When In the Fire, What Lies Do We Believe? Part 1
What Are the Lies That You Believe About Yourself? About God? About Others?
Lies come in like rushing water. They flood our minds and affect our heart. But how do we define lies? What are we talking about? They are our thoughts, feelings, emotions, and our desires that we have and act out when we live in the natural realm apart from the plan of God. Now, ask yourself, “How do I respond to God's refining fire?” How can I be made aware of these lies and be able to dispel them?
Do you feel rejected, abandoned, or even robbed by God? What about your negative experiences with other people? When we go through trials, we often can be overtaken by rejection. This false belief can cause us to think negative thoughts about ourselves, God, and others. Rejection can cause us to believe that we are inferior and unworthy due to our comparisons to others' lives. If this becomes our core belief, we react out of fear, or jealousy, and "self-preservation" and allow our emotions to rage. Emotions such as anger, fear, and control can cause us to lash out and react out of this place of deep hurt versus God's plan for us to respond to His love. Does this sound familiar?
Ask Yourself: How Do I Respond? ...
When triggered by an external circumstance, do you contemplate: “Do I really believe in You, God?” And “What in my life needs to be refined by You?”
Today I want to give you hope! Hope that you can and will overcome such negative thinking, the belief that these lies are truth to you. Even as you allow Jesus Christ to refine you in the fire, He will change you from reacting through fear to responding in love, from believing lies to following the truth.
Put OFF and Put ON ...
The Bible tells us in Ephesians 4: 22-24 to put off old patterns of belief systems, and instead put on new ways of thinking that can only be found in Jesus Christ. Part of the new life that God wants to give us is a transformation from our old ways of thinking and living to a brand-new way of living and thinking. But How? Paul tells us to "Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”
How to Renew the Mind ...
So, think about how people might renew their minds. Over the course of the next week think about the following transformation process:
First: Are you willing? God desires to transform your life through His Word so that you will no longer be conformed to this world.
Second: Will you submit? Let go of control and submit your heart and life to God. Let go of your expectations of outcomes, and take hold of HIS expectations, His ways.
Third: Will you rest? Take time over the next week to be intentional to no longer strive but to rest in His arms, believing in His perfect plan that He has foreordained just for you.
Fourth: Will you trust? Allow Him to change you. It's all for your good! Can you bring yourself to do this?
In My Utmost for His Highest (by Oswald Chambers) we get a glimpse into a new way of living:
“Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen. Perseverance means more than just hanging on, which may be only exposing our fear of letting go and falling.”
There is so much to hope for. Perseverance works only when we are assured of the outcome - that the end of the process will be a wonderful change for the better.
How Does This Transformation Take Place? ...
What is this transformation, and how does God take us higher? By refining us in the fire. When we are in the fire, we have choices. In our fleshly nature we can become overwhelmed with anxiety, worry, jealousy, anger, covetousness, bitterness, and comparison, etc. These types of thoughts leave us empty and sad. However, what if we made the choice and chose His ways instead of our own? Remember that the Apostle Paul instructs us to “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable and right, pure and lovely, and admirable.”
Would you be willing to press out the negative and press into the positive as Paul admonishes? If so, you will find that Jesus is alive in the midst of the fiery trial and in your deepest suffering. You have the opportunity today to choose to believe that in your time of “refining in the fire” Jesus will take you to a higher place so that you will really get to know Him and bring glory and honor to His Name.
I know for myself, this season of my life was one of spiritual famine and dryness. However, since then, since the Lord made all things new, He has come alive in a more intimate way deep in the core of my being, my spirit, and in my mind!
Between Now and Next Week ...
Will you take the time during this next week to search the scriptures, spend time with the Lord, and ask Him to refine you? Will you ask Him to burn out the lies that have been hidden, yet believed deep within your heart, and replace those lies with His truth? Believe me - it will be so worth it! Will you join me?
Pray with Me ...
Lord, I pray that as I make the choice to press out old patterns of behaviors and beliefs that keep me from Your presence, that You would tear down my walls of pride, crush the lies, and invade my heart with Your light, truth, and love. Lord God, I know that You are a good God! Yet I confess, it not easy! Even though I am struggling in a difficult place right now, and the fire is hot, I now choose you and purpose to persevere to a life of victory in You. And I thank You for what You will do in my life! In the Name of Jesus, my Savior and Lord, Amen!
Scriptures on Which to Meditate Before Next Week ...
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” ~~ Hebrews 11:1.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and do not lean unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” ~~ Proverbs 3:5-6.
“Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves. Therefore, despise not the discipline of the Almighty. For He wounds, but He binds up. He shatters, but His hands heal” ~~ Job 5:17-18.
“God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what” ~~ Hebrews 4:12-13 (MSG).
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace will be with you” ~~ Philippians 4:8-9 (WBT).
Next time we will learn more steps you may choose to take to achieve “Victory in the Fire.”
~~ Elizabeth Bowman