in school, I did well in most subjects. I enjoyed reading and social studies as I liked stories and learning about other people's lives. My least favorite subject was probably math. I did well enough in it, but I did not enjoy having to learn all the formulas and such. Math is important as God created it and it tells us things about him and the world. But there's one area of math that is very important: multiplying
Why multiplying? One of the most well-known verses in the Bible is the great commission. It tells us to go into the world and make disciples. We, as Christians, are called to multiply. We are to spread the good news of the gospel to others so the body of Christ can grow. Just think if you spread the news to one person, one becomes two. Then if you both share the good news, two becomes four. Then four becomes eight and so on. That's how the body grows by making disciples.
But it does not end there. If we don't continue to get into the word and grow in God, then we are in danger of dividing. I've heard and seen many people who leave the church over arguments, offense, or just because they felt like they didn't belong. Would that happen if we were in the word and believed what God said? It may still happen because of the devil, but I think it would be less likely. It is vital that we guard ourselves against division. Yes, we may disagree on certain things. But, as Christians, we can all agree about what Jesus did for us on the cross and that he is Lord and Savior.
So, are you doing as you are called and trying to multiply God's kingdom? Are you in danger of division at church?
One insect that
is used as an example of change is a caterpillar. Caterpillars go through a
transformation. They eat a lot, go into cocoons, and come out completely
changed. This transformation is what the song "Dos Oruguitas" from
Encanto is talking about.
While the
original lyrics are in Spanish, it does not change its profoundness. It talks
about two caterpillars in love in a changing world. But, in order for these
caterpillars to grow they had to leave one another. If they did not, they would
not be able to be in cocoons and change into butterflies. So they went into
cocoons, became butterflies, and realized that in order to grow more they
needed to be apart.
The whole song is a metaphor for Abuela's life. She had
to run from her home, and she did with her husband. But her husband died during
their escape. That's a lot of change for a young mother of 3. Then she had to
pick up, move on, and grow alone.
That's actually
a lot like our lives. Yes, we are to be in relationship with others because God
created us as relational beings. But the most important relationship we can
have is the one we have with God. If we are not in relationship with God, then
we will not grow in him.
Colossians 1:10
says: "So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him:
bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."
We are to walk with God. We are to bear fruit. What fruit? The fruit of the
spirit. We are to spread the good news of the Gospel. To do all of that, we
must have relationship with God. We must be growing in him.
Is growth easy?
No, usually it is uncomfortable. Do you think it's all peaches and cream in
that cocoon? A caterpillar changing completely and growing wings. That's
probably a bit uncomfortable. But do you think that butterfly regrets going
through that change and growth after its done? Probably not because they can
fly! Imagine what God can do with us if we allow him to change us and help us
grow!
So, are you
spending time with God each day? How has God helped you grow in him? How can
you grow in God today?
You know, there are many times where I watch something and then it hits me that there is some sort of way to connect it to a spiritual discipline. That happened one day when I was watching an orange juice commercial.
The commercial starts with a lady drinking a cup of orange juice. There is a table and many people sitting around it. The lady asks them what is going to happen to her that day. The people go around and tell her exactly what is going to happen at the exact time it will happen; and none of it is good. The lady takes each event in stride. At the end she says, "good thing I had my orange juice."
Well, that commercial is a lot like us and the Holy Spirit. There have been many days where I feel like almost everything is going wrong. But then I feel a nudge from the Holy Spirit, a God coincidence happens, or a verse or song comes to mind at just the right moment. Without the Spirit, I'm not sure I would make it through days like that.
God is a good father. He is three in one for a reason. Jesus came to complete the work on the cross. Then he told the disciples he had to leave but he wouldn't leave us alone. He would send a helper to be with us and guide us. That is the Holy Spirit. While we may not be able to see him, he is there. And it's nice to know that he is there, and we can take on each day with him.
So, are you taking on each day with the Holy Spirit? How can you grow closer to God so you can feel the Spirit's leading more?
Have you ever had a time when you felt the Spirit leading you to do something, but you chose not to do it? I know I have. One of the times that sticks in my brain the most is when I was in sixth grade. I was in a fight with my best friend. We had not been talking for at least three months.
