Set your Affection

Where is your affection? No really, I mean it. Think about it. Where is your affection? What are you actively concerned about? What do your actions have to say about that? What are you constantly thinking about? What is your mind on?

Me? oh, yeah.... not on what's it's supposed to be most of the time. I have to admit, I have been thinking a whole lot about my future... in a worried way, like will I ever get married? (even though I'm only sixteen, yes, I think about this...) like, will I ever have kids? like, will I be able to afford college? like, will I ever be able to go to Paris (okay, now we're getting a little off-track...)

The point is, my mind is not usually where it should be. Sometimes it is... but lately, not so much. Worry squirms its slimy way into my mind and expands until all other things are completely minimized. And then I feel like I'm walking around trying, trying, trying so hard to squeeze under the worry and dwell on something worthwhile, but the honest truth of the matter is that when worry is in a small part of my mind, it's in every part of my mind. And I don't like it, but for some reason I want to hang on to it. Maybe it's a control thing, I don't know. But I know that worry is no good.

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

-Colossians 3:2

We've been studying this verse a lot in girls' group the past couple of weeks... And I've been thinking about worry. I don't think it quite fits in with the "things above..." It fits in a bit more with the flesh. The Greek word used in the previous verse for "set your affection" is phroneo, which is the same word that pops up in Romans 8:5-

"They that are of the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, and they that are of the Spirit the things of the Spirit."

You know what I don't see in that verse? I don't see "they that live in the 21st century may mind the things of the flesh and the Spirit cooperatively." No. Ya either mind the things of the flesh, or the things of the Spirit. Those of the Spirit are called to mind the things of the Spirit. No worry allowed. As a matter of fact, Christ tells us to cast all our worries on Him...

"Casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you."

-1 Peter 5:7

And I think I just hit an analogy. Have you ever gone fishing? I haven't. So maybe I don't have the liberty to use that as an analogy... But I'm pretty sure this verse means to completely give all our worries to God ;)

Rewind. There's another one here that I'm sure I understand.... When I read "Set your affection on things above..." it comes to my mind that there are different setting I can have my mind on. For example, picture a metal lever with a big red ball for a handle on the end of it. This lever is coming out of a wall with writing next to the lever. The lever can be moved to stay in one of two modes: the fleshy mode, and the Spiritual mode. Now picture that lever coming out of the side of your head, wired to your mind inside. It's your choice every moment of every day what setting you want your mind to be on... Whatever you choose, you will dwell on things pertaining to that mode. We might say that the result of each of the "modes" is revealed through an attitude, and further revealed through what actions are prevalent in our day. Now actually picture that lever on the side of your head right this very minute. What setting is it on???

You can tell by your attitude or your actions from a few minutes ago... Were they resembling the things of the earth, or the things above? Were they representing fleshly things, or Spiritual things? 

Don't be afraid to admit it if your mind is set on things on the earth right now... We have all been there many times and God already knows. Just grab that lever (FIGURATIVELY) and push it on up to the Spiritual mode. Ask God to change your thoughts, attitudes, and actions to bring glory to Him, instead of yourself.

If your at all struggling with this, read right on down through Colossians 3. The chapter talks all about the flesh vs. the Spirit. Take the time now and refocus on the things of God. It'll be worth it.

*Manufacturer's note: One of my creations once said... "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." The lever to your mind tends to naturally pop back to fleshly mode, because that is your human nature. You can keep this from occurring by continually focusing on the things of the Spirit and let the Spirit have rule in your hearts. If at any time your mind pops back into fleshly mode, you can simply refocus on Spiritual things. If you would like to know what these are, read Colossians chapter 3 in your manufacturer's manual; this will explain further the fleshly things and the Spiritual things.

What Defines You?

This was part of our most recent lesson in girls' group. Discovering how we define ourselves. Really, though, it's a choice. We choose what we define ourselves by, even though what we choose may not be the truth.

Sometimes we choose to define ourselves by our circumstances, or what others do to us. We tell ourselves that we are just a result of the events in our life. If this is how we choose to define ourselves, we will not get very far! If we define ourselves by our circumstances, we will break apart when something "bad" happens. This is obviously not the right way.

Then we sometimes allow what other people think of us to define us. We tell ourselves that what others think must be the truth. If this is how we choose to define ourselves, we will break apart when someone looks down on us for whatever reason. Still yet, we will break apart when we think others think badly of us! This is obviously not the right way.

And many times, we define ourselves by what we have done in the past. We have all done something we regret, and when we hold on to that, we break apart. This is obviously not the right way.

