Paul exhorts Timothy not just to be an example in word alone, but in every area of His life (1st Timothy 4:12). A crucial element to living a life that pleases God is not just hearing and repeating the Word, but demonstrating it through our obedience to God. All throughout the Word, we are admonished repeatedly to do the Word (obey God). Ezekiel (33:30-31) says:

““As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ 31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.”

God had a controversy with Israel. They loved to hear the Word, they went to church and even talked to each other about it, but when it came time to do it, they were nowhere to be found. They drew near to God with word only and not their heart. At the end of the day, they still chased after their way of doing things.

Sometimes this happens just from a lack of teaching, or understanding. Other times its blatant disobedience. An example of this today can look like: I go to church hear a message and then go home and forget about it. Instead of investing time to understand what was said and ask God for revelation of it, I “know” it and move onto the next thing. The Word that was spoken has no lasting impact on my life or the lives around me because I didn’t value it.”

God is looking for people who will serve Him in every circumstance and area of their life. The question is how? Being an example of Christ in both word and deed comes back to one fundamental truth. God’s Word transforms our lives (Romans 12:1-2). If we want to walk like Jesus walked on this earth, first and foremost, our relationship with Him has to come consistently first.

Let’s take a closer look at the verse I just mentioned.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)

We are to present our lives as a sacrifice to God, through His mercy. It is God’s mercy that we can come to Him and seek His face. When we seek to honor God and choose to put down the things we want to do, we are submitting our lives as a sacrifice to Him. Today that can look like getting off Netflix for the evening and spending time studying the Word and praying. I want to make it clear I am not saying spending time enjoying a movie or tv show is wrong, but what I’m saying is we don’t have to veg-out every evening to those things.

No matter where we are in life, we can be an example of Jesus to everyone around us. We can show the love and mercy of God even in the most difficult of situations if we choose to submit to Him.

God help me be an example of your love and mercy in every circumstance in my life. I thank you that You are transforming my life by Your Holy Spirit when I spend time in Your Word. Thank you for the grace to live my life the way you meant it to be lived. Amen!

Have you ever gone through a hard time and heard the advice “Just trust God”? I cannot count the number of times I have heard and given that advice. The question then becomes: “Well how do I do that?” Do I just decide to trust God? Is believing God easy or difficult?

Knowing God vs. Knowing about Him

Knowing someone and knowing about someone are two very different experiences. I can hear about someone, who they are and what they’re about, and yet my perspective could be vastly different from the truth. Depending on who you talk to, someone could be a saint or a devil. Furthermore, when we don’t personally know someone, it’s almost impossible to trust them with something as personal as access to our checking account, or keys to our house. It would be absurd to give someone a key to your home that you don’t know and say “Well I have heard you’re a pretty cool person, here ya go, don’t do anything that would damage my personal property and make sure you keep it clean.”

Here lies the danger in knowing about God and not knowing Him personally. I will only be able to trust Him to the extent I know Him. I can go to church and hear good things about God, but it’s not until I experience Him and know Him for myself that I can trust Him. 1st John 4:16-18 (AMP) says: We have come to know [by personal observation and experience], and have believed [with deep, consistent faith] the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides continually in him. In this [union and fellowship with Him], love is completed and perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him]; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love].

Notice what verse 16 says: “We have come to know [BY PERSONAL OBSERVATION AND EXPERIENCE].” Jesus gave us access to a personal relationship with Him so we could fully know and trust Him. When I get to know who God is, I start to understand His will and nature. I know Him as good, as someone who is the strength of my life and works all things out for the good of those who love Him who are called according to His purpose. Without personal investment in your relationship with Jesus, you will not have the confidence or faith to trust Him fully with everything.

The Bible tells us in (Romans 10:11 AMP) that those who trust in the Lord will not be disappointed. When we choose to put our trust in God for His will to be done in our lives, it takes all the pressure off us. Instead of being tormented by the fear of how something will or won’t turn out, we will have peace knowing our Father in Heaven is caring for us. Take a look at what Isaiah 46:3-4 says:

“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
Who have been upheld by Me from birth,
Who have been carried from the womb:
Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs, I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry and will deliver you.

All throughout the Word, God promises and reminds us that He loves and cares for us. His promise of peace is always available to those who will take hold of it and trust Him.

