Additional Thought for Monday

Are you having trouble changing your perspective? I know it is a very difficult thing to do. I have blog about this before and I know how much it has helped me and I want to share it with you.

When we pray it is easy to get caught up in the questions, "Dear Lord, please help my day, help me to be able to deal with XXX and be with and..." We create a list of wants, we come to the Lord with partitions and we are suppose to do that as well, so I am not saying don't, but what I am suggesting is that we are to thank the Lord. Change the way you pray, it changes our perspective so this is what I suggest.

Dear Lord, Thank you for today, thank you for giving me the strength to make it through, thank you for giving the peace that passes understanding, thank you for giving me the hope and the joy of the Lord (See He promises this all in the Bible and do you believe the Bible? If so, then thank Him for what He has given you.) Thank you for a brand new day, thank you thank you thank you. Lord I love you, I lift my voice to you, thank you for giving me a voice. Thank you for my marriage, thank you for my wife, You brought her into my life and You have given us hope based on You, thank you. Lord Help so and so, you know what they are going through, thank you for bringing them to mind. Thank you for what You have done so far.

See by changing my prayer language from the helping to the thanking, I change my very thought process and save the requests for what I need instead of what He has already given me. Thank Him today for what you have. Change it up today and see how He will bless you.

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Ephesians 4:3 "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

2 Timothy 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Impact of the Truth

I was thinking about the Bible today and I use to think it was just a book, I missed how much it can apply to my life. Yes we see how the 10 commandments have been used throughout history, but really when you break it down I will show you how it has applied to me. Now I will not break it all down, because that would take a long time, but let me share with you some verses that have really explained and helped me walk where I am walking.

Matthew 22:36-40 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘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. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”"

• When I love the Lord with all my Heart and soul and with all my mind, I take what life use to be about "me" and make it about God. It is His way, it is about His truths, it is about Him, no longer about me. See when we make a choice to make life about God, it has to be in the good and the bad, it is in all times, when we love Him so much we are able to look past how others make us feel and love them with the love that Jesus gave us to love them. It isn't just love Him when we feel like it or when times are bad, it is in all times.

Isaiah 55:9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

• If you look at your own life and think that you know better then God, then remember this verse, for His ways are higher then our ways, same as thoughts. He knows the big picture we just see a little portion of what is happening, He sees it all. It is such a good reminder for me, because at times I would wonder why I was going through something, but God sees it all and knows what is best for me. I am reminded of this verse as well. Galatians 6:7 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

Luke 6:31 "Do to others as you would have them do to you."

• I treated people badly without thinking about how I felt by how I treated them, but here it is in Luke, treat others as I want to be treated. Wow, what a way to look at it, if I treat others with disrespect, that is exactly how I must want to be treated.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

• The Bible must have a misprint here, in ALL things give thanks, wait if I lose my job I am suppose to thank God? How can that be true, but if I look at Isaiah 55:9 His ways are higher, He knew I would lose it, He knows what I am going through and being thankful for it, it is so hard to do, but it changes my perspective from inward to upward. God is in control and not me and so if the first verse is true that I love the Lord with All my heart, then the job is just a job and the Lord is in control and not me. If we are able to stop looking inward and start looking upward things start making sense, but if I grumble and complain I am not looking to God, I am looking to self and what comes from self? Self pity, and what does that do for any of us, in all things give thanks, not just some, because His ways are higher then our ways.

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

• God knew all that I was going to go through, He planned my steps, He is aware of what is happening to me, nothing is a surprise to Him. When I start focusing on poor me, He says Geoff I am in this, I planned it, I know what you are experiencing. 

Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

Which ties right to this:

Genesis 50:20 "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

Revelation 1:8 ""I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

We get so caught up in worrying about the little things we miss that God is in them, He is with me each step of the day. What do you think He thinks about when I complain about not being good enough, instead of being thankful in all things.

James 1:2 "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials"

There is so much to learn in just these few verses, just think how many more verses there are and there are more that have had an impact on me through all that God continues to show me. I will leave you with these verses for the day:

Hebrews 12:5-11 "5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[a]

7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

No matter where you are walking, God has His hands on you. He knows just what you are going through and the lessons may be hard, but He is in them. Allow Him to teach you and make you new each day. 

Enjoy your Monday.