Sometimes it takes longer for some people to grow up. Why is that so? As I reflect on my own life, there were times that it was slow for me to grow up. And God would allow us to go through some kind of troubles, or trials, or pressures, that we may grow.
We had a Lifegroup last night, and we learned so much from one another, we were discussing about few things, such as potential, choices, our minds (or thoughts). Ultimately, God wants to change us from inside out.
Mind is very powerful thing. And it also ties together with the choice we make. There are many sermons and messages in regard to "mind". Here is a little bit from my pastor Mark (thanks again for the notes):
------
The ABCs
-Adversity: when we encounter adversity, we react by thinking about it.
-Belief: Our thoughts rapidly form beliefs. These beliefs may become so habitual that we don't even realize that we have them unless we stop and focus on them.
Emotions and actions do not follow adversity directly. Rather they issue directly from your beliefs about adversity.
- Consequences: beliefs don't sit there idly; they have consequences. The beliefs are the direct causes of what we feel and what we do next. They can spell the difference between dejection and giving up, on the one hand, and well-being and constructive action on the other.
Example A:
A – You didn’t get the promotion at work.
B – You think … you’re no good, you’re going to lose your job, your career is over, you’re going to you’re your car OR you need some more time to develop yourself and I’m sure they’ll be another opportunity.
C – You are depressed all day and don’t get much work done OR you feel fine and have a productive day.
Example B:
A – You’ve had some intense arguments with your wife.
B – You think … our marriage is over, maybe I married the wrong person, maybe we’ll end up divorced OR we can work through this, we’ll get some help if necessary, this will make us stronger in the long run
C – You give up and refuse to make any effort to fix things OR you make an extra effort to work it out, getting help if necessary.
If you change the habitual beliefs that follow adversity for you, your reaction to adversity will change.
------Romans 12:1-2 (The Message) says:
So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
No comments:
Post a Comment