One Small Change – Walk in the Spirit - Purity
535
Purity 535 09/28/2021 Purity 535 Podcast
Good morning
Today’s photo of a sunrise over the Atlantic comes to us from a friend’s
recent weekend getaway to an undisclosed location on the Maine Coastline where
they were able to “unwind and regenerate”. While this photo is of a sunrise with the promise
of a new day, I can’t help but feel a melancholy feeling for the loss of summer
when I look at this beach scene. We
have entered Autumn and not only that but if you haven’t been keeping track we
are only a few days away from October!
I didn’t go to the stores this weekend, but I would imagine that the
seasonal merchandise is shifting and while Halloween stuff has already been on
the shelves I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Thanksgiving and Christmas
items are creeping there ways on to the shelves.
The rapidity of the changing months and seasons make it clear to me that
we must be intentional in terms of what our goals are and what direction we
want to go.
A friend recently shared an article on social media that said in effect
that if we want to make a change in our lives, we have to change it. The simple advice was pointing out that
although we can desire certain things or conditions in our lives if we don’t take
action to procure them we will never experience or obtain them.
The article indicated that wanting change or wishing for change wasn’t
enough. The author suggested enacting a
plan of action by choosing to choose one new habit or one new change that you could introduce to your life on a daily
basis that would contribute to an overall goal of a changed life.
Some of the suggested habits the article mentioned were:
Waking up early.
Exercising.
Eating healthier.
Giving up alcohol.
Watching less television.
Writing in a daily journal
Meditating.
Cleaning and organizing your home.
Playing music.
Creating art.
And developing a keeping a budget.
As someone who always wanted to
make positive changes in my life I know that the advice to add one new change
to your life and to do it every day is a good one. After so about 4 weeks of doing a new
activity it becomes ingrained in our routine as a habit and we can “keep the
change”. So adding a new activity and being diligent about it is important. Your new choice can gradually improve the quality
of your life experience and the results and benefits of your choice will be
compounded over time.
However, as follower of Jesus Christ on the path of Christian Discipleship,
I would recommend that the one habit you introduce to effect change in your
life is to establish and develop your relationship with God by placing your
faith in Jesus Christ.
I had tried unsuccessfully throughout my life to give up alcohol and to
eat healthy and exercise. In the past I
would establish a habit in each of these areas and had periods in my life where
I enjoyed success but inevitably my mind, will, and emotions would be directed
to the unhealthy ways that I had emerged from.
The benefits of the changes I had made were not enough to “change me”. In my mind, I “knew” that I was a person that
loved my old ways and even though I had success I had a feeling that I was “living
a lie”. I wasn’t a sober person or a
healthy person. I really liked to get drunk, overeat, and be lazy. If I wanted to be “true to myself” and be “happy”,
I would eventually have to go back to my indulgent ways because that’s who I
was.
All my life it was like that, with ups and downs and no stability and no
peace.
Well, after I put my faith in Christ, I found the supernatural peace and
power that comes from being aligned with the Creator of All things but there is
a catch. We can only experience His
peace and power if we believe and agree with what the Word of God says in
regard to who we are in Christ and how we are to live our lives.
The process of renewing your mind to believe what the Bible says about
our identity and changing our behaviors to coincide with our identity in Christ
is often called “walking in the Spirit”.
When we “walk in the Spirit” we choose to make a new habit of believing
what the word of God says about us.
One of the first things that stands out in my experience of the “renewing
of my mind” was when I read Romans 8:1 which says:
Romans 8:1 (NKJV)
1 There is therefore
now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according
to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
My mental dialog in
the past was filled with condemning thoughts when I indulged the desires of my
flesh. While I found pleasure in becoming intoxicated from drinking alcohol or overeating
in the moment, I always condemned myself when I felt the pain of withdrawal or
the stress of carrying too much weight. The fact that I was powerless to change
even though I could see and experience how I was suffering only resulted in
more condemning thoughts where I would think of myself as “a drunk”, “stupid”, “weak”,
or “bad”. I thought those adjectives described who I was as a person.
But the Holy Spirit
revealed to me in Romans 8:1, that while those things may have been true for
most of my life, something had changed.