Then one day I got off the bus to walk home. My friend lived on my street. I felt the Spirit leading me to talk with her. To try to reconnect with her. To ask for forgiveness. But my pride got in the way. She was the one who wronged me. She should be the one to say sorry. She should make the first step toward reconnecting.
I didn't talk with her that day. The next day she wasn't on the bus. The cars that were normally at her house were gone. I had known they were moving but I had no idea it would be so soon. The spirit knew. The spirit told me to reconcile with her, but I chose not to listen. Now, later I did try to say sorry, but she was not receptive to it. Who knows, if I had tried to reconcile that day, maybe she would have been my friend again. I felt sorry and ashamed for not listening to the spirits leading.
Another time I was at a church event. I was running the sound system. I had just turned the lights down for prayer and began playing a prayer playlist. The person up front was praying. Suddenly, I had a vision of someone I hadn't talked to or heard from in over a year. I saw her talking at the microphone in front of everyone. I heard her ask for prayer.
I'm not going to lie, part of me didn't want to text her even though that's what I felt the Spirit telling me to do. I didn't want to because this was a girl who had been after my boyfriend. A girl who told me she hated me. And she had cut us off when we tried to help her. But I knew I should listen.
I texted her that I felt the Spirit leading me to pray for her. Then prayed for her to grow in God and that she would be blessed. I heard back from her. She thanked me and asked me to pray for some more specific things and I did. I felt such peace and joy after I did that. And I don't know what me choosing to do that did for that girl, but we are called to follow the Spirit's leading. We may not see the outcome but it's our job to plant the seeds.
So, are you following the Spirit's leading? How can you grow closer to God so you can know what he wants you to do?
My husband and I enjoy the sport of archery. One day, after about twelve classes, I was shooting with a different bow. When you are shooting archery, you would think the goal would be to hit the bullseye every time. It is, but it takes a lot of steps to do that. If you have a sight, a tool that helps you aim, then your goal is to get a good grouping. That means you do everything consistently aiming at the middle of the target with your sight. If your sight is off, then you may not hit the bullseye. You shoot a round of three arrows then, if they group well, you move the sight based on where the grouping is.
I moved my sight this day until I couldn't move it any farther to the right. But my arrows were still going to the right of the target. Different instructors kept coming over to try to help me figure out why they kept going to the right. They adjusted my technique in different ways, but the arrows kept going right.
Finally, one of the lead instructors came over. She watched what I did. Then she said, "your technique looks good. Let me look at your bow." She looked at the bow and realized that it was the bow that was the problem. It was not meant to be shot that far for one thing. For another, it was a bow that wasn't really meant to have a sight so that made it harder. The instructor went to get me a different bow.
I was thinking about how that event related to life. Sometimes it can feel like you are doing everything right, but things don't work out. You can show love to others, serve, grow in God by reading the Bible and praying, etc. but sometimes bad things still happen. Your friend still leaves, your job is still a stressor, you are having financial troubles, or whatever the problem is.
Now, obviously, no one is perfect but there are times where you just feel like you are doing everything you can to make the situation better but it's still not being fixed. Sometimes it's not you. Sometimes it is a test or a trial. Other times maybe Satan is attacking you. Whatever the reason, take heart. Just because things don't seem to be working out doesn't mean what you are doing isn't good. Keep pressing on and into God. Trust in his perfect plan. Then, one day, you will hit that bullseye.
So, are you in a test or trial right now? Are you still doing your best to do what's right? If not, what can you do to grow in God and do what is right?
Have you ever had a time where you felt like you were just spiritually dry? I mean you know what you believe. You know God is with you. You know he's helped you through hard times. You trust him. But you just don't feel the spirit in your life the way you used to?
That happened to me after I got married. I'm not blaming my marriage but that's just the time period where I felt it most recently. I began to wonder why I felt that way. I knew Paul had talked about how people who are married focus more on the needs of their spouse and family, but it felt like there was something more there.
I knew how I felt, and if you've been there, you know how you felt, but what do you do when you feel that way? The first step I took was I prayed. I asked God why I was feeling this way. I was still going to church, doing devotionals, listening to the word, listening to Christian songs, and doing all the things to get fed spiritually but it wasn't working so I didn't understand. That's when I realized I had been going through a season of going through the motions.
