If you were having weight issues, are you supposed to stop eating altogether!? Obviously not. Thought management is very similar to weight management. We cannot avoid “thinking” in order to avoid harmful or negative thoughts. The question is, “how do we manage our thoughts?”
The scripture gives us direction in this area:
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7a
The above scripture could be good news or bad news depending on our thought patterns. If we have the right self-concept and think the right thoughts about ourselves, then we reaffirm the reality of who we are. The right thoughts keep us grounded and stable. However, if we have wrong thoughts about ourselves those thoughts shape our reality falsely.
For example, someone with anorexic eating disorder may look at the mirror and think they are fat. Others may even see this person as too skinny to be healthy, but what this person thinks of herself shapes her reality. No one can convince her that she is too skinny. You cannot even use an objective tool like a scale to prove to her that she is too skinny. Because she believes she is too fat, she will continue to starve herself or abuse her body to ensure she continues to lose weight or maintain the low weight.
Our mind is very powerful in creating a reality that may or may not be based on truth. People who have negative thoughts about themselves, think less of themselves and often times believe that’s how others see them too. There are times that due to pain or shame individuals are in denial of their condition. When you talk to them they are very convinced that they are right, and everyone else is evaluating the situation wrongly.
When our view of ourselves doesn’t match up with the view of those around us, we need to be open to the fact that we may not see the truth clearly. We should give permission for at least one trustworthy person to speak truth to us.
Our negative or false thoughts about ourselves have a serious impact on our lives, and they are dangerous to our spiritual well-being as well. Just as we may need weight management if it’s causing health or quality of life issues, so should we pay attention to our thought management.
Jesus told the woman at the well ,“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24
Up to the point of Jesus coming, the people did not have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of them. Additionally, the truth they knew was hidden and had to be developed further in the person of Christ. There were many prophesies about the Messiah that had not been fulfilled yet. As a result, people were not clear about the true nature of the Messiah. Jesus became the fulfillment of truth that the Jewish people had been looking/longing for.
God chose the nation of Israel as the forerunner to his plan of salvation. At the arrival of Jesus, the scriptures were fulfilled right before people’s eyes. Jesus declared that a time was coming that the culmination of full truth and the spirit of God were going to be the only valid way of worshipping God. God is looking for such a worshippers!
Through Jesus, we became adopted as spiritual children of Abraham because of the same Spirit living on the inside of us. Truth and Spirit are vital parts of our worship and relationship with God.
The true worship fulfills God’s requirements and as a result it moves from the tradition of worship to relationship. The great God of universe is not longer found in a tabernacle, a geographical location, a statue, or a tradition. He desires for us to be in relationship with Him. We don’t talk to Him as if we were talking to a wall. There is no need for a “Wailing Wall”. He hears us from wherever and whenever we reach out to Him.
God is the inventor of relationships, and He allows man to be able to communicate in sophisticated ways. How is it that we desire and long to relate to our loved ones regularly but when it comes to God, we become cold, dry, and stoic!? Relationships are God’s idea. He not only designed relationship in order for us connect to each other, but we can also communicate to our heavenly Father.
Are you speaking to the Father as if you are relating to a dearly loved person? Is your conversation a monologue? Are you giving Him an opportunity to love you back and speak to you?
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:21-24
God is Spirit, and since we were created in His likeness we also possess a spirit. We are tri-part beings having a physical body, a soul (mind, emotion, and will), as well as a spirit. After the fall, our spirit man died and man lost his communion with God.
All of us are born with a spirit that is not functioning; it still exists but not alive and in operation. Before Christ, our spirit man was not awakened and could not commune with the God of universe. At the point of salvation, we received the Holy Spirit in our lives. Our spirit man came alive and began its operation. It is in this place, that we commune with a holy God.
In the past, we may have had a form of worship through our church tradition or religious practices, but when we become a born again believer, we have the opportunity to have a personal communion with our heavenly Father. We begin a relationship with Him where we worship him in spirit and hear Him respond to us. God begins to use the truth we have been studying to remind us who He is and what He desires in our lives.
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.The Holy Spirit is counselor and a comforter, and as we go before the Father, His Spirit brings peace, counsel, and revelation to us. John 14:16-18
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth who testifies to the Father. He makes us feel secure in our relationship with the Father; we don’t have to feel orphans any longer. The Holy Spirit gives us counsel, brings peace, and becomes our comforter.
Do you worship the father in the spirit? Are you willing to let go of your tradition and accept the Lord on His terms? Do you experience His leading and His comfort in your life?
