It has become pretty clear in modern times that we have much more to learn about how our brain works, how the conscious and subconscious activities affect each other, and the power our brain has on the rest of our bodies and our state of being. Our thoughts can change our emotions, and it is clear that our thoughts can affect our physical condition making us ill and healthy. It is also clear that we have the ability to control what we think about.

These concepts remind me of Paul’s words in 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.” One version writes it like this, “….. but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”

I have recently heard it said, “Your personality is the combination of your thoughts, emotions and actions, and your personality creates your personal reality.”

Do we let circumstances decide how we will think, and thereby what person we are? or do we let God transform us into the people filled with, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” as Paul tells us the Holy Spirit gives us in Galatians 5:22-23?

Dear Lord, help us transform the way we think so we become the new people you would have us be; Living lives that bring glory to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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In Hebrews 12:1 Paul writes, “Therefore since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down especially the sin that so easily trips us up, and run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

If you are a runner, I am sure you can relate to the burden that an few extra pounds have on the effort required to run, particularly those first few runs after adding some weight over the winter or time away from exercise. If you are not a runner, have you ever had to run through the airport with a suitcase or dufflebag trying to catch a flight, or running into school with a backpack trying to make the bell. That is the example Paul uses to describe the burden sin has on the race we are running daily as Christians. Getting rid of that sin we are carrying, makes it so much easier to pursue those things we hear God calling us to do.

If we confess and repent of those sins, we can throw off the weight they have on our lives and follow our call more easily.

Dear Lord, we confess today the sins we have in our lives, we are humbly sorry for doing those things we know are against your will. Thank you for your forgiveness. Help us move forward running our race without these burdens in the future. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Sometimes we all have one of those days, where things just seem to go against us. Usually they are things that may be important to our work, or accomplishing our goals, but in the big picture, these obstacles do not threaten our lives, our safety, or our loved ones, they are just frustrating.

Colossians 3:15, in the New Century Translation, says, “Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because you were all called together in one body to have peace. Always be thankful.”

It is our wrong thinking that gets us into trouble. If we stop and look at all the things for which we have to be thankful, we can reset our thinking, and stop feeling sorry for ourselves.

Dear Lord, no matter what we are dealing with, we all have something for which to be thankful. Help us turn our thoughts to those things, and give thanks to you for these blessings. Your peace comes through this. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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One of the challenges we have, at times as Christians, is understanding what God wants us to do with our lives. Sometimes it seems so clear, and other times, not so much.

Jesus says to the disciples in Matthew 10:39 (NIV version), “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” The Message translation gives an interesting variation, “If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.”

I found the Message translation to be a very helpful way to interpret this verse and to determine what God wants us to do. If we focus on demonstrating our love for God by following His direction, spelled out in the Bible, loving others, and sharing the Christian message of hope, other parts of our life will come along.

It is a bit like tuning an instrument, like a guitar. On a guitar, you can get one string in tune, then play the same note on that string and another string in order to tune the second string. If the notes are very close, but not exactly in tune, there is what is called “dissonance” between the sounds. The dissonance can be heard as an uncomfortable tremolo or “beating” sound; As one of the strings is tuned closer and closer to the other’s pitch, the beating gets slower and slower and eventually goes away, resulting in one nice sound, in unison.

As the verse in Matthew says, when we adjust ourselves to God’s standard, the dissonance goes away and we are in unison with God’s will.

Dear Lord, You have a plan for each of us. Help us remember to tune our plans to your will and we will accomplish both. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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There is an expression first recorded several hundred years ago that goes, “There but for the grace of God go I.” This expression was used when seeing someone who’s mistakes or bad behaviors resulted in punishment or terrible consequences. In modern language, it would be like saying, “If not for the grace of God, that could be me.” It was used when looking at someone we would normally be inclined to judge, like the panhandler, drunk driver, or shoplifter.

James says in James 4:11-12, “Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?”

So when that thought comes to mind about tempting us to judge or condemn someone, we should remember, “but for the grace of God, it could be me.”

Dear Lord, Thank you for your saving grace and mercy. Help us remember that it is you working in us that allows us to believe and be saved, not anything to do with our abilities. by your grace we go. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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