You know when you just stick to the same routine but don't let it change you? When you lose focus of what should have number one priority. That's what happened. I was still doing all the things, but it was becoming a checklist instead of something that was truly digging deep into me, making me a tad uncomfortable, changing, and challenging me. That's a problem.
We should always be growing. It just depends on where we get our nutrients from as to if we are growing toward the Son or toward Satan. Instead of going through the motions I began to stop and meditate on each thing I was doing. If I read a verse, I would pause and think about how those words impacted me. If I listened to a song, I tried to let the words penetrate my heart and connect me to the Spirit. I paused, and that's something we all need to do from time to time to ensure we are not just going through the motions.
So, have you gone through a season of spiritual dryness? How can you grow in God each day?
One day I was at work and one of my coworkers came to give us a break. She also wanted to know when we were all getting together for dinner. Now, this was no easy feat to plan as some of the people had vastly different schedules.
I, jokingly, said I was insulted because she didn’t mention inviting me earlier. She said she was planning on it, with one caveat. She said the games we were playing there wouldn’t be ones that were "clean." I said I like playing games but I'm sure we can make the fun and clean. She said, "girl you got to leave that bible stuff at home." I replied, "the bible is with me wherever I go."
I reflected on that conversation. I've been a Christian pretty much my whole life. But there used to be a time where I didn’t necessarily have the Bible hidden in my heart. I didn’t always act like Christ.
Now I've grown and I've learned how important the Bible is. It is the word of God. He gave it to us for encouragement, for guidance, and because he loves us. I can choose to sit idly by as someone sins or makes choices that could be dangerous. Or, I can choose to say, "I don’t agree with that, but I love you anyway." I don’t have to harp on them. I don’t have to get into an argument. And I definitely don’t have to judge who they are, where they come from, or what they are doing. I can show God's love just by choosing not to engage in the sin and still loving that person.
But, in order to know what is right, we must know the word of God. That's why we need to get into the word, so it seeps into us. We need to let the words penetrate us, change us, and seep out of us.
So, is the bible with you wherever you go? How can you know the word and grow in God?
One day I was at
worship and a song was playing. It was a song I hadn't heard before, but the
tune sounded familiar. For some reason the lyrics kept changing in my mind. I
didn't know why my brain kept trying to find different lyrics for the song. I
tried to focus on the actual song lyrics, but it wouldn't let me be. The
problem was I couldn't find the actual words to the song in my brain. It was
just a tune.
I sat down and
cleared my mind. It took a bit for the spirit to rest and clear my mind. When
it did, I was able to find the words. The song lyrics were "through the
calm and through the storm." I knew they were to a different song, but I
couldn't figure out the rest of the lyrics for some reason. Finally, after
sitting and listening to the spirit for a while I heard, "oh no you never
let go."
It was like a
lightbulb went off. I had found the title to the song. The funny thing was I
had just gone through an illness, and it took a lot out of me physically,
mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And I was about to go into a work week
where I knew I would face some new challenges. It felt like God was telling me
that I needed to just stop and listen. You never know what you will hear when
you do that. He was reminding me that I need to remember that he is always with
me. Even when I'm at my lowest, he is still with me. He never lets go.
So, have you
been listening to the spirit? What do you feel when you do listen to the
spirit? How can you grow in God today?
There are times I don’t feel worthy. I've talked with
Nate (my husband) about how I don’t feel worthy of him. He is a man who is
walking with God. He hears from God. He is following Gods calling for his life.
There are
definitely times I don’t feel worthy of God. I am a sinner. I mess up daily. I don’t
deserve mercy and compassion, yet God gives me it. He gives you it. He loves us
so much that he died for us. That alone makes us worthy, nothing else we do or
say.
Yet, that
doesn't mean we are to still walk in sin. Knowingly or unknowingly we will
still sin. The point is we are to try to walk in a manner worthy to God.