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:21-24
Worship in spirit and truth
Jesus declared that those who worship God must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth! Why did Jesus make this statement? If people are not worshipping God in spirit and in truth then how are they worshipping God? Are they worshipping Him in lies and/or half truths? Are they worshipping Him based on their culture and how they were raised? Are they worshipping Him in the flesh rather than in the spirit?
Every person who believes in a god has an image and an idea of God that may or may not be completely true. The scripture in Genesis tells us that God created us in His image. He chose to define us and give us the privilege of being created in His likeness, which is different from all His other created beings. People spend years trying to find themselves apart from finding God. If God created us in His image, shouldn’t we try to find God first!?
Others try to create God in their own image. We perceive Him based on our preferences or hurts. Some will define Him based on their past experiences with their natural parents. Some will identify Him with their spiritual leaders. Some see Him as a permissive God and others will perceive Him to be critical and intolerant. The reality is that God cannot be all these things. A perfect and holy God is a reliable God who doesn’t try to confuse us about who He is. All roads and all religions don’t lead to the same God!
Is it just enough to worship God even though we don’t know who we are worshipping? Not according to the above scripture. Jesus said to the woman at the well those who worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth. What does this mean?
The Lord is pleased when we worship Him in truth. There are a lot of ideas, lies, and half truths about God in the world. It is not enough to just worship God, but what pleases Him is to get to know the truth about who he really is and worship Him for it.
For example, if your name was the same as a famous person such as Francine Rivers or Tim Lahaye, people by mistake might identify you as a famous Christian writer. If they approached you and said all kinds of nice things about you and complemented your writing, would you be excited about this conversation? Most likely not. You wouldn’t feel a connection to this person because you know they have a different idea of you than who you really are. Their sincerity about liking their perceived author would not make you feel loved or appreciated.
In a similar way, if we are going to worship God and tell him how great and awesome He is, we should know the truth about the God we serve, so we can communicate to Him about who He really is and what is true about Him. Sincerity in worship is important, but first we must find the real God among all the other gods!
Is your idea of God line up with the truth written in the Bible? If you’re not sure, begin to read the word of God regularly and the word will clarify the truth about the nature of God.
“You worship what you do not know…”! What a tough but truthful statement that Jesus made to the woman at the well! How many of us are willing to say to that someone!?
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:21-24
The woman at the well was searching for God. As a Samaritan woman, she was told that God could be found on Mount Gerizim. However, the Jewish people believed that God was worshipped in Jerusalem.
Jesus was trying to help this woman see that God was not going to be isolated to a location any longer. While the Jewish people had the right idea of worshipping God in Jerusalem, but God was going to close that chapter in the history of worship as well.
The God of universe, the omnipotent, and the omnipresent God is not limited to a structure or building. Although God may have powerfully visited a place in the past, it doesn’t mean that His presence is limited to a location, nor is He obligated to remain in one place!
The woman at the well was following a tradition of her forefathers. She was told about God, but she had never met the true God. She told Jesus what she had heard about worshipping God, but based on her response to Jesus, it is clear that she didn’t have a personal experience or revelation about God.
The scripture inJohn1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The unreachable, so called hidden God no longer chose to remain hidden from the common man. Moses, Joshua and other spiritual leaders were not going to be the only ones who were going to have a visitation with the God of inverse anymore. God came to inhabit whosoever believes in Him. He chose average people who had no lineage in priesthood to spread the Good News of the gospel and to be His ambassadors in the earth.
Jesus was very direct with the woman at the well and told her that she was worshipping what she did not know. How many people are worshipping what they do not know!
Muslims and Jewish people still fight over the location of worship. Both people groups strongly feel that their place of worship is in Jerusalem and that their God is the real God. They are even willing to fight over their place of worship. The Muslims also have their yearly trip to Mecca as a spiritual journey around a black cube that is supposed to represent the presence of God.
The Christians in the past centuries made some amazing churches with beautiful and impressive artwork as a form of worship to God. Many of those beautiful churches have turned into museums where people from all walks of life and faith come to take a few pictures and leave. There is respect for the building, but where is God!
God cannot be sought in a building. We cannot find Him in a religion, or in a tradition passed down to us. God is too big and too personal to be limited to our places of tradition, culture, or comfort.
Do you know who you worship, or are you just following the tradition of your forefathers?
I will share more about worshipping the true God in the next devotional.
Giving up our rights is possibly one of the hardest things we can do. It is not something we like to pray about or celebrate, but it is one of the ways of success in the Kingdom of God!
