Enjoying the Mind of Christ

When two people enjoy the benefits of having the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5), we have the ability and wisdom to maintain a loving, peaceful and joyful relationship. We passionately pursue God's will for both our lives each moment of every day.

When we seek the Lord together, we tap into His power and purpose for our association. We reject worldly pressures, viewpoints and values, and walk in the Spirit instead (Romans 12:2; Galatians 5:15-25). We consult the Lord and walk in God's will for each moment of our day (Ephesians 2:10; Proverbs 3:5-8).

Jesus, fully man and fully God, helps us to see that humility, serving each other, and preferring one another above our self is God's call on our life (Philippians 2:6-8). He showed us what is good, and what God requires of us.

God calls us to live justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8). By God's mercy, we present our body to Him as a living sacrifice. As our spiritual worship to Him, our life is progressively more holy and acceptable to Him (Romans 12:1).

We do not conform to this world's philosophy and standards, but we allow God's Spirit to transform us after Jesus' example (Philippians 2:1-11). We live in His wisdom and power with His fruit replacing our carnality.

We adopt Jesus' values, viewpoint and way of thinking as our own. Although Jesus was equal with God, He lived in obedience to our Father God during His whole life, including His death on Calvary's cross (Philippians 2:6-8).

We also show our love to God by obeying His will for our life (John 14:15). We imitate Christ in our thoughts, which influences our emotions, behavior and spirituality.

We daily drink in the Word of God and apply it to our life, pray together with our spouse and/or family, actively listen to their needs and concerns, and focus on God's will for us individually and collectively.

Other benefits of having the mind of Christ is that we slow down, live in the present rather than feeling shame over our past or fearing the future, actively listen to others, and love and care for people as Jesus did during His lifetime.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that when we live in humility, not neglecting our self but not constantly putting our self first, our relationships improve and our witness to the world around us is amplified as we magnify Jesus with our thoughts, words and actions. With Christ abiding in us, we forgive more easily, love the unlovable, help to heal the broken-hearted and to set captives free (Luke 4:18-19).

Help us to dedicate our time, energy, resources, and talents as a sacrifice to You, fully pleasing You with our dedication to Your will, and not seeking our own goals and dreams. We make Christ our whole life as we walk in your spirit at home, in our vocation, in our church family and in our community (Colossians 3:3-4). Thank You for giving us Your Spirit to transform us, sanctify us and to give us the mind of Christ.

Thought for the Day:

Putting on the mind of Christ in every situation that we face allows us to walk in the Spirit in the center of God's will for each moment of our day; we are surrendering to His will rather than our own will, walking out our sanctification by the hand of God's Spirit, and looking forward to our glorification as we abide in God's presence now and throughout eternity.

Trust the Lord with all Your Heart

When we pursue God, He gives us His abundant and eternal life both now and forever. We seek first His Kingdom, and trust that He will continually supply all of our needs (Matthew 6:33; Proverbs 3:9-10).

When we surrender our soul - our thoughts, emotions and choices - to God, we gradually learn to depend on Him, not only in emergencies, but each moment of our day. 

When we consult Him first, He levels our path, brings mountains low, and abundantly blesses us (Psalm 5:8, 25:4, 25:9, 27:11, 86:11). He helps us to pursue His righteousness, peace, joy, faith and love with a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22).

We know that He is sovereign, wise and powerful; but for some reason, we live like He is our safety net, rather than our Lord and King (Romans 11:33). We often fear that we will not like His plans for us, and we are afraid that we cannot trust Him to keep us happy.

Trauma and disappointments encourage us to attempt to control life. We want to keep our self safe, so we try to direct people, places, and events. When we make our own plans, and trust in our self, we end up frustrated and side-tracked most of the time

In order to trust God, we have to realize that His ways and plans are infinite, and so much higher than our finite goals. Next, we hand Him the reigns of our life and follow His directions in each moment of time.

His Spirit is our counselor and teaches us all things (John 14:26). His Word encourages us to trust in the Lord with our whole heart, and not to lean on our human understanding (Proverbs 3:5-8).

Living in the will of God teaches us to disregard our human plans and resources and to totally trust God instead. We enter God's rest (Hebrews 4:10) and view life's challenges through the eyes of Christ in us (Galatians 2:20).

Prayer:

Father God, the stresses of this life muddle up our relationship with You. Remind us to submit to and to trust in Your leadership over our day. Transform the desires of our flesh, the lusts of our eyes, and the pride of our life (1 John 2:16) with the fruit of Your Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Help us to lay aside our goals, cease from our works, and accomplish Your perfect plans for us instead (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Teach us to hide Your Word in our heart, so we do not sin against You (Psalm 119:11). Help us to remember that we do not earn Your blessings, because they are Your free gift to Your authentic Believers. We do not want to consider our self as wise, but we want to avoid sin and honor You with our thoughts, words and actions (Proverbs 3:7-8). 