I had heard a gospel message and sincerely surrendered to God and put my
faith in Jesus Christ. So I was “in
Christ” now and this verse and the Holy Spirit in me told me that there was “no
condemnation” for me.
Those condemning
thoughts were not longer true about me because I had been given a new spiritual
life when I placed my faith in Jesus!
But this verse also
told me that in order to experience this “no condemnation” I had to “walk in
the Spirit” – by believing I had been changed in an instant at my salvation and
by living according to the word of God and my identity in Christ.
By simply adding
this “one new habit” of agreeing that there was “no condemnation” for me, the
Holy Spirit empowered me to walk away from my lifelong dependence on alcohol,
my indulgences in sexual immorality, and now has empowered me to transform my
body through exercise and changing the way I eat.
So if you want to
change your life, you have to change your life. But there is no greater way to change your
life than by giving your life to God by placing your faith in Jesus Christ and
living according to who you are in Christ.
Walking in the Spirit
leads to the growth of the fruit of the Spirit which includes peace, joy, love,
goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, patience, and self-control. If you want a change in your life make Christ
your Lord and Savior and walk in the Spirit.
Making this one
small change will not only lead to benefits to your physical and emotional health.
Walking and talking with God in a harmonious relationship that is established
with faith in Jesus gives you a new spiritual life that gives you the peace that
goes beyond all understanding that results from being forgiven of all your
sins, being assured of life eternal in God’s kingdom, and being given the power
and purpose to leave behind the condemnation that was inherent in our lives
when we walked in the flesh.
So make that one change of turning to God and do it every day. The path
of Christian Discipleship may not be an easy road to travel but it leads to the
abundant life of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health that God
made us to experience.
This morning’s meditation
verse is:
Proverbs 27:9 (NKJV)
9 Ointment and perfume
delight the heart, And the sweetness of a man's friend gives delight by
hearty counsel.
Today’s verse speaks
of the power of friendship to delight us when we receive hearty counsel.
Solomon asked God
for wisdom and God made him the wisest man on the earth. Solomon wrote a book. Actually
he wrote two: Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and they are two of the three books
that are considered by Bible scholars to be the “wisdom literature” In the Bible.
While some can look
at the book of proverbs and state that it is filled with “common sense”, there
really is nothing “common” about it because the source of Solomon’s wisdom was
God.
So while today’s
verse seems to be a general statement on the value of friendship that is
characterized by one in which good counsel is given because of its divine
source we should also consider it an instruction that teaches us that we are
created to be in relationships with others and that we are to be discerning in
choosing friends that give “hearty counsel”.
The word translated “hearty”
in Hebrew is “nep̄eÅ¡” (neh-fesh) which
means: “soul, self, or life,” with the secondary meaning being “that which
breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man”.
So the hearty
counsel mentioned in this verse was “soul counsel” – counsel “that breathes” “life”
into the “soul”, the inner being of man.
So the friends that
we should seek out are the ones who give us the counsel that will breathe life
into us, the counsel that is based on the word of God.
So be wise like Solomon
and seek out friends that you delight in because your relationship is built on
counsel that will breathe life into one another by encouraging one another with
the divine wisdom of the word of God.
As
always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from
prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with
their walk.
Today we continue to share from June Hunt’s
Boundaries: How to Set Them, How to Keep Them.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes
and encourage all to purchase June Hunt’s books for your own private study and
to support her work. If you need this title you can find it online at several
sites for less than $5.00:
H. How to Communicate Boundary Changes
Following the Rosie Ruiz scandal, numerous racing offiicials have made
boundary changes with marathon runners to better ensure ethical behavior on the
race course.
Besides increased video surveillance, RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification)
Race Timing Systems track where runners are for certain checkpoints. A
transponder is attached to the athlete and emits a unique digital code that is
picked up by radio receivers along the race course.
Transponders are available in various sizes and shapes and can operate at
many different frequencies.
Stronger boundaries are established . . . to foster sure victories.
Scripture directs that honesty and integrity should characterize all that we
do. . . .
"For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes
of the Lord but also in the eyes of man."