Colossians 1:10 says, "So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully
pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the
knowledge of God." We are to be growing in God. We are to want to do what
God calls us to do. We are to bear his good fruit by following him. We are to
want to know more about him and his ways. That's how we walk in a way worthy or
him.
So, are you
walking in a manner worthy of God? What can you do to grow in God each day?
My dog, Jak Jak loves to play. One day I was playing with him while he had the zoomies (was running back and forth from room to room). I got in a pounce position when he ran back to me. Then I started to move slowly toward the pantry. I started the scary music... "dun nu.... dun nu... dun dun dun dun.. dun dun.. dun dun dun dun.. dun dun..." Out of the pantry, I pulled.... a hairy, scary... box of Fruity Pebbles.
Jak cocked his head. Then he began to wag his tail. I laughed and poured my cereal. But that got me thinking about how I knew what I was going to pull out of the pantry wasn't scary. Jak didn't know that. He assumed that what was coming out of that was bad.
It seems silly but how many times do we do that? How many times do we assume that a situation or a problem will be scary? How many times does God call us to do something that scares us?
It reminds me of Moses' story. He was a prince of Egypt. He left but God called him to go back. The Egyptians didn't like him, and his people didn't like him that much either. He was scared. Yet God was with him. He is with you too.
We have no reason to fear because God is on our side. God is more powerful than anything we face. He can destroy strongholds and knock down any problem we face. Sometimes he does that. Other times he doesn't. But no matter what he has a plan, and we can trust him.
So, are you trusting God? How often are you spending time with God so you know his word and that you can trust him?
Some of you may be wondering, “is it too late for me? Am I too far gone that I could ever be washed clean, be made pure?” Some of you may have made the choice to sin when you didn’t even know what you were doing was wrong, or a sin. Others of you may have made a conscientious choice. You knew what you were doing was wrong but you chose to gratify your carnal desires for a temporary high. Is it too late for you?
Here’s the thing. Sin is like a cage, or a jail cell. You are inside it thinking that you are on top of the world but it is a temporary fix. It’s like putting a band aid on a cut then cutting it open again yourself. You are trapped but it doesn’t seem like you are because it’s your choice to keep sinning. Now, you may be saying, “if this is something I can choose to escape then why am I in the cage or jail that is locked?” The door isn’t locked. The door is wide open. You just have to choose to take one step, then another, and another until you are out and free.
Who opened the door you may be asking? Jesus did. He died to take on the blackness of your sin. If you accept him as your savior and cleanse yourself in his blood then you are free. The chains, the cell, the bondage of sin holds you no more. It cannot be that easy, can it? 1 John 1:9 says: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” He forgives our sins and cleanses us from ALL unrighteousness. That time you lied about where you were going. The time you stole candy from the store. When you bought that dope to get high. When you were in your room alone looking at porn. The time you lost your patience and yelled at your family in anger. ALL OF IT IS WASHED AWAY!
But it is your choice. You can choose to stay in the jail with the door open. Or you can choose God. You can choose purity.
So, what is your choice? If you have already chosen purity, how can your continue to grow in God and stay pure?
This year Camp YoliJwa's theme is Rooted. I taught the young adults at their family camp this week. We discussed what good roots are, bad roots, and the fruits of the spirit. Now, with my husband being a landscaper I thought a lot about what we can learn from plants and there's quite a bit. First, plants need deep roots. The roots give them their nutrients and help them get water from the soil. If a root is bad or isn't in a good spot to do that then it isn't doing what the plant requires of it. The same can be said of us. We are plants that need deep roots in the right places. We need roots in the word. If we don't have that we will not grow properly. Plants also need a balance of space and closeness. If a plant doesn't have plenty of space it will be fighting other plants for nutrients, water, and sun light. If we don't have space to grow, be on our own path, or time away from others our relationship with God may be in jeopardy. We need to focus on our growth in God so that we can help others with their growth. If we are too far or too close to others that can cause problems. Too far and we don't make an impact on others for the good of the kingdom of God. Too close and we miss out on our alone time with God. Or we are fighting for the nutrients and knowledge we need. If we are too close or comparing ourselves to others, we miss out on the path and plan God has for us. And if we don't take time to be in silence with God we miss out on connecting with him and learning from him. A plants job is to produce fruit. Plants try to produce good fruit but that doesn't always happen. We can produce good or bad fruit too. Galatians 5:19-26 talks about the fruits of the flesh and the fruits of the spirit. We are to produce the things of God, or the fruits of the spirit. We are not to produce the fruits of the flesh. The things of the flesh are the things of the world. The things of the world will pass away. Only the fruit of the spirit will last and matter in heaven. Finally, a plant doesn't eat its own fruit. The point of fruit is to spread the plant to other places so others like it can grow. The purpose of our lives is not to glorify ourselves. Rather our purpose is to reflect God's glory. Our purpose is to produce fruit that others see that then get spread to others. It helps others grow in their faith. People look at us and see we are different. The fruit of the spirit that we produce is different from the fruit of the flesh. So, what kind of roots do you have? What fruit are you producing? How can you keep growing in God?