Thought for the Day:

God gives us His loving kindness with each new morning. As we lift up each moment to Him, He teaches us His ways, and shows us how and where to walk (Psalm 143:8); therefore, we leave our suffering, problems and thoughts in His capable hands. - Psalm 55:17

God's Rest is the Best - Part Four

Residing in God's rest is accomplished from moment to moment throughout our day. Our choices determine whether or not we abide in God's rest (Hebrews 4:1-10). If we step out of God's will, we forfeit His peace, and we walk away from His place of rest (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

We can also lose our place in God's rest by the thoughts we entertain and by the negative emotions that we allow to rule in our life. God gave us negative emotions as a red flag to help us to discern that we are neglecting our needs, but they are not to rule our thoughts and influence our decisions.

As long as God remains as the focus of our heart, and we determine not to rebel against His direction for our day, we will not slip out of our place in God's rest.

Our position in God's rest is determined from one act of obedience or disobedience to the next. If we walk outside of God's will, we slip from grace and we invite turmoil to reign in our soul.

God gives His grace to the humble, but He resists the proud (Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5; Isaiah 66:1-2). If we insist on living life our own way, through our human resources and understanding by making our own decision, we forfeit the chance to reside in God's rest.

Often, we do not appreciate the importance of living in the rest of God - the place where our body, soul and spirit function in optimal capacity.

We inherited Adam and Eve's penchant for missing the mark of God's best. Unless we realize that without God we are nothing, then we may have fleeting success, but it is not fulfilling for very long.

If we make a point not to allow busyness, anxiety and stress to overcome us, and to pray about everything with thanksgiving, then the peace of God will guard our thoughts and emotions through Christ in us (Philippians 4:6-7).

Prayer:

Father God, You created the earth and all that is in it, and then rested on the seventh day. Remind us of the value of living in that same rest. You have completed Your work, and all things are under Your control; so we can rest in Your will for each moment of our day (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-10). No matter what life throws at us, You give us relief from the suffering and turmoil. You keep us in perfect peace as we trust in You and unwaveringly focus our mind on You (Isaiah 14:3, 26:3).

Give us the wings of doves, so that we can fly away and be at rest (Psalm 55:6). Give us the sweetness of a good night of sleep and make us to live in safety (Psalm 4:8). Only in Your presence can we find true rest for our body, soul and spirit (Exodus 33:14). Remind us to remain in Your rest by ceasing from our striving to do good works, and to walk instead in Your perfect will for each moment of our life (Hebrews 4:9-11).

Thought for the Day:

God invites us to come to Him in our weary and burdened state, so that He can give us rest; He offers to allow us to yoke up with Him, so that He can help us to carry His easy and light burdens, and so we can walk in step with His will for our life. - Matthew 11:28-30

Improving Our Relationships

When we experience conflict in this world (John 16:33), we can change our focus about it, stop blaming other people, and realize that we have the full power of the Trinity of God abiding within us. Every situation is a growing experience for us.

Rather than clawing our way to the top of the food chain, we can release our desire to struggle, to defend our self, and to make our point, by trusting that God is in control and gives us hope and a blessed future (Jeremiah 29:11).

We attempt to understand the other person's viewpoint, champion their causes, support their endeavors, and defend their option to experience those things without having the need to control them of the outcome.

We do not need to reap the consequences of their behavior. We can always make our own choices once they make theirs. First, we analyze why their decision bothers us, why it makes us fearful and insecure, and what we can do to avoid their consequences.

Does their decision make us feel abandoned, excluded, insecure, neglected, etc? If so, we can make an appointment with them during a calm, stress-free part of the day to discuss how we feel. Hopefully, they will take our needs into consideration too.

They may be agreeable to finding an option we can both live with that does not demand more compromise from one of us than from the other. It will help if we discover some answers to questions like these:

        What core need is driving their decision and our uncertainty? Can we meet our own need and give them the freedom to follow their instincts? This allows us to be sensitive to their needs without contributing to our own doubts and stress.

We realize that God knows the truth of what happened, so we can stop fighting with others, allowing them to make their own decisions and giving them a peaceful environment where they are less defensive, calmer, and freer to be who God created them to be.

Prayer:

Father God, You are the ultimate peace-maker and You gave us to the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). Sometimes, we cannot make peace with a person or group, and they refuse to reformulate a loving and caring reciprocal relationship. Remind us that we can agree to disagree with them, and to keep the relationship at arm's length until it can be restored.

You sent us Jesus to die for us and to give us all the opportunity to exercise our free will. We do not have to live in a one-sided environment where we are neglected, abused, falsely accused and abandoned. You taught me that we can allow others to make their choices and then we can make our own decisions that are right for our life.