Practical Application

Get to know God for yourself. While teaching from others isn’t bad, you need that personal relationship for yourself. Romans 10:17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Trusting God takes a personal investment to know His Word.

When a challenge comes your way, ask God for help. (Lord help me trust you in this challenging situation, so your will is done). Ask God to show you scripture to base your faith on.

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. -Romans 8:12-14

As I have stated before, Jesus died for more than us getting fire insurance. He also gave His life for us so we could receive the Holy Spirit (John 16:7). It is His Spirit that enables us to live the life Jesus died for. If we live our lives by the Spirit, our lives will accomplish what Jesus died for. Hebrews 4:7-8 says see that you don’t refuse Him who speaks from heaven. Jesus tells us that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

If we are renewing our mind in the Word consistently and getting understanding and wisdom from the Holy Spirit on how to do it, and then we do it, we are walking by the Spirit of God. He changes our focus, thoughts, and actions. His Word affects every area of our life and brings Glory to the Father in every situation. Paul writes in Galatians 5:1 to encourage believers to continue in what they have heard. Not to turn back to the old way of doing things. This admonishment is still extremely important for us today. God has given us everything we need to succeed, and we just have to take hold of it.

Satan’s whole goal is to steal, kill and destroy. The Bible tells us he goes around like a roaring lion seeking who he may devour(1st Peter 5:8). He does this by speaking lies to influence your thoughts and actions. Let’s look at a simple example of this. Ephesians 4:29 tells us to make sure everything we say is good and helpful to the hearer.

Now, let’s take a look at the past week or so. Was everything I said good and helpful to everyone around me? Did I get cut off in traffic and call someone an idiot (or something of similar nature)? Did I speak poorly of, or to my boss, neighbor, co-workers, etc.? If I did, that means I have taken in a lie from the devil and perpetuated it. Instead of my words being good and helpful, I poisoned other peoples view on someone else. That is one example of being under the influence of the spirit of this age.

I can’t tell you how many times I have said or done something as a knee-jerk reaction to a situation. Instead of my response being based on scripture and guidance from the Holy Spirit, it was motivated by how I felt and what I thought was right. The fact of the matter is if we allow outside influences, a sense of being wronged or any other mindset that isn’t renewed by the Word to influence our decisions, we are under the power of the Spirit of this age. Galatians 5:19-21 tells us the works of the flesh are obvious. If your life is bearing one or multiple of these fruits, then it’s time to ask God to reveal His Word to you concerning that area.

You may be thinking well I am saved, the devil does not influence me! Let’s look at Paul’s letter in Galatians 5. Here the Galatians backpedaled from what was taught to them about justification through Christ and began looking for righteousness through the law. Paul pleads with them to change their minds and tells them not to become entangled AGAIN with the yoke of bondage (verse 1). He goes onto say in verse 7-8 “You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.”

Notice what Paul said, “this persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.” He was telling the Church “Hey! What you are doing is not from Jesus. Deception has influenced you!” Here is a clear example of believers who were trapped in deception and influenced by the Spirit of this age. Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1st Corinthians 10:12). The Bible warns us to take heed lest we fall. In other words, don’t get so high-minded that you think you know better and won’t fall to temptation or that it is impossible to do so.

Jesus died so we could walk under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When we walk in that guidance, we are going to reflect Jesus everywhere we go and in every situation.

Practical Application:
*  Ask God to help you identify areas in your life that you are under the influence of the        spirit of this age
*  Renew your mind in the Word of God
*  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you walk in God’s ways in every situation

Hardship isn’t something anyone wants to go through, but it is a part of living here on this Earth. Jesus said in John 16:33
“These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (NKJV)
So here is a promise you don’t often see in a promise book. Jesus said that you WILL face hardship. Being a follower of Christ doesn’t mean you’ll escape all the problems life throws at you; it means you WILL have problems thrown at you. The good thing is we can deal with EVERYTHING because Christ made a way to overcome.

 

Joy in Turmoil

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” – James 1:2-4 (NLT)

James tells us to consider it an opportunity when trouble comes! When sickness tries to come against you or a loved one, or you acquire an unexpected expense, it is an opportunity for joy! James further states the reason to be joyful is that when we’re under pressure, we have an opportunity to grow. Notice the Word says we have a chance to grow. Just because we are facing trouble, does not mean we will grow automatically.

