Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God (Mic. 6:8).
God has two dwellings; one in heaven, the other in a meek and thankful heart.

Changing Always Starts With Choosing

Posted by Jon on 11 May 2022 Devotional 3

Something new from Rick Warren, which I found very feeding and helpful to my spiritual life. It was for me a very needed personal reminder to be more diligent in the area of guarding my heart and thoughts. "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23

Blurb: "The ability to make moral choices is one of the greatest gifts that God has given to each of us. In fact, our choices shape our lives far more than our circumstances do. This is especially true in the area of our minds. Choosing what we think about, how we think about it, and what we allow into our minds affects our lives daily."

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Comments

  • Luz

    • 10 months ago
    I am just wondering: this sounds all like the key is in our hands to change our lives. But thinking about Job...when did he get the victory? There was no way out of his terrible suffering by positive thinking. And God allowed the battle to go on for quite some time, even letting his ''wise friends'' giving all the ''good advice'' that was BS in God's eyes.

    Let the Spirit change your way of thinking... Joseph had to go through terrible moments in his life, but it was all God's plan. Could he have changed the circumstances through controlling his mind? I guess we will understand one day how much was really up to us and how much it was His will, the potter who works on the clay, to make us into the ''end product'': to be more like Jesus.

    Trust and hold on to faith -- but He is the One who gives us the grace to do so. All glory to HIM!

  • Frank

    • 10 months ago
    Thanks, Jon. Good reminders, good talk. Convicting for me. Seems like the battles in life so often take place in the mind, and that affects everything else, like the quote goes:

    Watch your thoughts; they become words.
    Watch your words; they become actions.
    Watch your actions; they become habits.
    Watch your habits; they become character.
    Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

  • Jon

    • 10 months ago
    I don't think the point was that you can get out of terrible suffering by positive thinking, but more that by bringing our thoughts into subjection to Jesus, we will do better when we face sufferings! I think Joseph had his thoughts under control when in the service of Potiphar and it cost him jail time. But his positive outlook was a factor in him gaining favor with those running the prison!

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