Thought for the Day:

Recognizing each other's strengths and having compassion on each other's weaknesses will go a long way in restoring and promoting peace and joy in our relationship; this helps us to find a happy medium that we can both agree with, and teaches us tolerance of our differences.

A Good Marriage - Apologize and Forgive

When two imperfect people join their lives together and attempt to forge one union under God, there will be issues. Individual preferences, differing world views, mental and emotional strengths and weaknesses, etc. all play a part in how we get along.

One of the key ingredients in a good marriage is to learn to freely forgive and to honestly apologize. Growing together in Christ will enable any couple to unite is spirit and soul, as well as in body.

If we are unwilling to encourage one another's differences and to blend together in as many areas as possible, then a war can break out that leaves bitterness and resentment in its wake.

Some couples make the choice not to grow in unity, but to pursue their own hobbies, interests and preferences. Some even choose to disregard each other's needs and desires. They disavow their marital pledge to put each other first.

They foolishly decide to allow their choices to pull them apart rather than to attract them to each other. They fail to make time in their schedule for one another, viewing all of their other commitments as more important.

Once they realize the imprudence of these choices, they can honestly apologize and forgive one another. This enables them to schedule time together, to try new hobbies together, and to pursue other interests together in order to find activities that they can enjoy as a couple.

As each partner walks in the Spirit every moment of the day, they have compatible ideas, prefer one another, respect each other's differences, and have compassion on each other's weaknesses. 

God provides us with everything that we need in order to live a godly life and to dwell together in unity. His Spirit regenerates our spirit and sanctifies our soul, so that we can adopt the divine nature of God as our own (2 Peter 1:3-4).

Prayer:

Father God, the human psyche is so frail and so easily wounded. Help us to treat each other as we want to be treated. Caution us not to marry someone that has needs and ideas that are extremely divergent from our own. Help our main goal each day to be to bless one another in any way that we possibly can.

Remind us to follow Your Spirit's leading when we choose a mate. Then, help us to find ways to continually bless one another, to meld together in unity, and to serve You together with our life. We want to be a team that will humbly minister Your love, mercy and compassion to one another.

Thought for the Day:
Following God's direction on who to marry will help us not to reap the consequences of our unwise decision by experiencing the curse of being unequally yoked with the wrong person; however, at times, God will lead us to marry a challenging person in order to help them to heal, and to cause us to rely on Him, rather than on another human being.

God's Transforming Power

When we suffer trauma as a child, we comprehend it from a child's perspective. If we suppress or dissociate from the memory, we never process the event as an adult. Part of our soul is trapped with that memory in our subconscious mind.

This memory affects our every waking moment, and adds fuel to the emotions we experience during episodes in our adult life. If we take our current negative emotions to God, we often remember the event and find healing for our soul then and now.

 https://www.facebook.com/TransformationPrayerMinistry/ 

People who inflict us with pain in our childhood are human. Most of them are doing the best they can with the wounds from their past, as well as with their limited resources. They never got healed from their trauma, so they unwittingly inflict their wounds on us.

Some people, however, are simply carnal and depraved. They find joy in bullying, harming and hurting other people, especially innocent children who cannot fight back or protect themselves. We can find God's grace to forgive these people too.

Every crime ever perpetrated in this world came from an evil choice by a sinful person. We often blame God for the bad experiences we are forced to live with; but these negative circumstances came, not from God, but from a wounded person.

As wounded people, we often unwittingly hurt our children and others in our life. We also grow up neglecting our self, believing we are unlovable, and attempting to please others, so they will love us. We adopt codependent behavior trying to win approval and love.

Our life is a gift from God. When we take our pain to Him, He heals us, and then uses our past experiences for us to help other people (Luke 22:31-34). He teaches us to trust only in Him, and to walk in His perfect plans for us (Proverbs 3:5-6; Ephesians 2:10).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for preventing Satan from triumphing over us. He comes to steal, kill and destroy; but You have all authority over him (John 10:10; James 4:7). Show us how to step out from the shadow of fear and insecurity, and to walk in Your Light (1 John 1:7). Help us to face the truth of our past and to forgive or make amends to those who were a part of it (Matthew 6:14).

This freedom allows us to walk in the glorious light of Your redemption to the fullest degree. Fill us through our entire being with all of Your fullness, and give us the richest measure of Your presence in our union with You (Ephesians 3:15-19, Amplified Bible); so that we can walk in Your Spirit and reap Your blessings both now and throughout eternity.

Thought for the Day:

When we trust only in the Lord, He binds up our wounds, as He heals our shame, grief, frustration, resentment, anger, etc; and He offers us His yoke so that He may help us in our weakness to carry our heavy burdens. 

- Matthew 11:28, 6:33

He is Always on My Mind

Have you ever gone through a day without thinking of God one time? We get so wrapped up in our responsibilities and busyness that we can spare no thought for our Savior, Lord and King.