I could go on about different ways we ladies attempt to define ourselves, but the truth is that there is only one way that will yield to us the truth.

It's defining ourselves by the Truth!

let go.
let go.
let go.
let go.
let go!

So, let's let go of those wrong definitions of ourselves~ our circumstances, others' perceptions, and the past, and let's move on!

Philippians 3:13-14
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

We can start by defining ourselves by what God says is true. Here is a list to get y'all started!


     This is a neat tool called an "identity statement." This will help you when you are feeling discouraged or negative about yourself, because it reminds you of your God-given personality.

     What to do: The bell contains statements found in the Bible that are true of every Christian. I suggest you print it out, and read through it, highlighting five or six statements that seem to jump out at you.

     Next steps: Now it's time to start writing your identity statement. Start with your name. (My name is _______.) Then comes your spiritual identity, the five or six statements that you highlighted from the bell. Next, write down your relations to people you influence. (I am the daughter of _____ and _____.) These do not have to include only family members, but anyone you influence. Now, put in organizations or things you are part of or do regularly. ( I am a member of _____Church or I work at ______ or I have the gift of _____) The rest are things that come to your mind specifically, like a life verse.

     I encourage you to write this out and keep it with you. When you are feeling negative about yourself, fill yourself with truth by reading this and believing it!



I KNOW WHO I AM
I am God's child (John 1:12)
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15)
I am united with the Lord(1 Cor. 6:17)
I am bought with a price(1 Cor. 6:19-20)
I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)
I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)
I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt. 5:13-14)
I am a member of the body of Christ(1 Cor. 12:27)
I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8:31 -34)
I  am a citizen of Heaven.  I am significant. ( Phil. 3 :20 )
I  am  free  from any charge against me. ( Rom. 8:31-34 )
I  am a minister  of reconciliation for God. (2Cor. 5:17-21)
I  have  access  to God through the Holy Spirit.  (Eph. 2:18)
I  am  seated  with  Christ in the heavenly realms. ( Eph. 2:6 )
I  cannot be separated  from the love of God.  ( Rom. 8: 35-39 )
I am established, annointed, and sealed by God. (2 Cor. 1:21-22)
I am  assured all things work  together   for   good. ( Rom. 8 : 28 )
I  have  been  chosen  and  appointed  to  bear  fruit. ( John 15:16 )
I  may  approach God with  freedom  and  confidence.  ( Eph. 3:12 )
I  can  do all  things  through Christ who  strengthens  me. ( Phil. 4:13 )
I  am the branch of the true vine, a channel of  His life. ( John 15 : 1 - 5 )
I  am God's  temple ( 1 Cor. 3:16 ). I  am complete in  Christ ( Col. 2 : 10 )
I am hidden with Christ in God ( Col. 3 : 3 ). I have been justified ( Romans 5 :1 )
I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3 : 9; 2 Cor. 6:1). I am God's workmanship ( Eph.
2:10)
I  am confident  that  the  good  work  God  has  begun  in  me  will  be  perfected.
(Phil. 1:5)
I have been redeemed and forgiven ( Col. 1 : 14 ). I have been adopted as God's
child (Eph. 1:5).
I belong to God.



A practical way to use this list:
    This is a neat tool called an "identity statement." This will help you when you are feeling discouraged or negative about yourself, because it reminds you of your God-given personality.

     What to do: The bell contains statements found in the Bible that are true of every Christian. I suggest you print it out, and read through it, highlighting five or six statements that seem to jump out at you.

     Next steps: Now it's time to start writing your identity statement. Start with your name. (My name is _______.) Then comes your spiritual identity, the five or six statements that you highlighted from the bell. Next, write down your relations to people you influence. (I am the daughter of _____ and _____.) These do not have to include only family members, but anyone you influence. Now, put in organizations or things you are part of or do regularly. ( I am a member of _____Church or I work at ______ or I have the gift of _____) The rest are things that come to your mind specifically, like a life verse.

     I encourage you to write this out and keep it with you. When you are feeling negative about yourself, fill yourself with truth by reading this and believing it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Love you all!

Love with All

What prompted me to write this post? The fact that so many of us love the verse but so few of us understand what it really means or apply it to our lives.

So, first, let's read the verse:

Deut. 6:5 

And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

The commandment is repeated by Christ:

Luke 10:27

And he answering said, Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.



Wonderful!

And, too many times, we stop there. Today we're going further.

What it means:

Both the Hebrew and Greek words for love in these verses mean "love." 1 Corinthians 13 gives us a list of characteristics of love; Galatians 5 says love is a fruit of the Spirit; there are many passages of the Bible that talk about love. Here we see love in a command: to love with all our hearts, souls, might, and minds.


