Don't be selfish; Don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take a interest in others too. YOu must have the same attitude that Christ had.
Philippians 2: 13-18
God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life, then on the day of Christ's return, I will be proud that I didn't not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.
I am trying to do what pleases my Lord and Savior, but it is such a war. My heart and mind are at war. How do I make them one? How do I fix my own self? I want to be like Him. I want to rejoice in His miracles, in all he has given and taken away... all he has done for me...
But I am so completely stuck in my anger. My heart is drowning it a buildup of hatred that I didn't want in the first place. Satan is taking advantage of me, and I don't know how to make it stop. I hate going backwards and that is exactly what is happening. It's keeping me from knowing Christ.
Philippians 3: 8-11
Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3: 12-14
But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus is calling us.
Please help me move my feet. My mind is there, but where is my heart?
Philippians 4: 6-7
Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Goodnight then.
You know, sometimes the easiest answers to our situations are always the hardest to do.
ReplyDeleteIn the song "Mighty to Save" there is a a set of lyrics that says:
"I give my life to follow /
Everything I believe in /
Now I surrender (I surrender)"
I think it can be interpreted in different ways, but the way I've thought of it lately is surrendering everything we believe in... meaning, what do you believe? About anything: the world, your friends, yourself? What is it exactly that you believe about yourself? And then, knowing what you believe, try and line it up with God's standard for our thoughts:
Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Ask: is this thought true? Is it noble (dictionary: of an admirably high quality)? Is it right... to even think in such a way? And so forth. You understand.
I'm so encouraged to see how you are just really fighting to know the truth and have the Lord work in your life and continue to grow you. I am also glad that you are aware of what Satan wants to use against you. So the easy answer is the hardest: surrender your thought-life and beliefs to Christ, take them captive for Christ. You are loved by God. You are a new creation. What chained you before you knew Christ no longer chains you. Have God renew your understanding of who are you. It's a hard thing to do, and it can be painful, but God honors every act of surrender that we give to Him.
Good messages: Mark Darling's Renew series. You can find them at evergreencc.com in the Media section. Highly recommended: all four of the "Awesome Love of God" messages... for real, they are great!
Anyway, this comment became ten times longer than first intended. Sorry! :-)
Mandy
I love your comment even if it is longer than intended. i think it was helpful and really encouraging to hear. Thank you Mandy
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