The Bible advises us to “‘Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul and with ALL your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38).

Moses loved God with His whole heart, soul and mind. He had an anger problem, which distorted His ability to always follow God's directives, but He put aside His own desires and lived out God's purpose for His life, calling God "My Song" (Exodus 15:2).

After God opened a path of dry land through the water to deliver the Israelites from the Egyptian army, the people celebrated God's salvation with abandon. They could not contain their joy, so they burst out with singing and dancing.

If God is our song and deliverer (Psalm 18:2, 40:3), how can we contain our self from bursting out in songs of praise to Him, in both ordinary times and extraordinary times, for His wonderful redemption in our life (Galatians 4:1)?

In the past, our spirit was dead from the sin we inherited from Adam and Eve. Through Salvation, God totally exchanges our carnal mindset with His spiritual one, including the righteousness of Christ. This allows us to center our focus on Christ all day long.

God allows us to fellowship with Him every moment of every day as we pray without ceasing at home, work, school, shopping trips, waiting in lines, etc. He is the light of our life (1 John 3:2-3; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 4:6, 16).

He is the only focal point of any religion who actually came down to earth to call us to Himself. All other religions have to earn their way to holiness, but God's holy Son gave His life as a free gift of salvation to anyone willing to humble their pride and believe.

Now…that’s worth singing about.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for giving us Jesus as our life (Colossians 3:3-4), the substance of our faith, and the reality of our hope. You bless us so much throughout the day that we cannot contain our joy and gratitude. We break out in songs in our heart all day long in praise to You. Not only for what You do for us, but also because of who You are.

We praise You as our Advocate (1 John 2:1), Bread of Life (John 6:35), Bridegroom (Isaiah 62:56), bright Morning Star (Revelations 22:14), Light of the World (John 8:12), Merciful Redeemer (Job 19:25, Jeremiah 3:12), our Deliverer (Romans 11:26), our Way, Truth and Life (John 14:6), our High Priest forever (Hebrews 6:20), our Savior and Lord (Luke 2:11, Acts 10:36), and our one and only God who is With Us and in us, both now and always (Isaiah 7:14; Galatians 2:20).

Thought for the Day:

Jesus gave us a new covenant with God that provides us with infallible, eternal security in Him; through His crucifixion, death and resurrection we have peace that rises above our human understanding, joy that is indescribable, and unconditional love that is everlasting.

Confrontation is Beneficial for Relationships

Confrontation is important for the health of relationships. That sounds absurd, but it is true. Jesus was not afraid of conflict, and had them all the time with various people. He spoke the truth in love. We will not win any popularity contests, but we will make true friends.

Confrontations are not loud expressions of frustration or anger, but mild, kind and loving conversations. We must also be willing to lay down our pride and allow others to speak into our life as well - eager to change any inconsistencies or sins that we cannot see on our own.

Rather than withdrawing in disgust and repeating some pious platitude to make the other person feel better about their choices, we can pray about the issue, and then lovingly tell them what the Spirit tells us to say to them.

The experts say that "truth in its first form is always negative". Therefore, a loved one may get upset with us for what we say. We do have to be careful not to share our own opinions, values and perspective, but to clearly hear God's truth for each situation.

The Lord may want us to pray and not to speak; but at other times, He will want us to share His truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). We will definitely improve a person's life by sharing the truth, and we may even heal relationships and improve our rapport with them.

When our mate, friend, child, family member, acquaintance or a random stranger comes to us for advice, and they confide in us about some conviction by God that they are experiencing, then speaking the truth in love is much more valuable for him/her than pacifying them or minimizing what they are feeling.

We do not judge, belittle or criticize each other, because we have our own foibles and idiosyncrasies too.  However, when we aid each other in our walk with the Lord, by kindly pointing out behavior in their life that is inconsistent with God's Word, we do them a favor.

God will teach us throughout our lifetime how to develop spiritual bonds with people. We build a friendship that will weather any storm, help us to grown mentally, emotionally and spiritually, as well as last throughout eternity.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that, at times, another person's behavior is a response to our behavior. We may be the cause of their attitude or outburst. So, rather than judging or criticizing them, we can interact with them and help them to discover what thoughts or emotions instigated their words or behavior. Teach us that listening to another's heart will go a long way in improving our responses to each other.

Help us to have a heart like melted butter, full of empathy and compassion, rather than defending our self during conflicts. We may want to explain why we acted as we did, but remind us to do that after we apologize and show understanding for their feelings. We thank You for the people that You place in our life, and we praise You with all of our heart for Your presence. Great is Your mercy, compassion and deliverance toward us (Psalm 86:13).