There are two ways we can face hardship. We can let our mind dwell on every possible outcome which will develop and cultivate fear and anxiety in your heart, or we can allow the Word to rule our thought life. The Bible tells us to think on the things which are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, things that are of a good report (Philippians 4:8). This means that part of living in the Kingdom of God means to stop listening (dwelling on) to every thought that comes at you and start meditating or dwelling on the Word of God! Joy in troubled times comes from believing and doing the Word.

When we choose to believe and trust God, we are choosing to grow in trials. 1st Peter 5:6-8 Gives us a clear picture on how to deal with hardship. Verse 6 tells us to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. Verse 7 tells us how to humble ourselves; by casting all of our cares on God. We practically do that by choosing to believe God at every turn in our life; taking the Bible and asking God to reveal it to us and how to apply it. This allows God’s grace to flow in our lives to glorify Him in everything!

Peter also gives us further instruction and warning in verse 8. He tells us to be self-controlled and watchful because satan is looking for people who are not operating in the Grace Jesus has provided. One way we can practice self-control is by not allowing our mind to wander to every worst possible outcome. If we fixate on what satan wants, we operate outside of the grace of God, and we will never rise above the situation to glorify God. This is how satan devours you, by attacking your faith and hope.

When we don’t stand on the Word in trials, we crumple in depression and fear. This causes us to trust in our way of doing things and not relying on and trusting God. If we want our life to reflect Jesus and grow in our relationship with Him, we can start by standing in faith when hardships come. When we allow God to work in every aspect of our life, including our thought life, He will be glorified.

Practical Application

Ask God to help you recognize opportunity to grow.
Meditate on God’s Word in good times and hard times.
Be grateful that He will never leave you nor forsake you and He works all things out for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purposes.

Last time we talked about being offended. This week we are talking about being the offender. Now, I know what you’re thinking “I don’t offend people.” But here is the thing, you probably have and probably will. More than likely you don’t mean to, but it can happen. Before we start, offense caused because of the Gospel is a different subject for a different time. I am not referring to that when writing this blog, so keep that in mind.

I remember several months ago I was with my sister-in-law Lily. We were hanging out with a mutual friend talking and what not. Well, Lily enjoys internet videos of all types, and she had one to show our little group. She sets the video up and goes off to cook up some snacks. After the video ends, I close it out and notice that she has an UNHOLY amount of tabs open in her browser.

So naturally, me being me, I proceeded to “help” her and close all her tabs. I would soon come to regret my poor decision! After Lily had seen my helping hand, she did not take it well. Now, you’re thinking “okay, just apologize and that would be that.” Nope!

In all my wisdom I proceed to throw gas on a relativity small fire. “I don’t know why you’re getting upset; it’s not a big deal.” Needless to say, that comment caused a small, easily solvable dispute to turn into offense. While closing those tabs was not something I did maliciously, it still caused a problem.

Here lies the danger of being an offender. If you see something you have done has caused problems, GO FIX IT. The problem isn’t just with the person who you offended; it’s also with you if you don’t own up to it. It may seem to you like you are not at fault, but if something you did offend someone go to them and do everything in your power to make it right. Jesus says in Matthew 5:23-24 that if someone has something against you, go to them and make it right, then bring your offering to the alter.

Jesus puts personal responsibility on the offender to try and make things right. I’m not putting all the fault on the person who caused the offense, read my last blog, but what I am saying is YOU have a responsibility to live the way Jesus intended and died for. The most prominent reason we don’t do our part is pride. “I am right, you are wrong, and I have nothing to apologize for.” We would rather defend our position more than defend against the enemy who is trying to cause division. If you are only quick to forgive, and not apologize, you are ensnared by the devil!

In the somewhat humorous example I gave with my sister-in-law in my mind I was right. My reasoning was because she was being petty and it was no big deal, but to her, it was. So as I was thinking about the situation later, the Lord spoke to me, and it wasn’t to confirm to me that Lily needs to work on not being offended. To my surprise, He gave me a good talking to. The short and skinny of it was “Hey, your critical and pious attitude is the problem here.”

