God's
Word is alive and changes our life if we take the time to read it and meditate
all day on what we read (Hebrews 4:12-13). One topic the Word recommends in
several places is that we take a searching examination of our body, soul and
spirit throughout the day (2 Corinthians 13:5).
This
inventory points out the areas in our life where we are already excelling, and at
the same time it illuminates areas where we need to improve. Writing our
thoughts and feelings in a journal helps us to identify them, and to look at
them through God's eyes.
Then
we can rejoice over the positive ones, and pray about what to do with the
negative ones. God guides us with His Spirit each moment of every new day and
helps us to find healing, peace and joy through the exercise of inventorying
our thoughts into our journal.
The
Lord opens our heart while His Spirit searches our innermost being. He washes
us clean as we read His Word, and He forgives us of our transgressions as we
repent of them. God's Spirit will also use this time to give us wisdom, to
sanctify us, and to replace our negative traits with His fruit (Galatians
5:22-23).
If
we courageously and boldly face even our darkest fears, attitudes and desires,
we give God the opportunity to fill our troubled soul with His character. Our
lives are richer, fuller and more dynamic; and we can actually make a true
difference in our world.
Prayer:
Father
God, we may have a past that we are not proud of, or that is full of abuse and
misunderstanding. We do not want to face all of those issues again. We
mistakenly think that they are behind us; therefore, remind us that they filter
up from our subconscious mind and affect every decision we will ever make,
every attitude we ever adopt, and every emotion we ever feel.
Your
lamp searches the spirit of every person. It seeks out our innermost thoughts
and the reality of who we really are (Proverbs 20:27). Teach us that taking
regular inventories gives us a true picture of our liabilities and our assets;
so Your Spirit can replace our faults and use our strengths for Your Kingdom. We
want to serve You with every breath we breathe.
Thought
for the Day:
Most
programs created to help people to overcome addictions encourage their
participants to examine their life and to evaluate their core issues and
beliefs, and God encourages us to do this same thing; examining our thoughts,
motives, plans, goals and activities, through the filter of God's Spirit, increases
our productivity and cuts out waste and excesses that hinder our balance and
efficiency in life.