Thought for the Day:

A lack of disagreement in a relationship causes more problems than conflict, and we actually help one another through honest communication; when we start by allowing God's Spirit to exchange His fruit for our carnal pride, resentment, inactivity, codependency, and self-centeredness, this will go a long way in improving our connection with other people. - Galatians 5:22-23  

The Temple of God

What a glorious concept to consider that our human body is the temple of God's Holy Spirit. God bought us with Jesus' blood so that He may abide within us, making us a place of worship and adoration. God challenges us to glorify Him with our body (1 Corinthians 6:10-20).

This does not give us a license to act as God's policemen and run around attempting to convict people to stop using their body for immoral and unhealthy practices (1 Corinthians 9:27; Titus 1:5-16; 1 Timothy 3:1-13).

This is simply a caution to judge our own behavior and to submit to the sanctifying work of God's Spirit within us. God does not want to abide in a temple full of the dirt and filth of this world.

God always holds us accountable for our behavior (Hebrews 9:27); however, He gives us His mercy and His Spirit who gives us a spiritual sweeper to remove the spider webs of sin and the hairballs of unrighteousness, which contaminate our temple (Romans 6:13, 12:1).

God rested on the seventh day, and Jesus frequently spent time alone to commune with our Father. If we push our body to use its reserve energy every day, we harm our self now, shorten our life, and limit what we have the energy to do for other people.

However, as we yield our body, soul and spirit to the Trinity to use for the glory of God and to further His Kingdom in the earth, we reap more blessings than we can ever imagine. We care for our needs and the needs of others as we walk in the Spirit all day long.

Self-care gives us a deeper, truer, more intuitive relationship with our self as a child of God. We minister to our self in the same way that we minister to others. This is not anti-Biblical or selfish; it is healthy and nurturing.

We genuinely care about our self, forgive our mistakes and negligence of our self, as we submit to God's Spirit. He changes us from one stage of glorious freedom in Christ to the next. We give God all the glory for who we are and what we are becoming.

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to draw aside from the hustle and bustle of life in order to spend time alone with You. Then, we need to do something that will refresh our soul, in order for us to have the energy to minister to others. Help us to re-evaluate our life-choices and to live according to Your principles and precepts.

Motivate us to live only according to Your will for our life, and to make our habits line up according to Your desires. Help us to live in the center of Your perfect plans for each new day. We do not want sin or burnout out our soul, which would prevent our usefulness for Your Kingdom.

Thought for the Day:

God calls us to walk on the narrow road that leads to life, and to use self-discipline to enable us to enter the narrow door (Luke 13:24); Godliness is of value to us in every way; but to destroy our body will bring nothing but grief (1 Timothy 4:8; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

Why Make Plans?

We often experience times when our plans do not work out, or our expectations and goals are not fulfilled. We constantly have to make new plans and goals. Sometimes, we make huge modifications in our life in order to meet what we perceive as our needs.

We can avoid this frustration and disappointment by walking in the Spirit, and by following God's perfect plan for us each moment of the day (Ephesians 2:10). We make Jesus the focus of our whole life (Colossians 3:3-4).

It just takes practice and the patience to listen instead of think.

God actually upsets the plans of nations, and hinders the strategies of people in order to encourage us to walk in His ways (Psalm 33:10). He has our best interest in His heart.

Only the plans of the Lord will come to pass and last (Proverbs 19:21). As we consult the Lord each moment of the day (Proverbs 3:5-6), His counsel will remain for eternity and the purposes of His heart will continue through every new generation (Psalm 33:11).

God made the ultimate plan for the whole world, and He keeps His hand involved in every individual's life through every generation in all the nations (Isaiah 14:26). He even tells us what to say, if we seek His direction before we utter a word (Proverbs 16:1).

We may have hopes and desires, but we surrender them to the Lord who controls our steps (Proverbs 16:9). While we praise the Lord in every circumstance, His Spirit directs our steps and keeps us from making mistakes that we will regret (Psalm 37:23). 

God knows the end from the beginning. He does not live in time, but in eternity, and He sees every event that ever occurred on this earth all at one time (Isaiah 46:10). We cannot stop the Lord's purposes, so why not join Him. He is our faithful companion.

Prayer:

Father God, Your plans are set in stone, and we cannot change them (Isaiah 14:27). You ordained the life of every person before we were ever born (Ephesians 2:20). Your plans are for our good; and as we accept them, rather than trying to live our own life, You work out every issue for our ultimate blessing (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28).

We suffer fewer trials in the center of Your will, and chance or luck or karma has nothing to do with the events that we experience. We find pure joy, peace and love in Your ways. You care about every single aspect of our life, and we give You praise for Your mercy and grace toward us every moment of every day.

Thought for the Day:

God judges each individual, and allows us to reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7-8), because He does not make idle threats, but He means what He says in His Word (Jeremiah 44:9); in both the good times and the bad, He is faithful to meet all of our needs as we seek Him and His Kingdom above all else on this earth (Matthew 6:33).