You know, our bodies are amazing things. One of the most
fascinating parts of our bodies is our brain. Scientists are still trying to
figure out our brains. One area they just cannot seem to figure out is our
thoughts. Sure, you can see reactions in the brain when we have a thought, but
you cannot know exactly what that thought is. I think that’s one reason why
thoughts are so powerful, only you can control them and only you know what your
thoughts are.
Whatever thoughts you think about, I am fairly certain
that you sometimes have trouble controlling your thoughts. How do we do that?
Can we do that? It seems even if you have the best intentions and wish you
could stop thinking negative things, they just come back up. I have found that
thoughts can be fit into a few categories.
Surface level immediate thoughts: things you think about
that don’t have much meaning. I mean, while I believe the thought, “I would
really like a chocolate milkshake” is an incredible thought it doesn’t serve
much in the long run (other than maybe getting a milkshake).
Surface level future thoughts: this is when you think
about things you need to do. Like get groceries or get some things done for
that project at work.
Intelligent intellectual thoughts: this is my way of
saying deep thinking. Most of the time, I feel, our brains don’t go into deep
thinking unless we are in school, in a thought-provoking conversation, reading
a book, etc. (could even borderline throw overthinking in here). An important
note, this type of thinking can be considered both good and bad depending on
what you are thinking about.
Negative woe is me thoughts: when it is a rainy day and
all thoughts you have are just bad. Like, can things get much worse thoughts?
Not very healthy thoughts.
Godly grateful thoughts: Not that things are always going
to be amazing in our lives but there is always something to be grateful for.
While there may be some other areas of thought, many of
them could probably fit into these categories. Looking at these categories, ask
yourself which ones tend to go through your brain the most? I’m not saying that
there is any wrong category to be in the most. It’s okay if you have all these
kinds of thoughts. But I’m saying you should not be stuck in just one of these
areas of thought. Well, not stuck in all but one.
Godly grateful thoughts should be where we land most of
the time. It would be amazing if we were stuck (not in a bad way) in that area
of thought. But I’m thinking that much of the time that’s not where your
thoughts land. I’m the same way. How then do we change our thinking so we can
have more Godly grateful thoughts?
First off, I want to remind you that it is possible to
change our way of thinking lest you be tempted to say, it’s impossible (which
you should not say as nothing is impossible with God). 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the
contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments
and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we
take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” See, Satan has this
horrid habit of trying to get into our brains. He likes to tell us lies. He
likes to deceive. He likes to detain us. I think that’s why Paul told the
Corinthians that they can take their thoughts captive. We have the power,
through Christ, to tell Satan to get out!
Now how do we change our thinking? We think about
“whatever.” What do you mean “whatever?!” I already think about whatever I want
daily and that hasn’t helped me! I mean we think of the whatever verse.
Philippians 4:8 says “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be
any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” These are the
things our thoughts should be focused on. Focused on Christ-like thoughts.
Focused on His word so we can refute the lies of the liar. Focused on the truth
about how God feels about us. Focused on reflecting God’s glory in all we
think, say, and do. Because, while we may not be able to see and know your
thoughts, there is someone who does.
So, do you have a problem with thinking too many surface
level or negative thoughts? What will you do to change your way of thinking? I
encourage you to make an action plan today to help you change your way of
thinking.