Life is made up of different seasons that sometimes require transitional
conversations in order to ease the discomfort that change often creates. When
grown children leave home, and especially when they get married, they are
entering into a new season of life that not only impacts them but their parents
as well.
It is during these times that relationships necessarily change and therefore
need to be redefined. Having loving conversations with parents regarding
boundary changes during these periods can be extremely helpful and meaningful,
encouraging growth and solidifying the relationship.
Our roles are changing, and we want to proceed with sensitivity and a tender
heart. Pick your battles. Show respect and honor.
If you realize that you have not made the separation from your family of
origin to your new family, you may need to communicate your boundaries.
- Define
your new relationship:
"Mom and dad, I love each of you. I am thankful to have you as my parents. I am thankful that I was raised by you. Now that I am married, I am making a new family. We will communicate with you, visit you, and always love you. But there will be some changes in traditions because I am establishing traditions with my new family." - State
what is acceptable and what is not:
"It is not acceptable for you to talk with me in that tone of voice." Or, "It is not acceptable for you to talk with my family if you use unkind words or speak in that tone of voice. If you choose to cross this boundary, the repercussion is that we will leave." - Separate
from your family of origin:
"I realize this is the way we always did things growing up. We share great memories, and I want many of those same ways for my family. I am married now, and we are creating some of our own ways of doing things that work for our family."
In
Your Marriage
Marriage is the union of two people . . . "and the two will become
as one flesh" (Mark 10:8).
Boundaries are about defining your respective selves.
Marriage can become a fertile ground for boundary issues to sprout and grow
if not properly addressed. A healthy marriage consists of two complete people
who together create a place of love.
They do not need each other to be complete, but they share a complete love
and union between themselves.
- State
what you need:
"I love you and love our time together, but I also need time to be by myself and explore interests of my own." - Establish
boundaries about how you will be treated:
"I love you and want our marriage to work, but if you choose to treat me in this way, there will be consequences. If you __________________, I will __________________." - Define
how you want to be talked to:
"I will not be talked to in this hateful way, especially in front of the children. If you choose to speak to me disrespectfully, I will ask you to leave our home until you can speak in a kind voice."
"Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself and the
wife must respect her husband."
In
Your Friendships
- Define
your relationship:
"I am glad we have so much in common, especially our love of scrapbooking and our faith in Christ." - Establish
boundaries:
"It's great that we can get together once a month to share dinner and scrapbooking ideas at each other's home. Let's meet at my house next Thursday." - Reinforce
limitations:
"I'm sorry you can't meet this week, but Thursday evening is the only time I have available." - Maintain
boundaries:
"I truly can't meet another day this week, so let's get together at our regular time next month."
"A friend loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17)
In
Your Parenting
- Establish
limits:
"You may use your inside voice when you play in our home and your outside voice when you play in the yard." - Define
consequences:
"You have chosen to __________________, and the consequence is __________________." - Train
for delayed gratification:
"I know you want this toy now, but you will have to wait until you have saved up enough money from doing chores." - Explain
appropriate behavior:
"In our home we use our hands to help and love; we do not hit."
"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord (Psalm 127:3 NASB)
In
Your Workplace
- Stay
within the parameters of your job description:
"I was hired to do this job description. I am being asked to do things that are not a part of this job description. I understand when occasional things come up, but it is becoming the >"norm>" and not the exception. If I cannot do my job as defined in my job description, I will need to contact the Human Resources Department." - Define
your work space:
"This is the office area where I need to work. If you would like to come in, please set up an appointment or knock. It's important that you not just walk in because I have much work to do and must finish it when I'm here. Thank you for respecting this boundary so we can work together as team players." - Work
within the boundaries of your hours:
"First, I want you to know how grateful I am for all that I have learned since I've been here and for the opportunity to contribute to (company). I would like to mention an item for your consideration. (State request.) I was hired to work 'X' number of hours per week. I understand when there are occasional emergencies or deadlines. I want to be a team player, but four out of the last six weeks I've worked overtime. I want to keep the boundaries of my work time and family time. I need you to respect this boundary."
"Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as
an obligation" (Romans 4:4).
Biblical Counseling Keys: Boundaries: How to See Them -
How to Keep Them.
---------------------------more
tomorrow------------------------
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