How many times have we heard If ya talk the talk… walk the walk. Well, following Jesus means you have to stop following your gut, your emotions, your feelings, your own understanding… And just do as He would do. I know personally how easily this is said rather than done. And No, it is not easy to love those who persecute us or hurt us. It is not easy to be quiet and rest in the will of the Lord when everything seems to be falling apart. It is not easy to be joyful when we are sad… But that is why God calls us to be different and to rely on Him for absolutely everything in our lives.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Following our feelings is the natural way we are brought up… But we must remember, that we were born into sin and it will misguide us so far as missing the mark completely. When we are Reborn into Spirit, we are called to walk in that Spirit. Christ asks us to look to the Father for all things. These little reminders come to mind while reaching for that humble, restful and peaceful place in God that we are all searching for. They will redirect our perspectives and remind us we are called to be something different than our emotions tell us to be.
Tip #1 – God will Bring all to Repentance in His Time
Not everyone who talks like a Christian is seeking the same oneness with Christ as you are… they may belittle your ways, persecute your habits and ridicule your lifestyle choices. Be patient, God works on everyone in His timing, not ours.
2 Peter 3:8-9 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.
Tip #2 – Character builds our Hope
Being Strong brings strife and more struggle, having Perseverance brings Character and Character brings Hope.
Romans 5:3-4 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Tip #3 – God’s Light Guides Us
Glitter doesn’t sparkle in the dark, your soul won’t shine there either. Let the Lord’s light in and you’ll outshine the darkness forever.
John 8:12
Again therefore Jesus spake unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Tip #4 – It’s all about that Joy!
Happiness is an illusion, Joy is where it’s at.
Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye grieved; for the joy of Jehovah is your strength.
Tip #5 – Our Treasures are Where Our Hearts Lie
Those who hope for treasures on earth will find death, but those who hope on the Spirit will live treasured forever.
Matthew 6:20-21 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Tip #6 – He is the Way, the Truth and the Life
Being focused on the Heavenly Father will separate you from the others… But it will put you in tune with the Way, the Truth and the Life. Get used to different.
Psalm 91:14-15
“Because he loves Me, I will deliver him; because he knows My name, I will protect him. When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.”
Tip #7 – Christ is our Light in Darkness
Be at Peace, there’s a way thru the worst of times. Though you can’t see the light in the tunnel, following Him will lead to Life.
John 1:4
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind.
Tip #8 – Our Confidence Lies in the Lord
You can play with the Big Dogs of the world or play with the Big Dogs in Heaven; one brings a much humbler existence but leads to Eternal Life.
Philippians 3:2-3
Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh! For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh
Tip #9 – We are to Inherit the Kingdom of God
Satan has a way of looking like a best friend. He will give you all the whimsies of the world and your deepest desires. But in the end, you will find you never knew the Spirit and your soul will be lost.
Galatian 5:19-21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Tip #10 – We are to Gain Christ above all Things
Losing everything you have to gain Spiritual Wisdom is worth it.
Philippians 3:7
More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Tip #11 – The Spirit of God Gives us True Prosperity
Prospering in the world and prospering in the Spirit look completely different. Only one gives true Life.
Proverbs 28:25
A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched
Tip #12 – Our Strife is for Our Building in Christ
Getting what we want isn’t always a blessing… Be careful what you wish for. More so, may we always get what we need to bring us back to our Father’s Loving Arms.
Psalm 106:15
Yet they soon forgot His works, and failed to wait for His counsel. They craved intensely in the wilderness and tested God in the desert. So He granted their request, but sent a wasting disease upon them.
Tip #13 – Having Faith Gets Us Through Anything
Life doesn’t “Get Better”. There’s always gonna be something to deal with. We just get over it and start accepting that these trials actually build us in Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal glory that is far beyond comparison. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Tip #14 – Sanctification Takes Time
God’s “Temporary” feels like a lifetime to humans… Live in the now… Jesus will come back for His flock.
2 Peter 3:8
Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.
I pray this comes as an encouragement in Christ. Praise Be to the Lord who has set us Free!
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