3. Giving up our rights to fulfill God’s purpose
We read about Joseph’s life in Genesis 37 & 38-45. Joseph was a young man who was favored by his father. This put him at odds with his brothers. They were jealous of him and did not want to see him as the favorite of their father. Subsequently, they tried to get rid of him by selling him to the Egyptians. They also lied to their father about Joseph being killed, which they really wished to happen to their brother after all.
Joseph had tough years serving as a slave in Egypt. He was accused falsely for something he hadn’t done. He was put in prison for a couple of years. Additionally, he missed years of being away from his father the one who loved him the most! He had the right to have enjoyed the love of his father rather than being fatherless in a foreign land. He had the right to enjoy his father’s wealth rather than being a slave to an Egyptian ruler. However, none of these adverse circumstances and people changed Joseph!
When the opportunity came that Joseph could have killed every one of his brothers, he not only did not lay a hand on them, but he also blessed them. He was willing to let go of his rights as a son and as a brother and forgive those who had severely trespassed against him. Letting go of his rights did not happen on the day he met his brothers. Joseph must have forgiven and let go throughout the years he was away otherwise anger and resentment could have made him a bitter and an angry person.
Forgiveness is the action of letting go of a grudge against someone who has either taken something away from us or has violated our lives. It is the ultimate of letting go of our rights! It cannot happen without the grace of God giving us the ability to do it. If we don’t let go of our rights, we can grow in bitterness and resentment, and ruin more relationships in the present and the future.
Jesus is our ultimate example of giving up his rights and being willing to die for our sins. If he hadn’t, we would not have had salvation. He chose to accept a punishment that he didn’t deserve in order to purchase salvation for us.
Joseph’s statement to his brothers is a key verse that gives us the motivation and the hope to let go of our rights:
But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Genesis 50:20
Did he understand the purpose of his pain all those years? Did he know that someday God was going to use him to feed and save his family? Probably not. What kept him from growing bitter was his trust in God and His sovereignty. What his brothers did was absolutely dark and egregious, but it didn’t mean that God wasn’t with him and couldn’t work on his behalf.
God’s purpose was fulfilled in the life of Joseph as well as the Israelites because Joseph was willing to give up his rights and allow God to work out his perfect plan!
What is God asking you to give up your rights to? Is it something you deserved or earned? Is it a relationship with strings attached? Is it a grudge that is holding you in its grip? Letting go is never easy, but it’s powerfully effective in God’s Kingdom!
Giving up our rights is counter-culture to everything we know naturally, but as a believer, there are times in life that it’s the best thing to do given the circumstances. This is a continuation from the last devotional.
2. Giving up our rights for the sake of freedom
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said:
“Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
And he gave him a tithe of all.
21 Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.”
22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’— 24 except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.” Genesis 14:18-22
Abraham went to out to defeat the enemies of Sodom and rescued his nephew along with the other people who were held captive. Abraham in this case fought like a warrior and took it upon himself to assist a king who needed help in defeating his enemies.
King of Sodom appreciated Abraham’s efforts and sacrifice. He in turn offered Abraham the spoils from the battle desiring to bless him for his support. However, Abraham refused to accept the goods from the king. He told the king that he had promised his God that he wasn’t going to take anything from the king.
In Genesis, chapter 12, we read about God’s promises to Abraham. When this special offer was presented to him, Abraham had not forgotten about God’s amazing promises to him. He was confident that God would make him successful; he didn’t want to be tied to a king who can gloat about making Abraham rich. He desired for God to be glorified in his success and that no other person would get credit for it.
When we allow others to have such a significant hand in our lives that our success or wealth depends on only one person, it is dangerous, and it can lead to ungodly ties! One can feel a great obligation and responsibility to maintain a good relationship with the person in order not to lose what he/she has gained through the relationship. Ungodly ties can ultimately change us because now our focus has shifted from pleasing God to pleasing man!
Abraham deserved the goods, but he chose to let them go. He desired only God to be glorified in his life. He didn’t want a man to steal the glory or have a claim to Abraham’s success.
The decision to give up our rights isn’t easy. We can justify the fact that we deserve the goods or that the blessing is from the Lord. We can think about our hard labor over the years and desire not to squander our investment of time and energy. However, we have to look at the issue at a deeper level and understand its impact on our lives. Is this causing us to be tied to a person because of our perceived need of them?