Then the Lord proceeded to reveal to me the way satan uses this to take advantage and do what he does (kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10)). You see, when you decide to take action in a situation based on what you think instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you, it ends with more offense and hurt. In the example I gave, instead of trying to defend myself and telling Lily what she should be doing, I should have quickly humbled myself and apologized. Humility in asking for forgiveness brings grace for healing. God gives grace to the humble and resists the proud (1st Peter 5:6).

We have many opportunities every day to either show people Jesus or not. As you spend time getting to know God, it changes who you are and how you react to situations. James ?? tells us that strife comes from YOUR fleshly desires. If I find myself in a quarrel, it’s a me problem. It’s time we take a look at the man in the mirror and ask God to reveal pride, selfish ambitions and to help you change.

 

Practical Application:

Next time you see an argument coming, take a step back and say “Lord, I need your help and grace to show your character and nature in this situation.”

Ask God to change your heart to seek His will in every situation and not your own.

Paul told the Church in Corinth (2nd Corinthians 2:10-11) “Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” In today’s words, we might say it like “Hey! Listen up! Satan has ways of doing things, and if you are aware of them, you won’t be easily taken captive by the enemy.” This warning still should be taken very seriously by people today.

Before we go further, I want to make this clear. Don’t look at this and think “I don’t have offense, this doesn’t apply to me.” If something is in the Bible, it has EVERYTHING to do with you. Even if you are offense free, this seed can reap benefits in the future. Satan is super sneaky, and if you don’t see the warning signs, you fall into his trap before you even know what happened.

Offense starts as a seed

Often offense starts as a small complaint or perception. Thoughts like “so and so doesn’t like me” “So and so ruined this for me,” “So and so is getting what they deserve,” “so and so is attacking me,” etc. These are just a few examples of what the seed of offense looks like. It starts with a simple thought that is justified by your current or past circumstances or mindsets. The danger lies in subtly, thoughts like these often go unnoticed or unaddressed.

Satan tries to appeal to your sense of self-worth. Thoughts like “they shouldn’t treat me like that,” “I deserve better,” “what did I do to deserve this” are just a few. He also appeals to your pride by taking the Word and using it as a weapon to further nurture the seed of offense. “The Bible says they shouldn’t be doing that” or, “The Bible says they should be doing this.” When Satan sows offense, he always calls into question the character of others. This is ultimately a smoke screen to divert your attention from the real enemy (Ephesians 6:12).

All these thoughts are divisive and are seeds that can grow into strongholds in your life. If you take the bait, he then goes on to work on separating you from people who care for you, family/friends/church and works to pair you with people who have bitterness in their heart. Satan continues to sow resentment in your heart through thoughts and the words of others. This not only affects you, but it affects others as you now plant it into their life. Instead of one who gives light and life to people, you sow hurt and shape opinions based on offense and bitterness.

When the offense starts flourishing in your life, you reap its harvest. That harvest looks like broken relationships and a suspicious mind. You blame someone else for what is happening in your life. Looking at everything they do as an annoyance or looking at everything they do as malicious. Your bitterness grows, and you have an excuse for your offense. “Well, you don’t know what they are like behind closed doors.” “You don’t know what they did to me.”

The end game offense is broken homes, families, churches, and friendships. Satan uses this tool to separate you from anyone who can speak correction and truth into your life. Offense will isolate you from the Body God called you to be a part of. This is dangerous because you then try to function outside of where God placed you to flourish and use your gifts to their fullest.

 

Signs of offense

Offense, just like everything bears fruit. You can identify this fruit by what you do and say.

• Not wanting to be around someone
  Avoiding interaction with someone or cutting ties with them because of a disagreement is a sign that offense has entered your heart. If I am trying to avoid interaction with someone or trying to hide from them, I have fallen into satan’s trap.
• Talking bad about someone
  Talking poorly of someone because of something they did or said is a sure sign of offense. This includes accusations, gossip, running to others to tell your side of the story with no intention to bring healing.
• Unhealthy thoughts
  Nagging thoughts of a negative experience with someone reveals your heart towards them. Reliving a hurt in your mind over and over reinforces the stronghold of offense.
• Looking at the offender as the enemy
  Looking at the person who offended you as an enemy reveals offense. If you look at someone else as the problem, you have fallen into satans trap. The Bible is clear on what the problem is, and it is not people.

