Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Immerse Yourself

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" 1 Peter 1:13-15

1. "Prepare your minds for action...." How do you prepare your mind for action? I do so through meditation on the word of God and prayer. I would also add that confessing your faults/sins to a strong believer that can hold you accountable and intercede with you is also encouraged in the Word.

2. "Be self-controlled..." How can you be more self-controlled? Meditation on the word of God, self-reflection and prayer. I think it's important to assess your weaknesses and put guards up. If you don't learn from your previous mistakes, you're bound to repeat them.

3. "Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." How do you do this? The key is to set your hope fully... YOU have to do that. No one else can do that for you. You have to soak yourself in the word and hope that Jesus prepared for us. You have to believe the Word first and believe the promises of the Word. Then fix your eyes on Jesus. Zone in as he did on the hope set before him that allowed him to endure the cross. We have to zone in on the hope set before us and not on our current circumstances, good or bad, it's not to be compared to what God has in store for us.

4. "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance." Think about what things had you bound before Christ, the sins that so easily entangled. Compare yourself to a child (for we really are children), what's your level of obedience? Again, you have to identify those weak areas and strengthen against them. I rehearse in my mind how I want to deal with certain things when they tempt me. I've identified my weak areas (and the devil knows them too) and though I recognize them and know I can be susceptible to them, I work on strengthening those areas and practice offensive and defensive manuevers. Frequently apostle Paul makes reference to the war in members or how the spirit wrestles with the flesh. This is a fight. Make up your mind not to conform or give in. We are a new creation.

5. "Be holy..." We are made holy through the blood of Jesus, however, now the word is telling us to BE holy, ie., to walk in holiness, to walk in obedience, to walk righteously.

Oh Lord,
"Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you."  Thank you for your Comforter. Thank you for your Word. Thank you that we are never alone. Thank you for your guidance. Thank you for your faithfulness, you never slumber and you never sleep. Thank you for your love, your mercy and your grace. Help us this day to walk as you would have us walk. Help us to be prepared in our minds, our spirits and bodies. Help us to walk by faith and not by sight today. Strengthen us so that we do not succumb to temptation, but walk in obedience to your word.


Because your love is better than life, we want our lips and our lives to glorify you.


In Jesus' name, Amen.

5 comments:

  1. Amen Beverly!

    Blessings and peace.

    MTJ

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  2. Beautiful, Beverly!

    "Because your love is better than life, we want our lips and our lives to glorify you." Oh yes!!

    Thank you for your wise words today - and for bringing us the WORD!!

    GOD BLESS!

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  3. Amen, may our life glorify Jesus!

    http://youcanfacetodaybecausehelives.blogspot.com

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  4. Hi Beverly -

    Thank you for being a Word lady. It is appreciated that you steadfastly lead to the Word!

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  5. Sandra, I can't imagine being anything else. His love is truly better than life and the only way I know it is from his word. What the world is missing!

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