“A Changed Life Begins with Changing One's Thinking”
You may ask yourself, “How do I go about changing my thinking?”
Are you willing to present yourself to God as a living sacrifice? To be gracefully and beautifully broken by the Lord?
This process is messy, uncomfortable and at times even frightening… However, it is a beautiful process that takes place for our good and His glory.
Imagine that your hands are open to receive all that He has for you. Can you believe that His purpose is greater than your present plans? This is tough because we all have expectations, hopes, and dreams for our future; and when God comes in and changes our direction, how do we respond? Often, we become frustrated, discouraged, resentful, angry - maybe even shattered. Can you relate?
A recent season in my own life had many unexpected twists and turns. Sorrow and heartbreaks left me exhausted and weak. I had to make the choice to focus on HIM instead of my emotions.
So, I ask you, what do you focus on when your life seems completely out of control? Will you live out of your emotions (fear, anxiety, and anger, for example) or will you live from a place of victory? This is all about having the right mindset, right thinking. Trials will come, and we get to choose ... right thinking in Jesus or will our emotions lead the way?
My Experience ...
Last summer, I went to the Carowinds Amusement Park with my kids and some friends. I have to admit I really do not like roller coasters - let alone heights. The Fury roller coaster had just opened. With its height at 325 feet and speed of up to 95 miles an hour for a full three minutes, suddenly I became claustrophobic, feeling confined, so filled with fear as the seat belt closed in on me ... YIKES!
My whole body went into a “flight or fight mode.” I began taking deep breaths. I had to make the choice ... What would I focus on? My fear? My feeling of being out of control? Or could I choose to accept this ride, surrender my greatest fears, lie back, and try to enjoy it? It was my choice. Would I choose to embrace the ride with all its twists and turns jerking me back and forth? Or would I fight it all the way, causing me physical and emotional pain? I chose to relax and try to enjoy it.
Okay, back to the present. Making the wise choice to respond rather than react to circumstances when life seems out of control is not easy, and we don't always walk out those seasons perfectly. No, it just means that we will allow HIM, The Great I AM to break, mold, and use us for HIS glory. We must trust that we will land safely, and at the end of the ride we will say… “WOW, I am much stronger, humbled, and wiser than I was before.”
We can gain a sense of accomplishment that we persevered through the dark night and came out actually thriving, not just merely surviving.
Will you do the same? No matter how hard, how tired, or even though you want to quit, I ask you to make the choice to trust and focus on HIM.
Jesus Is the Good Shepherd! ...
He has promised to lead us, guide us, lighten our load, lift our burdens, and care for us all through life. People fail, but our Lord will NEVER fail.
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep and am known by My own” ~~ John 10:14 (ESV).
“And you will be able to know what is good and pleasing to God and what is perfect” ~~ Romans 12:2b (CEV).
Give up your life to HIM, and believe in what you cannot see, touch or even feel. Turn to God. He IS the Answer. Jesus is your Savior!
The Process ...
First…. Seek the Lord, and meditate upon His Word.
Second…Commit yourself to Jesus Christ.
Third…Receive Him as your Savior and Lord.
Fourth…Salvation is not based upon a person's behavior, conduct, or works.
“... being saved is a gift; if a person could earn it by being good, then it wouldn’t be free—but it is! It is given to those who do not work for it. For God declares sinners to be good in his sight if they have faith in Christ to save them from God’s wrath” ~~ Romans 4:4b-5 (TLB).
Allow the Holy Spirit to convince you of your need to receive Jesus, then allow Him to change you.
“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy” ~~ Ephesians 4:21-24 (NLT).
Transformation requires conversion and then a determined and intentional discipline to stick to it.
“But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” ~~ 1 Corinthians 9:27 (ESV).
Pray With Me ...
Lord, this season is not easy. Yet, I choose to be gracefully broken. Here I am Lord, with my hands and heart open to receive all that You have. Lord, I know that You see the greater picture. Please help me to focus on You and not on my circumstances. Help me always to make the choice to seek You, commit myself to Your care, and cry out to You when I am in a crisis! Lord, You are the only one that can deliver and set me feet on high ground. So today, I trust You with my life. Amen.
Appropriate Scriptural Passages
“When the Holy Spirit comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” ~~ John 16:8.
“With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him” ~~ Romans 12:1 (Phillips).
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” ~~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV).
“Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands, and moves towards the goal of true maturity” ~~ Romans 12:2 (Phillips).
~~ Elizabeth Bowman