Daily Doses of Gospel "PiLLs": habits

Monday, March 22, 2010

Sometimes We Are So Busy Adding Up Our Troubles That We Forget to Count Our Blessings

There are situations in my life that I have allowed to me off course. Sometimes troubles tend to surmount like gushing geysers, and before you realize what has happened, you’ve been swept off your feet and engulfed by the undercurrents of life. Ever had any of those?

The enemy has a way of hyping things up to make them appear more than they really are, but during conflict and hardship, you must remember one thing - STAY FOCUSED! For one moment of a negative thought can swiftly slip you into the plains of despondency. Forgetting about God, faith, and His Word in times like these is NEVER an option.

How do we do this in a practical way, in every day life, walking and talking? There’s a neat little scripture that reads, “Overcome evil with good.” I like to think of it as “replacement theorem.” If a person is so busy focusing on the good, and trying to do good, and to be of good cheer, when do they have to for the evil? Overcome bad thoughts with intently focusing on good thoughts. Overcome bad behavior by doing something good and productive and fruitful. If you are busy being good, the pity parties go away, and and so does the meddling, discord, and disconnects in life; then peace, happiness, and goodness can begin to flow.

Changing your focus is like changing directions when driving. If that road doesn't work, change course. Quit the stinking thinking! Think on whatever is lovely, holy, good, positive, productive … with choice, by practice, on purpose with intent. If a person is busy counting their blessings, they surely not busy counting their miseries and discouraging troubles, right? Spring is a good time for new growth and change in direction and old habits.

We are like actors; we will play either the part of the victim or the victor. Which one are you? When the enemy reminds you of what you are lacking, remind yourself of what you do have. When you are through counting, you will realize how blessed you truly are, and often immeasurably blessed.

Psalms 77:11, 12 says “I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old, I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.” Allow the wind of the Holy Spirit and the love of God to raise you above your circumstances.

Tilt your hearts toward the SON!

Narda Goodson

First Lady of Whitewright, Texas

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Monday, November 9, 2009

What Am I Willing to Give Up for Him?

A watchman is someone who patrols or guards something in particular. God has called each of us as watchmen to guard or patrol many things in our lives. How well are we governing what the Lord has placed in our personal care?

Some of our sufferings are self-inflicted. There are distresses and miseries that I have undergone all due to the results of my undisciplined actions. There is no one to blame for it but me.

Like Adam, today, we try to shift the blame on someone or something else rather than facing the reality of our poorly made choices. We need to come out of denial and accept that we’ve been disorganized, undisciplined, and disobedient.

We’re inadequately managing our funds. We max out the credit cards and buy, buy, buy satisfying the untamed lust of our temporary WANTS, while completely disregarding or turning a blind eye to the need of our basic necessities and priorities. I have found that people will pay for what they want yet beg for what they need.

Sometimes it’s easier to shift the blame rather than being truthfully honest about the lack of restraint we exercise. We live outside of our means and then blame God, the job, the economy, or (and this is a good one), even the past for the hardship and trouble that our fruitless actions spawn. We’ve somehow gotten use to dancing to the blaming rhythm, and while this is not always the case in every situation, for many it is.

My personal weight gain is a result of lack of exercise, poor eating habits, late night eating, and just plain ole laziness. If I really want to lose weight and become better fit, then I will have to make a decision to stop eating late at night, discipline myself to eating healthier foods, and then subject myself to grueling exercises.

I personally know that when I want something bad enough, God has given me the ability and the power to make a conscious, dogmatic decision to change. I’ve done it before. The question then remains, how bad do I want this change and what am I willing to give up for it?

Case and point:

I was only 15 years old, just newly saved, and into my third month of accepting Christ into my heart. My preferred choice of cigarettes was Newport with a touch of menthol. I remember that I could not wait until church was over to go around the corner and satisfy the nicotine fit I was undergoing.

While some condemned me in their thoughts when they saw me (you could tell by the distorted, religious looks on their faces), the Lord, in His gracious and loving mercy knew that my flesh had some bad habits and a lot of catching up to do with my new spiritual walk in Christ. I was a work in progress and although God wasn’t going to send me to hell for smoking, it sure made me smell like I had been there every time I did. Remember, I was saved first, then, my deliverance from these awful bad habits came after, usually one at a time.

I knew that smoking was not good for my health, it would deteriorate my organs, probably cause cancer, and the possibility existed that I would meet my Maker a lot sooner if I did not give it up. But the pleasure, lust, and pull of this physical addiction kept me lighting up with the hopes that one day I would give it up and call it quits.

Let’s take look at over-indulgence. How many of us have had to deal with this ugly ogre? How about character development? How many of us are still working on integrity? How many of us still have bad attitudes that unmistakably and noticeably show up while waiting in the traffic lane, department store, or waiting room?

It is God’s desire to help us sever the bad habits that hinder and stump our growth, as well as, put an end to the things that causes infertility, poverty, and spiritual barrenness. As my relationship with the Lord began to flourish, I discovered my inner desire to stop smoking increased greatly. The more Christ and His Word increase was the more my bad habits decreased.

Feeding and filling your heart with the Word of God over long periods will empower you to prevail over your fleshy desires. But if we are not refueling our spiritual gas tank with spiritual nourishment, then we are more than likely to walk, talk, and behave carnal, never arriving to spiritual maturity. Some of us never receive our deliverance because we refuse to give up what “pleases” the flesh rather than surrendering them and laying them at the foot of the Cross.

If you find your bad habits continually prevailing over your desire to stop, quit, or change that which is causing unproductive fruit in your life, then there is just cause to believe there is a spiritual leak somewhere in your tank. Most of the time, we know where the leak is and what’s causing it.

The question still remains, how bad do I want this change and what am I willing to give up for it?

Tilt your heart towards the Son!