Sometimes I wish I could stop being me. All the things I don’t like about myself come rushing to mind and I must realize the enemy is active or I’ll get caught in a downward spiral. I bet I’m not the only one.
The enemy and his horde of followers, they are liars and thieves of all that is truly good. We must remember God is more powerful, always at work, and the source of all truth. Not only about life and this world but about who we are and how he sees us.
We choose to listen to the voice of truth about the things we can and should change in order to be more of who God created us to be. We, as ones cultivating a life well-lived, reject the voice which devastates our unique personhood and our ability to reflect Christ.
Even when I feel resolved to accept the way God made me and the ways I need to grow, I also wish I could change my circumstances. In some situations, desperate prayers carried on for years and it’s tempting to believe they fell on deaf ears, as if God would ever be unable to hear or see me. Yet, because things are not as I wish they were, I can get stuck in simply wishing for them to be different.
“God, don’t you get it? Why aren’t you making this happen?!”
It’s easy to get stuck in wishing to be a different person, made a different way, or to be in a situation different than what we are living. When all is not as we want it to be, we must remember what is as it should be and who is as He was and always will be.
Did I lose you there? It’s a tongue twister full of truth.
What is as it should be? God’s never ceasing faithfulness. His mercies which are new every morning. His grace upon grace and strength upon strength available to us as we need it. God’s overarching plan of redemption as our hearts are being reconciled to Christ.
Who is as He was and always will be? God. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Always present, never begun, never ending. Savior. Redeemer. Father. Friend. Holy. Almighty. Wonderful Counselor. Prince of Peace. King of Kings. Lord of Lords.
The list can go on and on. We have the opportunity to build our list of rememberance and we need it for when life is just not as we wish it would be.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. ~ Isaiah 55:8-9
When our hearts and minds are stuck dwelling on what is not, we must remember to focus on what is and always be. Our God and his ways which remain good.
His words in scripture are timeless and refresh our weary souls so we can live well.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. ~ Isaiah 55:10-11
Choose to praise God as a reminder to your heart of all the good which lies within and around Him, especially when all around you is not so good.
Choose to praise the lover of your soul, especially when you feel unloved and your soul feels weary and broken.
Choosing to praise is choosing to put our minds on the things which are right rather than the things which are wrong.
This choice isn’t always easy, especially when life is particularly challenging, yet it is always the one choice which brings a soothing where we need it most because our hearts are drawn into the heart of God. No other place is more comforting or able to bring the renewal we desperately long for.
When I find emotions causing such a stir that I want to reject the goodness of God, I need praise all the more.
Praise God for what he has done, in your life and in the lives of others. Praise him for what he will do, choosing to believe it is good in the end. Praise him for his heart which is always towards you. Praise him that he knows better about how to get through tough times and how to stop living stuck. Praise him for his love which transcended heaven and came to us in earthly form. Praise him for the suffering he endured so he could know how to empathize with you in yours.
Praise him because he is worthy to be praised.
CULTIVATE: Do a word search for praise at openbible.info/topics. Write down some of the verses on praise and keep them where they will serve as a frequent reminder to choose praise.
[tweetthis]Choose to praise the lover of your soul, especially when you feel unloved and your soul feels weary and broken.[/tweetthis]
[tweetthis]When I find emotions causing such a stir that I want to reject the goodness of God, I need praise all the more.[/tweetthis]
[tweetthis]Choosing to praise is choosing to put our minds on the things which are right rather than the things which are wrong.[/tweetthis]