Love with all your heart.

The Hebrew word for "heart" in Deut. means "courage, mind, understanding." The Greek means "thoughts, mind, middle."

Love, with all your courage. {Love is courageous.}
Love, with all your mind. {Thoughts should be loving.}
Love, with all your understanding. {Understand that since God loves us, we are to love others.}
Love deeply. {You know the part that aches when your heart is broken? That's the part we are to love with.}


Love with all your soul.

The Hebrew word for "soul" in Deut. means "life, vitality, desire, content, self." The Greek means "spirit, vitality."

Love, with the all the life that God has given you.
Love, with all the vitality you can muster.
Love. It should be what you desire.
Love; this should satisfy you.
Love, with all yourself.


Love with all your might.

The Hebrew word for "might" in Deut. means "vehemence, intensity, diligence, exceed{ingly}, far, fast, good, great, loud, utterly, very." The Greek word for "strength" means "forcefulness, ability, might, power, strength, with much work."

Love vehemently.
Love intensely.
Love diligently.
Love exceedingly.
Love far.
Love immediately.
Love greatly.
Love utterly.
Love with all your force.
Love with all your ability.
Love with all your might.
Love with all your power.
Love with all your strength.
Love, with work.


Love with all your mind.

The Greek word for "mind" means "deep thought, exercise of the mind, imagination, understanding."

Love, taking thought for whom and why you are loving.
Love, imagining the other person's situation.
Love, understanding that since God loves us, we are to love others.


And the verse doesn't end there. Jesus goes on to say:

"...and love thy neighbor as thyself."

LOVE.

Pouring out...

Pouring out love, not anger. 

That's something I had to do the day before Wednesday, because I was in the confined car with two other people, and you know how that can be. Anything gets on my nerves in that situation, but I determined not to let that get the best of me. I also determined to have a wwjd attitude.

And that was hard.

But it reminded me that I love my brother more than my DSI, meaning that even if he ever did completely destroy what I spent lots of hard-earned money on, I still wouldn't give up on him by blowing up. With love, I still wouldn't have that right. {Which he didn't break it at all, by the way}

And that brings me to a great Valentine's Day story. It's a story of a guy who truly loved his girl more than any work or possession.

Read it here.

What a cool story! Something I didn't notice before is that Jacob worked for seven years after her married Rachel, which shows that he probably forgave Laban for his deception.

Suppressing rage is pouring out love, and that's one of the ways I poured out love and gave of myself this Valentine's Day.

Busy, Busy, Busy! and Small Choices

You know you're week's been busy when you've substituted brushing your teeth with an Altoid and skip a shower for four days straight. Well, I guess it means you could be really tired, too. But, seriously? My room looks like a junkyard, my {many} dirty clothes smell like one, and I feel like one! My goals of having a clean room and getting my laundry done and blogging and spending free time on more meaningful things crashed. And then, yesterday I had {not had, chose to get up late} to do my eye-shadow and such and read my Bible on the car ride to church.

And then I read that verse that pierces me every single time:

Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

yeah. ouch!

Innocently "forgetting" was no excuse to tell an omniscient God. He knew that I made the choice to get up late almost every day of the week. He knew that I made the choice to neglect putting on the armour of God. But I thought I was all set because I had read my Bible everyday. But I did it to keep my record straight, forgetting God for "days without number."

a small choice made with God's guidance is a beautiful thing.

I made the choice. Isn't that what we've been learning? That our small choices add up to a larger result. My "small" choices of pressing snooze on the alarm clock added up to a week of sleeping in and quick Bible reading. I only got a sliver of what I could've gained from my time with God.

Please don't make the same mistake I did. It might not be pressing snooze on the alarm clock, but there's probably some small choice that adds up that you will be making this week. Make the right choice.

Choices and Beginnings

As we begin girls' group, we are discussing choices. We make choices everyday, such as what clothes we wear or what cereal we will eat. We even make life-changing decisions everyday, such as whether or not we will obey our parents. Whatever the choice is, it will soon accumulate, and the individual choices of our lives will accumulate to the end result of our lives.

We have the opportunity to make some life-changing choices now. Some of the choices we can make are whether or not we will be kind to someone, whether or not we will pray for someone, whether or not we will praise God, and whether or not we will memorize His Word.

Girls, let's make these choices together! :) I find that it's easier when others are lifting me up. (Even though it is many times necessary to stand alone.) We can share what we are doing through God's strength with each other, and share what we are learning.

I can't wait to see what God will do! I am very excited!