Consulting
the Lord every moment of the day allows us to walk beside Him, to connect with Him
in our spirit, and to rely on His strength, so that we are never shaken
regardless of our circumstances (Psalm 16:8; Proverbs 3:5-6).
God's
Word admonishes us to deny our self, to daily take up our cross, and to follow
God's direction for our life (Matthew 16:24-26). God reminds us to deny our
sinful thoughts and behavior, but to care for our legitimate needs (Mark
6:31-32; Matthew 15:32).
When
we center our spirit and soul on God alone, everything falls into place for us
(Jeremiah 17:7-8). He directs us in the path that we should follow (Proverbs
16:9), which includes caring for our own mental, physical, emotional and
spiritual health.
God
actually advises us to take care of our self (1 Kings 19:1-8). If we care for
our self, we often feel selfish. Yet, if we do not care for our own needs, the
chances are that no one else will either. We eventually get run down and
resentful, our energy is depleted, and we are drowning in negative emotions.
Believers
often agree to help in every ministry in the church, and to give to everyone in
need; however, this is not always God's will for our life. Instead, He calls us
to specific events and opportunities, as we continually walk by His Spirit's
direction in the middle of His will.
Our
intimate relationship with God's Trinity is our most fulfilling bond. This
association alone makes all of our other needs less demanding and important to
us. We find refreshment for our body, soul and spirit as we walk according to
God's plan for us (Mark 1:35).
Prayer:
Father
God, thank You for Your unfailing love for us. Help us to allow Your Spirit to
incorporate all of Your fruit into our life (Galatians 5:22-23). We want to
live as Your ambassadors with the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,
because this is of great worth to You. A Godly attitude promotes our witness to
all of those around us (1 Peter 3:4). Remind us that if we do not care for our
personal needs, then resentment, bitterness and anger will move in and destroy
our testimony for You.
We
do not want to follow the dictates of this sin-filled world, but to allow You
to transform our mind until we live in the center of Your will for us (Romans
12:2). Keep our soul balanced by reminding us to focus our thoughts and
behavior on whatever is pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy
(Philippians 4:8). Please keep us in good health in our body, soul and spirit as You conform us to the image of Your Son (Romans 8:29; 3 John 1:2).
Thought
for the Day:
Our
body was created as the Temple of God's Holy Spirit, and He dwells in our
spirit continually; we are not our own, because Jesus bought us through His
shed blood; therefore, we are called to honor God with and through our body,
soul and spirit.
-
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