God's Glorious Pursuit of Us

I am moved to tears of joy during the multitude of times that God "hugs" me all throughout the day. Several times each hour, He gives me a thought, reminds me of an event, and fills my garden with butterflies - thanks to my "gardening" angels who provided my flowers.

He constantly arranges the numbers on the clock to give me a message when I glance at it. Numbers have meanings that apply to our life. See this post: http://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/introduction.html 

At other times, He causes a heart shaped leaf to flutter down at my feet, places a praying mantis on my window screen, or has a flower growing up through a crack in the sidewalk when I pass by. He loves each of us in our own way.

His hugs come in various sizes and shapes through music, nature, people, neighborhood happenings, work-related events, divine appointments that He arranges for us, etc. If we are too busy to notice, we miss these loving incidences that He planned just for us.

God pursues our love and attention all day long. We rarely recognize His hugs, however, because we are too busy focusing on the mundane tasks at work, home, church, community and in our social calendar. We live for our own dreams and goals instead of His (Ephesians 2:10).

If we pay attention, He enables us to hear and feel His presence in our life through His Spirit within us. We can experience the joy, peace and blessings of living, moving and having our being in him alone, and we actually notice His immense loving kindness (Acts 17:28).

Once Christ is our whole life, glorious times of intimacy with God's Trinity are more and more frequent (Colossians 3:3-4). Of course, we do not neglect family, work, church and community outreach, but we accomplish all of this through God's guidance.

Prayer:

Father God, we cannot fathom that You, the God of the entire universe, care about each and every one of us so intimately that You will give us meaningful hugs throughout the entire day and night. The immensity of Your love for us overwhelms us with joy and peace.

Remind us that You have a determined purpose and wondrous plans for the life of every one of Your dear children. We are extensions of Christ on this earth, because He abides within us (John 14:12). Help us to focus on spiritual matters rather than carnal, heavenly instead of earthly, and infinite thoughts and pursuits in the place of finite ones (Galatians 5:15-25).

Thought for the Day:

The goal of the Christian life is to do everything, even including what we eat and drink, for God's glory and according to the direction of His Holy Spirit within us.

- 1 Corinthians 10:31; Galatians 5:25 

A Balanced Life

Negative emotions, such as depression, trigger a negative downward spiral that often makes us want to quit on life. Doctors are discovering a link between our soul's emotions and the health of our bodily organs.

Our attitude about life reflects in our face, posture and body language. Also, when we suffer physical, mental or emotional trauma, the pain triggers reactions equally in our body and soul. This affects our passion, joy, peace, and interactions with other people, as well as our empathy for our self and others.

Negative emotions are stored in our body, if we do not release them in positive ways, such as: sharing with a trusted friend, journaling, and taking our disappointments, betrayal, broken promises, etc. to the Lord for His resolution, we will suffer.

Our illnesses and lack of nutrients reflect the chemical unbalance in our body. Even the cleanliness and organization of our car's interior and exterior, our home and yard, etc. mirror the clutter present in our soul.

Our discernment, thoughts and emotions show us areas where we are neglecting our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs. We may be harboring shame, bitterness, anger, etc. and we need to forgive our self and others.

Our hormones, adrenaline, endorphins and cortisol are all affected by our negative thoughts and emotions, which causes physical depletion and imbalance. A lack of emotional support from our self and others actually damages our body and soul.

When our heart is feelings conflict with the analytical thoughts of our mind, we may feel confused, hopeless, depressed, anxious and stressed, etc., which also causes deficiencies in our body and soul - mind, emotions and choices.

Other people have their own needs and agenda. We cannot expect them to drop their priorities and meet our needs. The only way to really feel loved and accepted and provided for is to come to God. Then, joy, peace, contentment and fulfillment flood our soul.

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to come to You to ask for forgiveness of our sins, to daily trust in and rely on You, and to look to You and to our self to meet our needs, rather than to other people. This helps us to feel hopeful and refreshed on a daily basis. Remind us to love our self, so that we can love others according to the direction of Your Holy Spirit.

Help us to inventory and find the root cause of all of our negative emotions, to come to You for healing, and to reach outside of our self to minister to others as a source of joy for us. Help us to learn that we do not need to wait for others to approach us; we can reach out to them as Your Spirit leads us, even to people we do not know. We rejoice in the beauty of Your creation and the wisdom You give us to create beauty as well.

Thought for the Day:

A discrepancy between our body and soul causes illness both in our soul and in our body; when we stop criticizing our self, then forgive our self, and begin to consistently meet our own needs or to ask for help, then our body stops punishing us by attacking us with health issues.

Continual Filling of God's Spirit

Theologians tell us that the Spirit of God has seven aspects. I did some research on this topic and found some interesting thoughts. They divide them into the Spirit…of the Lord, of Wisdom, of Understanding, of Counsel, of Strength, of Knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2; Exodus 31:3; John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Ephesians 1:17).