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
Giving up our rights is not a easy thing to do for most of us, and it goes completely against our nature. However. there are times in life when giving up our rights is the best thing to do.
In our American culture, we value speaking up. We are passionate about speaking out against injustices. We also value our opportunities and would like to see the fruit of hard work and labor. I praise God for these great privileges! I hope we all can use these rights to honor God and bring about righteous change in our society. However, For God’s people, there is also another law that operates in our lives. That is the law of the Spirit of Life. It is being citizens of Kingdom of God. The rules of engagement in God’s kingdom sometimes are very different than the world.
One of the things that is highly valued by God is giving up our rights to ourselves and to the things we deserve we should have. That’s a difficult thing to do because our nature is conditioned to seek what is fair and what rightfully belongs to us. Additionally, we are taught that we should be a good solider and fight various spiritual battles, so at times we are confused as to when to fight a battle and when to let go and give up our rights.
While it’s not always clear what we should do, the scripture gives us some examples of those who gave up their rights for a purpose!This can shed light in our situation and help clarify when to let go of something even though we are justified in holding on to it.
1. Giving up our rights for the sake of impacting others’ lives.
In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel. 1 Corinthians 9:14-18 (NIV)
God had commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive an income from preaching. Paul had the right to be compensated financially for his ministry, but he did not use this right. He was willing to give up his right for the sake of the gospel. He worked with his own hands by being a tentmaker and also did the work of ministry. He did this to show the sincerity of his heart and his desire to see the people saved by the gospel. By providing for himself, he also wished not to be a burden to the church members. Many were rightfully compensated for their ministry, but in this case, Paul chose to forego that right!
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Ecclesiastes 1:13-14 (KJV)
Many of us think that if we experience everything life has to offer, then our lives will be considered full. Looking at the above scripture and reading the book of Ecclesiastes, tells us a different story. Solomon experienced everything in life, but that wasn’t enough for him. He still considered it vain and a vexation of spirit.
The reality of this life and everything in it is that it only satisfies for a season and then we are back on the treadmill of striving to achieve or acquire something else.
When we are young, we can’t wait till we get to college and get a good job. Once we achieve that goal, we long to be married because being single for too long isn’t fun anymore. After the excitement of marriage wears off, we desire to have a house and build a family. Then this causes us to worry about our finances and look forward to the day we can be free from burden of debt and financial obligations. The babies we were so looking forward to having, now we are tired of their dirty diapers and their constant interruption. We look forward to the day they can be at school all day, so we can regain our freedom and our time! This is how our lives continue to go on with hopes of being in a different season.
Is it possible that all of life on earth is a mirage of true life? Is it possible that we will never become fully satisfied on this side of heaven by trying to acquire and achieve one more thing? Could it be that the more tightly we try to squeeze everything out of life, we actually lose our peace? We allow the joy of the moment get snatched out of our hands leaving us unfulfilled and empty all over again. Is it possible that only with the heavenly focus that we expect less of this world and enjoy more contentment in life?
And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Ecclesiastes 1:13-14 (KJV)
God gave Solomon great wisdom. Everything he wished and desired, he achieved and was able to possess. As a matter of fact, Solomon gave himself the permission to violate God’s boundaries by marrying foreign women. God had warned him that they would turn away his heart from Him, but Solomon didn’t listen and chose to have a few hundred wives!
Solomon was a man who was born and raised as a royalty. While he was not King David’s firstborn son, God gave Solomon the privilege of succeeding His father as king. We don’t hear any sad stories about his upbringing or tough times as a king yet we don’t find Solomon happy and joyful at the end of it all.
In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon speaks about “vexation of spirit” a few times.
Vexation (according to Strong’s Concordance): longing, striving
What could Solomon have longed for in His life that he didn’t have!? Was there anything beyond his achievement? What could he have lacked in life that would cause him to strive?
As Americans, we have more opportunities and resources than many other people around the world including believers who live in other nations. However, it doesn’t seem that we have found contentment and joy as believers.
Our opportunities have created a wedge between husbands and wives. Divorces in the church are just as many as in the society. Lack of trust in the church and in the government is evident based on the behavior and discussions seen and heard around dinner tables and on the media. Honor and respect is in all time low in a nation that gave us the freedom to speak out not to dishonor but to stand up for truth and righteousness. Where do we go from here? What will satisfy us that we don’t have and are still longing to have?
What are you after today? Are you currently experiencing vexation of spirit? Is there something you are longing or striving for right now? Spend some time with the Lord and let Him examine your heart and how you really feel about your life right now.
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
