Friday, 3 February 2012

Change our words, thoughts, and attitude;



Becoming a Disciple of Christ requires change. We must remove old habits and develop new ones. Have you ever had difficulty trying to change a habit? Human beings are creatures of habit. We tend to continue acting as we have acted in the past. Like a river flowing through a canyon, the longer a habit continues, the more deeply it becomes ingrained, and the harder it is to change. This is true of all habits, good or bad. Therefore when we are repented and committed to follow Jesus. Old practices and attitudes must be replaced by new ones. We must learn good habits and eliminate bad habits. Change does not come easily. God's word is the best source of guidance for self-help and motivation for self-improvement.
Bible says “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” (Ephesians 4:22-23)
An Excellent prayer for all to Follow, Psalm 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." Our behavior may be blameless--while the thoughts are tainted with sin. It is easier to keep our acts without fault--than to keep our thoughts pure. We may do no outward act of unkindness; while our hearts may be full of selfishness. Hence ensure that our thoughts are so pure and clean--that they will be acceptable in God's sight. It is a great thing to be faultless in speech--but perfect grammar and articulation is not enough. Our words may be grateful and graceful--and yet our thoughts and motives may be full of hypocrisy, of deceit,& of all evil! The prayer here is that our thoughts may please God. This is a higher spiritual attainment, than merely faultless words. Then, a still higher test of life--is our meditation. Meditations are our deepest thoughts, the quiet reflection of our hearts. We meditate when we are alone, when we are shut away from others. Our minds then follow the go with the flow of our own desires, dispositions, and imaginations. If our hearts are clean and good--our meditations are pure and holy. But if our hearts are evil and unclean--our meditations are of the same moral quality. Thus, our meditations are an infallible test of our real self. "As a man thinks in his heart--so is he." (Proverbs 23:6).Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life!" (Proverbs 4:23). See that our primary focus is about our heart: that there, God's image is planted; His interests are advanced; the world and flesh are subdued; the love of every sin is cast out; and the love of holiness grows. Bible says "I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind!" Jeremiah 17:10
“In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end." Psalm 102:25-27.
Everything in this world is liable to change! Health may give place to sickness, pleasure may give place to pain, plenty may give place to poverty, love may give place to enmity, honor may give place to disgrace, strength may give place to weakness, and life may give place to death. Change is inevitable. He who rejects change is the architect of decay.  If we don't like something, change it. If we can't change it, change our attitude. We must become the change we want to see in the world. To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. The best changes often start as single, simple thoughts of God’s word. Think God’s way, and discover how to make our vision real. Knowledge of God is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change ourselves and the world.
But He cannot be changed. Who can go against Him? He does whatever He wants." (Job 23:13)

Bible says God will never change! “But He cannot be changed. With Him is no variableness. Yesterday — His name was Jesus; His nature was love; His purpose was to do us good with His whole heart and soul. Today — He is the same; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever — and He is our True Friend, gracious Savior! Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Let us cultivate . . .  intimacy with Him,  dependence upon Him,  concern to please Him,  fear to offend Him,  zeal to glorify Him; and it must be well with us in health and sickness, in plenty and poverty, in life and death! For He is the same, and will never turn away from doing us good — but remain the Fountain of love and holiness forever! This God is the God we adore, our faithful, unchangeable Friend; whose love is as great as His power, and neither knows measure nor end!

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