Once we are Born Again (John 3:3), God's Spirit abides within us (1 Corinthians 12:7), and gives us the mind of the Lord (1 Corinthians 2:16). The Spirit of the Lord is our witness that Christ abides within us (1 John 4:13; Ephesians 1:13-14), and He gives us God's thoughts and power (Luke 11:11-13).

Without God's Spirit in us, we are an empty shell (2 Timothy 3:5). God lights the candle of our spirit (Proverbs 20:7), and we are united for eternity with Him by His Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17). Our life is transformed, and we follow God's plan for each moment of the day (2 Corinthians 3:18).

We no longer rely on our human abilities and understanding, but we walk in the Spirit and are filled with His fruit (Galatians 5:15-25). We walk in God's extraordinary plans for us (1 Corinthians 12:31). His love flows into, and then out of us, filling us with its fullness (Romans 5:5).

Paul exhorts us to allow God's Spirit to fill us, so that we speak to ourselves in "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our heart to the Lord". Paul makes it clear that we are continually filled through our entire being with God's Spirit (Ephesians 5:18-19).

God's Spirit is a spring of living water filing us from within and giving us gifts to use in our ministry for the Lord on earth (John 4:14; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11). His joy fills our soul - our thoughts, feelings and choices - (Acts 13:52), and we walk in the Spirit every moment of our life.

Prayer:

Father God, help us to abide in Your presence continually, so that Your Spirit may prompt our thoughts, words and deeds to follow Your perfect plans for our life (Ephesians 2:10). We want to be transformed into Jesus' image in all of our thoughts and actions. We enjoy Your company all through the day, and we love conversing with You and enjoying Your companionable silence as we wait on You.

By Your Spirit in us, You remove the idols in our life, which we seek and love more than You. One at a time, you cleanse us from sharing our affections with anyone other than You (Colossians 3:2-17). We come to the place where we trust in and rely on no one but You. We enjoy our intimate fellowship with You all through the day and night (John 15:4-5; 2 Corinthians 13:14).

Thought for the Day:

Fully depending on God alone, entering His rest (Hebrews 4:10), continually consulting Him in each moment of time (Proverbs 3:5-6), and waiting on Him to renew our strength (Isaiah 40:31), allows us to be continually filled with His Spirit.

Overcoming Negative Emotions

At times, we tend to discount our soul, and minimize our thoughts and feelings, or stuff them into the recesses of our subconscious mind. We hide from God's Truth. We take cover behind a false facade to feel safe and to impress other people.

That is why taking a searching inventory of our whole being is a discipline worth cultivating. What negative emotions are fueling our thoughts and behavior; how is our body reacting to our circumstances; how are our unresolved inner conflicts affecting us and our relationships?

When we get to know our soul - our thoughts, emotions and choices - we discover what we are really hoping for, thinking about and feeling on the deepest levels. This helps us to better understand why we say and act in certain ways.

Journaling is a great tool to help us discover the root of our issues, and to ask God to help us resolve them. He offers us an intimate, personal relationship with Himself that starts at Salvation and lasts throughout eternity.

The challenge in receiving God's care is for us to develop a deeper personal relationship with Him, at the same time that we get in touch with our own soul - our real, inner core and identity. God has a perfect plan for our whole life in body, spirit and soul.

Jesus is poised to deliver us from the bondage of every negative emotion and circumstance in our life, as He brings us astounding joy that is beyond words and full of His glory (1 Peter 1:8). As we humble our self and ask for their help, others are often ready, willing and able to come alongside of us and help.

Prayer partners aid us in carrying our burdens (Galatians 6:2). The strengths of our spouse, best friend, parents, workmate, extended family, etc. often help us to overcome our weaknesses; as does our union with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for sending Jesus to give us Your abundant life (John 10:10). You give us hope and peace and a life that is full of blessings, as we walk in Your ways and follow Your Spirit's direction during each moment of it. Jesus is our life and our light through every trial that we ever face (John 1:4).

Thank You for forgiving our sins and allowing us to receive Jesus' sacrifice for our redemption, so that we can continue to live in Him, with His presence in us. You grafted us to the Vine of Christ, and we are built up in Him as He strengthens our faith. We overflow with gratitude to You for Your plan, purpose and provision for our life (Colossians 2:6-7).

Thought for the Day:

As we abide in Christ with a heart full of praise and gratitude, He gives us purpose, meaning, peace and joy in this life now, as well as the hope and reassurance of eternity with Him in the new heaven and new earth. - 2 Peter 3:12-13

A Living Example of Christ

What type of an example are we? Are we an illustration of an authentic Believer, a carnal Christian, or a person still steeped in sin (1 John 1:8)? Do we pattern our life after Jesus and seek His Kingdom first, or are we wrapped up in our own goals and desires? (1 Thessalonians 1:7; Hebrews 10:26)

If we ask Him to, God will create a pure and holy heart in us, and draw us into a more intimate union with Him. He will teach us how to walk in His Spirit and how not to fulfill the passions of our carnal nature (Psalm 51:10; Galatians 5:15-25).

