Setting Your Mind is Deliberate
“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:2
Since I have a very vivid imagination, the smallest thing can send my thoughts spiraling. When that small thing is negative, my world comes to a crashing halt. I get nothing accomplished. I get cranky. I don’t want to talk to people, and will send even my closest friends straight to voice mail. Not a good thing.
It is essential for me to be very deliberate about what I choose to meditate on. It’s why I start praying as soon as my eyes open. It’s why I seek God right away in the morning so that my day gets started with Him in mind. The days that I don’t are harder for me.
Colossians 3:2 tells us that we need to “Set our minds on things above”. To set your mind means to direct your thoughts to a thing, to seek, to strive for. Setting your mind is deliberate. It’s a choice. Just because a negative thought enters your mind does not mean that you have let it take up residence in your mind or throw it a party. You decide what to meditate on. To meditate just means that you focus your thoughts on something, i.e. setting your mind.
Make the decision to set your mind today because your perspective really is everything. How you see yourself today will determine your future.
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right and pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8
Allow Yourself To Believe
“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Hebrew 11:1
Sometimes we stand in our own way. We are afraid to just believe that we will have what we hope for. Don’t allow fear to steal your hope. Instead allow yourself to be persuaded that God is good & He will do what He said He will do. He desires to give us His best for us even more than we want His best for us.
Waiting As Worship
“But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.” Psalm 71:14 NIV
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the faith walk is not for sissies. Waiting can be boring, annoying, frustrating, painful, sad, and on and on. Essentially waiting sucks.
But!! I know that God knows more than I do. I know that His timing is stop on a dime perfect. I know God is faithful. I know He always keeps His word. I know these things in both my heart and my mind, because I’ve experienced them in my relationship with God.
I have hard days where I want to complain too. I really do understand. But I’ve learned that complaining doesn’t really do me any good. So I’ve started using my words to praise Him for what He’s doing and thanking Him for what He’s promised as though I already have it. This turns my waiting from frustrating into worshipping!!
Love is Practical
“The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.” Proverbs 11:24-25 MSG
Real love is practical. It almost always wears work overalls. Do you want to be loved? Then love those around you. Here’s what that looks like…
Babysit for a single parent or give a date night to coupled parents so they can have a break. If you can do it for free, even better.
Do you feel like no one ever listens to you? Than give a listening ear to someone else.
Are you struggling to believe a promise from the Lord? Then pray for someone else to be strengthened and encourage them.
Do you have a need that is beyond what you can do? Then find someone else who has a need you can meet and bless them! Maybe give away nice clothes that don’t fit you, help clean or do yard work, pay an electric bill or drive someone to the store or pick them up for church.
Are you fighting depression or feeling miserable? Then find someone to compliment or encourage. Send a card or bring balloons or flowers. Call and tell someone you’re thinking about them.
Think about this…you can’t give a hug without getting one back.
I Watch and I Wait
Make this your meditation today!! Speak it out loud!
The world may be stressed & anxious, “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7
Expect good today my friends. God likes to exceed expectations!
New Level Of Trust
“With Your very own hands You formed me; now breathe Your wisdom on me so I can understand You. When they see me waiting, expecting Your Word, those who fear you will take heart and be glad. I can see now, God, that Your decisions are right;” Psalm 119:73-75 MSG
You may not know exactly what the Lord is doing in your life right now because you do not see everything He sees. But you can get to know Him better. You can personally experience and know that He is trustworthy & faithful.
My prayer for you is that you receive His grace to trust Him more than you ever have, in areas you’ve never been able to trust Him before. Ths t you reach s new level of trust within your relationship. I also pray that you have a personal revelation of the width, height & depth of His love for you.
You Don’t Have To Be Afraid
“I am leaving you with a gift, peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27
Don’t let fear lie to you! You have the same peace as Jesus. It is the same peace that allowed Jesus to sleep in the storm that panicked everyone else.
When fear rises,remind yourself that you have nothing to fear! Stand on God’s word. Just because you are feeling afraid doesn’t mean you have to stay that way!
Peace is your First Line of Defense
“And Jesus arose & rebuked the sea, ‘Peace. Be still.’ And the wind ceased & there was great calm. And He said, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?'” Mark 4:39-40
Do you see that as soon as the disciples lost their peace fear replaced their faith?
It only took fear a few minutes to change everything. They no longer trusted the Word from Jesus, that he’d just spoken 4 verses before. Their sole focus became their anxiety, which caused panic, even though Jesus was asleep in the same boat!
Fear is a liar & a thief! It steals more dreams and destinies than anything else. Peace is your first line of defense, so maintain your peace!
Action Required
I was lamenting (also known as whining and complaining) to God yesterday that not being able to do anything about a situation in my life was torturous.
As I was waking up this morning (literally only had one eye half open) He told me that I am doing something, I’m being still and trusting Him.
He explained that faith always requires action. Sometimes that action is getting out of the boat when He bids me to come. (Read Peter’s story in Matthew 14:25-32) But sometimes the action is being still. Both are actions. Both are equally challenging.
Choosing to trust God and waiting on Him is walking by faith just as getting out of the boat and stepping onto the water is walking by faith. Both require believing and trusting God.
Being still isn’t passive. It’s active. It’s praying. It’s believing and trusting God. Being still means knowing that God is for you. It’s perseverance in long waiting periods. It’s maintaining your hope, joy and peace even when you cannot see beyond today.
When I got out of bed I flipped my verse of the day calendar to today’s verse. Guess what the verse was about today? Yep. Waiting on God.
“I wait for the Lord my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen wait for morning, more than watchmen wait for morning.” Psalm 130:5-6
I’ve prayed that you will know for certain if are to do something specific or to be still in your present circumstance and situation. I pray that no matter the action required or how long it takes that you will be able to maintain your peace and joy.
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