Reacting vrs. Responding

Recently I allowed a comment made by someone affect me to the point it changed my experience for the rest of the day.  Sometimes it is so hard to not let things like this dictate our mood and state of being.  The sobering truth is--the offending party is most likely oblivious to the fact they hurt me, and are going about their day...meanwhile I am allowing the offender to affect my joy, and influence how I treat others.  This is reacting.  Reacting implies no control; emotions take over and as a result we gossip, can't focus, make hasty decisions, etc.

Instead, I would rather respond.  Responding implies choice and with Godly choices, freedom takes over.  Choose to believe my worth in Christ = freedom.  Choose to take negative words and thoughts captive and discarding what is not the truth = freedom.  You get the idea :)

How Do You Think?

This week, I keep being drawn back to these words from Isaiah.  "Don't think like everyone else."  It's the beginning of a great passage that encourages us to make the Lord of Heaven's Army, holy in our life...to be in reverence and awe of Him and as we do, he will be our sanctuary!  Don't think like everyone else!   Wait on Him and trust in Him, he is a hiding place.  {Isaiah 8:11-17}

Girls, You are Life

Girlfriends:  It's a lie to think you're not good enough.  It's a lie to think you don't matter.    You are more than enough.  You are the most important being on earth.  God created you especially because there was no other living thing on earth that could handle the job of a woman.  And He said this is not good.  So he got to work and gave you life.  You have a specific job that no one else can do that is ordained by the Creator!  You are life!  Be life to those around you!

God Is My Strength

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Gods power and strength can not be reconciled or explained by our human understanding.  It is a guarantee that our bodies and minds will fail, which is why, I think, we become so overwhelmed when trying to do everything by our own strenth.  So... I strive to do life by his strength, not my own.

King's Daughter

Girlfriends:   God says... You are amazing and capable of great things.  You are beautiful today, just the way you are, no matter what size the label says.  You are strong and can endure what ever comes your way.  You matter to so many, to more than you may ever know.  You are always more than enough.  You have everything you need to be who God has called you to be.  Those voices inside your mind that contradict the above, are LIES from satan himself.  Remind that loser that he is in fact, a loser.   Go on about your day smiling and standing tall like the daughter of a king.

Step by Step

You go step by step,
He'll show step by step.
We must trust in the Lord even when we don't have all the details of the journey.  The details of the journey are less important to God than our faithful obedience and trust in him day by day.  God wants us to include him every day in every way, because he loves us and desires a relationship with us.  If we knew all the details to what he has in store for us, then we wouldn't  need him and the relationship would be lost, and we would miss out on the blessing of his presence in our life.

You go step by step,
He'll show step by step.

Behavior Modification

Following Jesus is not about trying to behave in a certain way. Modifying our behavior on the outside when we still harbor anger, resentment, negativity (fill in the blank here) on the inside does nothing for us and leaves us empty, robbed of joy. In order for there to be real change towards the joy God wants us to experience, we must let go of the death grip we have on the dark corners of our hearts. Those thoughts and feelings we try to hide away so that no one can see what's slowly destroying us from the inside. Following Jesus means we, in humility, let Him guide us, showing us what real issues in our heart need a run through the wash.

And it seems to me that my heart is a garment that needs to be put through the wash cycle frequently. Sometimes several times a day. I come out clean and stain free every time. God doesn't need Pinterest to figure out how to remove my stains. When I come to Him sincerely wanting to seek Him and the grace He so wants to extend, then I am washed clean.

"Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of Faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water" Hebrews 10:22