Breaking the Stronghold

Now that we can identify offense, how do we get free from it? Hebrews 4: says we can come to God for grace and mercy for help in time of need. A lot of hurt from offense can run deep. We need the power of God to be free from holding onto the past. Repenting for holding onto offense is the first step. Repentance is the open door you need for grace and mercy to flow in your life.

Jesus gave us some commandments to live by “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also…” Getting even is not the way God made us to live in this life. Start praying for those who you feel slighted by. Ask God to bless them and if it’s in your power and opportunity be good to them.

All those things Jesus listed is a result of a relationship with Jesus. When we walk in proper relationship with Jesus our focus shifts from our will to His will being done. God wants each of us to walk as He did so we can glorify God in every situation!

Being a doer of the Word is one of the most revolutionary things you can do in your life. Being a Christian myself for quite some time I have piles of notebooks of teaching and personal revelation. God has blessed me so much with His Word. Here is the problem though, I largely did nothing with it. I was looking through all my notes one day and thought “If I took time to value these and seek God on how to apply knowledge to my life, I would look a lot different.

I believe it is the same way with a majority of the Church. We have a lot of knowledge but little in the way of practical application of that knowledge. James 1:22 tells us to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. The devil doesn’t mind if we hear the Word as long as there is no practical application in our life. When there is no practical application, satan comes and steals the word from our hearts.

Think of it this way. When a farmer goes out to plant a seed in his field, he expects a harvest. His livelihood depends on that seed coming to maturity. So naturally, he works hard to make sure his seed has every opportunity to thrive and produce full yield. As Christians, we can hear the Word Sunday or in our personal time with God, but never see it produce fruit in our lives because we are not adequately taking care of the seed sown into our hearts.

Like the farmer, we must take the Word of God and not just plant it in our hearts, but nurture it. That means we take the Word and study it. We don’t just hear a message Sunday, but we meditate on it and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us. That is what it means to hide the Word in your heart. We can’t just plant something and expect it to grow without taking any time to nurture it.

Let’s take a closer look at James 1:22-25

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

These Scriptures outline what happens when we don’t do the Word. Firstly, we become deceived. When we don’t act on the Word it gives satan a place to twist and take what we have received from God. Then when the storms of life come, we have a crummy foundation, trying to believe that the situation will work out, but confessing something different. Secondly, We suffer from identity crisis. James tells us it’s like looking in a mirror then forgetting what we look like.

We are supposed to be a reflection of God. The Bible tells us we were fashioned in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). The Bible also says that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was God (John 1:1). So when we look at the Bible and see the nature and character of God, we see who we are made to be. What happens when we don’t do the Word, is we look and see who God made us to be and we never walk in the identity He gave us.

We can read things like Matthew 5:14, Proverbs 28:1, or 1st John 4:18-19 but never rise to the occasion because we don’t practice what we hear. When the storms of life come, and they definitely will, if you apply the Word of God and walk in it, you WILL overcome. There is no “well it might work out,” God works out everything for the good of those who love Him who are called according to His purpose. When you decide to abandon the way you have always done things and choose to walk the Word out, it will change your life and the lives of those around you forever. A person who applies one Word from God to their life will see infinity more than an individual who has read the entire Bible and done nothing with it.

The Practical Application

So how do we go from hearing to doing? We simply rely on the Holy Spirit to reveal the Word to us, show us how to apply it, and enable us to walk in it. Philippians 2:13 (NLT) says this “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” The thing about Jesus is that He died because we could not earn righteousness, nor could we fulfill His law. We need the work of the Holy Spirit desperately in our life.

Ask God to reveal His Word to you. Go over what you heard in your local Church on Sunday and your personal time with Him. Ask God to show you how to apply it. He will enable you to be obedient and walk in a way that pleases Him. Start small, and the seed of humility and obedience will grow in your life, and you’ll be a wellspring of life to affect the World around you!