As we obey our Heavenly Father, we avoid all of the trials of our own-making caused by our choices outside of His will for us. If we walk in the Spirit, He will keep us in the center of God's perfect plans (Ephesians 2:10), and we come to appreciate His presence within us.

As authentic Believers, we are called by God to live as an example of holiness and heavenly-minded pursuits. Paul guides us to live as an illustration of Godly conduct in thought, word, emotions, deeds, love, faith and purity (1 Timothy 4:12).

He also challenges us, even as we see spiritual maturity in our character and habits, to continue to mindfully engage in studying God's Word, encouraging fellow Saints, and boldly proclaiming what Jesus did and is still doing for us (1 Timothy 4:13-15).

We live by faith in what we cannot see (Hebrews 6:1); and we do not rely on our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9). We trust the Trinity within us, and we focus on doing only the will of God (Ephesians 2:8-10). We look forward to our rewards in Heaven (Ephesians 2:7), rather than storing up earthly treasures (Luke 12:33).

When we wake up, we want Satan to quake in His boots, because He knows authentic Believers are a united army against his kingdom. We purpose in our heart, all day long, to focus on God first and only; then He will lead us to make a difference in our world (Matthew 5:14, 6:33).

Prayer:

Father God, we do not want to live for our self, pursuing our dreams, goals and plans. As pilgrims, sojourners and aliens on this earth, we know our life here is temporary and transitory. We want to focus on Your will and Kingdom instead (1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 11:13). Using human reasoning and wisdom thwarts Your plans for us, so we ask for daily wisdom from above to guide our steps.

We know that moths and rust will destroy our earthly treasures, and we cannot take them with us into eternity; however, as You remind us to store up treasures in heaven, they will bless us forever (Mathew 6:19-20). Your steadfast love is more wonderful than words can express, and we appreciate Your peace and joy now and always.

Thought for the Day:

As we obey the Lord, and follow His plans for us to further His Kingdom, we live as benevolent and compassionate Saints, ready to share what we have with those in need, and storing up for our self a secure foundation for eternity, so we can obtain that which is actually our true life. - 1 Timothy 6:18-19

Walking in New Life

Much of our relationship with God is a mystery (Ephesians 3:17). How can the three persons of the Trinity be only one God? How did Jesus raise from the dead and return to Heaven in physical form? How can the Trinity abide within us through Christ in us? (Colossians 1:27, Galatians 2:20)

Although these are mysteries, authentic Believers daily experience life with the actual presence of Christ in us, who brings with Him eternal life for all who believe in Him (Romans 8:10; Act 17:28; Galatians 2:20, 4:19; 2 Corinthians 13:5).

Trusting in anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ for salvation, now and in eternity, is useless. Accessing His character and nature is only a prayer away. All of His love, compassion, wisdom, mercy, strength and power reside with Him in us as well. 

Salvation comes by His name alone (Acts 4:12). Union with Christ brings the entire Godhead into our spirit too (Colossians 2:9). Jesus redeems us, and also gives us His righteousness in exchange for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21).

We die to sin and are raised to walk in a new life (Colossians 2:12). His Spirit sanctifies us from one stage of glory to the next (2 Corinthians 3:18), His joy is our constant strength (Nehemiah 8:10), and His love is unconditional and consuming.

Jesus is the sovereign ruler, not only of the universe, but also over our life. He is actually our whole life (Colossians 3:3-4), and nothing else ever truly satisfies us. As we submit to His will for each moment of our day, we live in freedom from fear and other negative emotions.

God works out every situation in our life, both trials and blessings, for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28). He walks in us through every minute of pain and trauma, encouraging us by His love, joy and peace, as He rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17).

Prayer:

Father God, thank You that our fellowship is with You through Your Son (1 John 1:3). Israel is Your chosen nation, but we can never thank You enough for opening Your heart to the rest of the world as well (John 3:16-17). We are so grateful that You set us apart for Your glory both now and forevermore. 

Your presence in Your people is a mystery that we accept by faith in Your faithfulness. We look forward to seeing Jesus face-to-face, and to spend eternity serving You and building up Your Kingdom. We look forward to escaping the confines, degradation and heartbreak of this world, and dwelling with You in Your Paradise for eternity (Luke 23:43).

Thought for the Day:

Focusing our mind on Christ in us allows us to rise above the limitations of this earthly existence, and to walk in the fullness of His divine presence every moment of every day.

- Ephesians 3:16-19, Amplified Bible