Taking thoughts captive

Walking in the Spirit means that we have to be clear with ourselves what the truth is. That can be a challenge, as we were born into sin, we're bent towards serving ourself and our own best interest. And yet that's not what was originally planned for us. Even on our best days, our limits keep us from really understanding God's plan. Our limits often keep us tied to our failures and color our perspective with darkness. It is releasing our thoughts, understandings and self servitude that we become more available to be filled with truth. It's a daily decision that takes effort. With practice, we can begin to see the benefits of the exchange of our worthlessness for His eternal goodness.

That makes me think of a statement of affirmation that I sometimes give to myself, based on Phil. 1:6 and 2:13.

"I believe God. I believe He is working in me no matter what I may feel or how the situation may look. He has begun a good work in me, and He will bring it to full completion."

When I'm questioning His ways, eventually, I stop those thoughts and realize His truth. When I think that the experiences of my life are too painful, I'm arrested in my hopelessness to remember the truth of His word.

Realizing truth means both passive and active responses. The work of surrender is up to me. The work of perfection is up to Him. That's the entire point of having the Holy Spirit. If it were all up to me, Jesus never would've sent the Holy Spirit. I'm not alone in this - but I do have responsibility. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that I take authority over truths in my life that don't line up with the Word of God. I can choose to eliminate everything that is self serving from my thoughts because of the partnership of the Holy Spirit, who is in my life to complete the process that began when I realized that my life was purchased by the blood of Jesus and accepted that truth for my future.

A God of contradictions

One of my dear friends, Terri, is writing a devotional book and has been sharing one of these devotions each week with a group that we're both in. I asked her if I could share her thoughts with you and she agreed. See what you think...

You're blessed when you've lost it all. God's kingdom is there for the finding. You're blessed when you're ravenously hungry. Then you're ready for the Messianic meal. You're blessed when the tears flow freely. Joy comes with the morning. Luke 6:20-21M

It is so hard for us as human beings to even begin to comprehend God. When we first become Christians, we see him as a loving, merciful Lord who took away our sins on the cross. But it seems the longer I know him and walk with him, the less I truly comprehend him. I think it's because the closer we get to Jesus, the more we are able to see and recognize our own sinfulness. The more I get to know his sinlessness and perfection, the more I recognize my own sinfulness and imperfection.

This is exactly the teaching of Jesus. We have to lose our life in order to save it. He had to die in order for us to live in eternal life. Everything has to die and rise again. Think about the tulips and the trees. They die in the winter and lay dormant until just the right time when they sprout to life again. We are blessed when we are suffering or hurting in any way. It doesn't make sense to us, but it does to God. He knows who we are on the inside, and he knows what we need in order to be perfected. This world is simply a preparation for the next. Not an after-life type world, but heaven. Those of us that have accepted Christ and go to heaven will have jobs and assignments and we are being prepared for that now.

Take a minute and look at your life through Gods eyes. What seems unfair to you right now? What seems hard or painful? What could possibly be gained by going through this right now? Ask God to help you trust him during this season of your life.

Nothing Much

So today I'm not doing very much. I'm not feeling real good combination sinus and bladder infection -- yucky combination! Loaded the dishwasher, vacuumed the living room, talked on the phone to one of my dear friends. Now I'm just contemplating what it means to "Walk in the Spirit."

That's been the subject of my daily devotionals for the past several days and then it ended up being the subject of the Adult Bible Study Fellowship that I teach many Sundays.

Does "walking in the spirit" make everything I do sacred? That was suggested one day in my devotional reading. So as I sit here and blog (actually listening to country music on my iTunes) am I doing something sacred? That kind of sends a shiver up my spine.

God is so practical and relevant. We (or at least I) often want to dramatize my relationship with God. Maybe that comes from the Sunday School lessons of my childhood. It's necessary to provide Biblical accounts in a way that children can understand, but do we keep God at that same distance in our adult understanding?

He's here. In the simple and the profound. In the things I think I understand and those I don't. When I'm feeling 'on top of the world' and when I'm completely 'under the weather.' He doesn't simply want to observe my life, He wants to provide all the direction and guidance in each little thing that actually brings significant meaning. Even in the "nothing much" moments.