“I’m not prideful!” That was my self-estimation when I would read scripture like Proverbs 3:34 or James 4:6. Often we hear these scriptures, and we can think “I am humble, I don’t want God resisting me.” Let’s take a look at what God says about pride and how we humble ourselves. 1st Peter 5:5-6 says

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

According to this passage part of the way we humble ourselves before God is casting all our care on Him. That doesn’t mean I don’t care about anything and let everything happen as it comes, but rather I seek the Lord and obey Him in EVERYTHING. Being humble before God is coming under His Lordship and allowing Him to guide you, not you doing something and telling Him to bless it. God’s rule and voice should be the only thing that stirs us to action. Taking action on our fear, what we think is best, or anything else is not being led by God.

Humility asks, pride assumes. Jesus was an example of someone who submitted to God in every way. In John 5:19-20 Jesus said He does nothing of His own accord or out of what He thought was good He only did those things His Father showed Him. As a believer, we need to be submitting to God as Jesus did. When decisions need to be made, or a tough situation arises, do we go to God or try and work it out ourselves? I’ve been guilty of praying about a situation but not bothering getting an answer from God on what I should do.

I assumed I knew what was right and good. But the Bible says in Proverbs 14:12 that there is a way that seems right to a man, but it leads to death. Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will not align with Gods will or with what is good. Humility believes the Bible and believes that there is no good outside of the will of God (James 1:17). Humility will always seek to align with Gods will; pride will always try and align God with its will. Humility recognizes God’s Lordship and our need for grace and mercy.

Hebrews 3:7-8 says: “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness.” Pride is rooted in a deception that you can live a Christian life without reliance on God and His Spirit guiding you. God wants to speak to us! He wants us to bring His government here to earth. He wants His people to humble themselves to seek His face so His glory can be shown in our lives.

Let’s look at a few ways we can identify pride.

• Going to church on Sunday and forgetting what was taught. There is no practical implementation of it in our lives.
• Not seeking the Kingdom first in our daily lives.
• Not looking to God to guide you in family matters, job decisions, where to live, etc.
• Not going to a local Church, the Bible is clear God uses His Church to help us grow and mature
• Reading The Word without relying on the Holy Spirit to teach you. Not asking God to reveal Himself to you.
• Needing to justify yourself to others.
• Finding fault in people without seeking the Lord on their behalf. Or only seeing the bad in people and not what the Word says about them.

Those are just a few areas in our life we can identify. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas in your life where you have not submitted to Him.

“Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,” – Colossians 3:10 (NKJV)

We touched a bit about this in an earlier blog, but this is something worth going over in more detail and depth. When we receive Christ, we are to “put off” (basically the old sinful way you used to walk in has no power over you) the old man, and we receive a new identity according to what God (the Bible) says about us. Here in the passage above it says that our new man is renewed in knowledge according to the image of God. The Bible tells us in Genesis 1:27 we were created in the image and likeness of God. So this new man is meant to be a mirror image of God.

Ephesians 4:17-24 (NLT) says this:

With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Walking in the newness of life requires us to transform our minds in the truth that is Gods Word. We cannot expect to walk out our Christian life as a reflection of Christ if we don’t rely on the Spirit of God and His Word to change the way we think and act. Romans 12:1-2 tells us not to be conformed to the world (the old way of doing things) but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds in the Word. If we hold onto mindsets that are contrary to Gods Word, we cannot reflect Him. Those mindsets could look like “I’m just timid or shy by nature” (Proverbs 28:1) “I’m afraid of…” (2nd Timothy 1:7) “I’m ugly” (Psalm 139:14) “I’m stupid, or I can’t do anything right (1st Corinthians 2:16) the list goes on and on.

Now we may think that some of these mindsets aren’t that big of a deal, but if I accept a lie, I exchange the truth of Gods word for a lie and walk in deception. The Word of God will always produce healthy mindsets because the entrance of His Words brings light and life. When His Word is revealed to us by the Spirit, and we accept it, we have the grace to walk in the newness of life that God intended for man. That new man is to live a life that isn’t controlled by fear, depression, etc. He called us to love and serve Him with our whole being spirit, soul, and body. Do your mindsets line up with the Word? If not it’s time to get new perspective.

Practical Steps:

• Ask God to reveal Himself to you. If you know who your Creator is, you will know who you are meant to be.
• Seek the Lord! You cannot have the truth revealed to you if you don’t seek it.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and help you walk the way you should.